No room at the inn: Why you can’t find a hotel room in Windsor-Essex this weekend

A busy weekend is in store for Windsor-Essex and Detroit, as local lodging in Windsor is at or near capacity.

The head of Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island said nine major local hotels are sold-out on Saturday, and could be limited through the remainder of the weekend.

“It's a great problem to have,” said CEO Gordon Orr. “Especially after when you consider these past two and a half years or so.”

Orr said there are many events happening in the region and across the river in Detroit this Civic holiday long weekend, including two concerts at the casino, the PGA Tour Windsor Championship, Hogs for Hospice, Windsor-Essex Pride events, WWE SummerSlam, Detroit Tigers games, and the Ontario Summer Football League championships.

Orr said the best advice for anyone looking for a room is to book well in advance, “We did call around on Wednesday and found out that Saturday night was sold out, Friday night is in a sold out position and Sunday night is even strong.”

Orr said, “So there's a chance you might get a hotel room. Certainly I suggest you call ahead. But if this has taught us anything, it's book early!”

Orr told CTV News the local hotel industry is rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting there are still two area hotels filled with asylum seekers.

“Our stats tell us that June year over year, we're up about 11 and a half per cent and the average daily rate is about $12 extra. And then on top of that year to date, our occupancy is trending at 17 and a half per cent higher than it was this time last year, so we're on the right path, there's no question about it,” said Orr.

Meantime, Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino called the busy weekend ahead a turning point and step forward for the local community.

“This used to be the norm,” Agostino said. “And this is just another sign of us coming back coming back from COVID, coming back from all the disastrous stuff that's been happening to us along the way. This is a good signal of things coming back.”

“And listen, I certainly don't have my head buried in the sand. I know some of the things that are going on downtown, and we're fighting on all fronts. But this is another step in the right direction. And it's something that's not manufactured by the government. It's not something that's done as a political presence. This is done by the people,” he continued.

“There's so much going on within our community,” Agostino exclaimed. “You've got all the Pride festivities that are happening. You’ve got the Farmers Market, which is going to bring down at least 3,000 people Saturday. So we are talking about a massive amount of people.”

Agostino added, “And then top it off, you’ve got the Tigers playing at home. There's so much going on. There's so much activity. And of course, what better place to stay and play than downtown Windsor.”