‘It’s dead:’ Hotel industry met with unprecedented long weekend

“ I would say a good 60 to 70 per cent depending on the week or the month of the year. Like right now we should be busy with teams, and weddings, and all that, probably sold out three or four nights a week, that’s not happening,” Joshi said.

Many hotels are operating on subsidies to make ends meet, according to Joshi. And at his hotels staff have been kept at a bare minimum.

“Front desk is front desk because we have to watch it, but other than that, we used to have eight to 10 people in housekeeping, now we have just one,” he said.

The Homestay Inn and Suites in Medicine Hat is one of the many hotels Joshi manages province-wide. With no weddings or events, Joshi said hotel travellers are usually staying shorter periods of time, and they are only travelling out of necessity. At Joshi’s Hotel, guests are typically staying to visit the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital or they are on their way to Calgary from Saskatchewan.

Province-wide, restrictions have closed many of the amenities at hotels such as swimming pools, restaurants, and fitness centres. That has made the hotel experience very different, with people primarily spending time in their hotel room, Joshi said.

“I have never seen it like this before. People just come in, check in get their keys and go into their room. There is no interaction,” he said.

In Elkwater, it is a little bit of a different scenario, at the Elkwater Lake Lodge. For the first time this year, occupancy has hit 50 per cent, as people look to escape the stresses of the pandemic. While that number is down from their usual 90 per cent occupancy level, owner, and operator Neeraj Mishra is optimistic for the upcoming summer.

Despite the resort seeing some cancellations this weekend due to the rain and snow, people still were eager to come to the resort, and take in all that Elkwater has to offer.

“ With all the restrictions and the pandemic season, people have been locked in their house, and the May long weekend is the first weekend for them to go out, and enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

The hotel caters to tourists within a 200 km radius. That includes Medicine Hat, Swift Current and Moose Jaw.

Mishra said overall tourists have been compliant with the COVID-19 protocols, by only travelling with their immediate family, wearing masks indoors, and social distancing.

“I’m not seeing big groups trying to interact with each other, they are only with their families but at least we are getting some inflow of tourists here in Elkwater.

Becky Ross owns the Camp Cookhouse and General Store in Elkwater. She said while tourist traffic is down this long weekend, she too is anticipating a busy year.

“ The campsites are booked. Every single one of them. So it will be a very busy year. The weather just kicked the wind out of this weekend’s sails,” she said.

That sign of optimism has many in the tourism industry, including Joshi and Mishra hoping more people will look to explore regional tourism spots, to help support the local industry this summer.

by Tiffany Goodwein

‘It’s dead:’ Hotel industry met with unprecedented long weekend

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