The party after the Saints' NFC Championship victory was a celebration unlike any other in New Orleans. Tourism officials said the city may want to gear up for round two, as downtown hotels are nearly sold out this weekend.
Last week, French Quarter hoteliers seemed to know they were on the verge of something special.
"Within minutes of [kicker Garret] Hartley making that kick, we had over a hundred reservations made," said Michael Medeiros of the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
Now, as New Orleans approaches a weekend that Saints fans always hoped for but never expected, the crowds may top those after the NFC Championship.
“It's incredible. This weekend downtown, for Saturday night, that's what we're really looking at because that's where all the action is, we're nearly sold out,” said Spokeswoman for the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Mary Beth Romig.
Downtown hotels are at 85 percent occupancy, and according to Romig, it’s a big boost for a traditionally slow weekend.
“I don't think any of us envisioned the kind of numbers of people that just want to be in New Orleans,” she said.
The possibility of a hotel sell out this weekend isn't just good for the New Orleans economy. It's also good for the Superdome.
“The recent activity with the Saints is going to help us a great deal. Both for the months of December and through January,” said Doug Thornton, Senior Vice President of SMG Events, the company that runs the ‘dome.
The Louisiana Sports and Entertainment District, that's responsible for both the Superdome and the New Orleans Arena, gets two thirds of its revenue from the city's hotel/motel tax.
The three big weekends for the Saints are expected to bring a big boost in revenue to the Saints’ home dome.
“The two play off games that we had will be tremendous and of course, this weekend upcoming, with the Super Bowl, so many people will be flying here that it's only gonna help us,” Thornton said.
Last fiscal year, the LSED saw a $6.5 million dollar drop in revenues. So far, this fiscal year, revenues are flat, according to Thornton. But once the agency gets a handle on the revenue amounts from December through Mardi Gras, they're expecting to strike gold thanks to the black and gold.
“I got a call from a Florida newspaper yesterday. Somebody's doing a story on the fact that so many people want to be in New Orleans, because apparently there are still hotel rooms to be had in Ft. Lauderdale and outside of Miami,” Romig said.
It's a nice change for a city that has spend the past four years trying to convince people to come back.
Romig said, as a past and future Super Bowl host city, they would never discourage people from going to Miami for the big game, however, she said it is nice that New Orleans is seen as the next-best thing.
