by izenmania
on 2/8/2008 @ 8:37am | Yeah, the article says that it will "fill 10,000 hotel rooms", and I immediately though, "We have 10,000 hotel rooms?"
No doubt some will stay in Seattle. Also... there are a lot of big houses in that neighborhood (I grew up about four blocks from where the course is, in one of the smallest houses on the block), and I know they're not all families. How much do you think some of those homeowners could make renting out a guest room to a high roller who's willing to spend to be walking distance from the course? There's even been some chatter about the possibility of homeowners going to stay with relatives and renting out their entire house.
I also know that the course itself has been trying to attract a resort-class hotel. Having the US Open come may be enough to draw something like that in the next year that could hopefully be complete by the 2010 tourney, but surely by the 2015 one.
Me, I think (falling back on my local over big business stance) that having a big name hotel like Hilton is not going to draw people any more than having a big name golf course. The community owns the course... why doesn't the community hire an architect and own the hotel, as well? |
by jenyum
on 2/8/2008 @ 8:39am | There are hotels by the mall, also. Not that they'll be enough either.
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by Erik
on 2/8/2008 @ 9:08am | Am I missing any biggies (if so let me know in the comments and I'll add 'em to the list)? Are all the hotels on this list adequate for patrons of such events?
They can stay at the Winthrop Hotel. Oh, I forgot the Winthrop Hotel isn't remodeled yet.
By the way, this year marks yet another political season where politicians have an "event" in Tacoma and don't stay over here. That's what's happening with many of the top Russell people as well who stay overnight in Seattle.
It would be nice to see it change with the Murano. We don't know exactly how it will be perceived in travel circles yet.
Its not just the ability to provide a place for dignitaries, they end up having an undue influence where companies locate and where events take place. Always having to go to Seattle for accomodations is a harmful dynamic for Tacoma. |
by izenmania
on 2/8/2008 @ 9:12am | I think the Murano's success will partly be linked to the quality of its restaurant. That can really make or break a hotel. Fact is, my absolute favorite restaurant in Seattle, which I go to either before or after any and every concert I see up there, is Red Fin Sushi, which is the house restaurant at Hotel Max, run by the same people who run Murano. Hopefully people who know the Max (my friend Phil used to cook there and I know it got quite a few national touring musicians and other high profile folk staying there) will spot the link. |
by Erik Hanberg
on 2/8/2008 @ 9:36am | Kevin, all the hotels on Hosmer are part of Tacoma (the other side is Lakewood) and therefore their hotel motel tax would be collected by Tacoma. |
by Erik Hanberg
on 2/8/2008 @ 9:47am | There's also the Foss hotel, which can hopefully be built by then. |
by Erik
on 2/8/2008 @ 9:59am | There's also the Foss hotel, which can hopefully be built by then.
And the Brewery District one. Theres a slew of others planned. Even one at Point Ruston.
Its a big announcement and could affect Tacoma in a number of ways. Hopefully, it will bring some of the delayed projects in Tacoma off the shelf. |
by kimi
on 2/8/2008 @ 10:16am | The "community" does not own the course. Pierce County owns the course, and my experience is that while "the community" does have input, it must slog through the Bog of Bureaucracy in order to be heard. If Ladenburg says that place can accommodate 65K guests per day for an event, one hopes he has a plan. I know there were some plans to build a hotel in the University Place Clown [sic] Center, but considering their own mess, I can't see that happening. No hotelier in his right mind would build something very big next to the Albertson's in a little bedroom community anyway. I could envision some locals considering opening up B&B places, however. Steilacoom would be perfect for that.
My main concern is for the true locals. I actually live in that aforementioned small house 4 blocks from the golf course, and I don't personally expect to be seeing much of that $100 million pouring into MY economy. What I personally expect is to have a few weeks of nightmarish traffic, obliteration of dog-walking privileges on the "community" trail, and other related inconveniences. The only access streets to this golf course are Grandview (one lane each direction spiked with those lovely roundabouts and limited parking bays), The road that goes past Charles Wright (one lane each direction with a center passing lane), and Cirque (one lane each direction, dirt shoulders). The surrounding neighborhoods are not fancy houses for the most part, they are older middle class family homes. The congestion on the 4th of July by outsiders parking to watch the fireworks from the walking trail overlooking the course is downright dangerous. I don't blame people for coming- you can see the fireworks from Olympia to Gig Harbor. But street parking on Grandview is grossly inadequate and the golf course parking is open to customers only, so people park on the side streets, turning them into narrow one lane passageways, with no sidewalks and no streetlights. That is maybe 1000 extra visitors. What would even a measly 10,000 extra be like? I guess we will find out.
As for me, I plan to do my part by teaching the parrot to scream LOUSY PUTT! |
by izenmania
on 2/8/2008 @ 10:28am | And believe me, that is one LOUD parrot. The golfers will be able to hear it.
Also, Pierce Transit is going to need to enact some serious changes, even if they are only temporary, to help with parking. The only bus that even comes close is the 53, hitting Cirque and Grandview. And even that bus only comes through half the time (the other half it bypasses Cirque and crosses Bridgeport at 40th, instead). Plus it takes the long route from Downtown, as it hits the mall before going toward UP. They're going to need some kind of downtown to Grandview shuttle, and possibly another coming from Lakewood. Really it could probably be just one that meets in the middle... a variant on the current 2 route that goes along Grandview and meets back up with Bridgeport at the Fred Meyer on 67th. I could feasibly see something going back and forth that goes T-Dome > Downtown > TCC > Golf Course > Lakewood Town Center > 512 Park and Ride > Maybe even all the way out to South Hill.
Not necessarily a reasonable place for a permanent route, but it could definitely help to spread the parking load out across the city, not entirely unlike the Puyallup Fair express buses. |
by KevinFreitas
on 2/8/2008 @ 11:46am | Just added a couple -- more to come. Still nowhere near the supposed needs for events like this. Personally, though a false hotel construction boom may not be necessary, I'd sure be proud for attendees to be able to stay in Tacoma. Perhaps even a temporary network of B&B's could form just for large events? That way demand could be met without a lot of new infrastructure costs for the city. |
by thriceallamerican
on 2/8/2008 @ 11:57am | There's an extended-stay type of hotel in Dupont (Guesthouse Suites?) that is likely closer to the golf course than most of the Tacoma options. I would imagine there are also some B&Bs in Steilacoom which would be a good fit, but obviously those don't have a ton of capacity. |
by NSHDscott
on 2/8/2008 @ 12:05pm | Are you listing hotels that aren't in Tacoma city limits but are in the Tacoma region? I'm assuming the latter since that still makes up a reasonable Chambers Bay radius.
I cringe to think of the impression of Tacoma that a generally high-end crowd will get by staying at the South Tacoma hotels, but you have to include them in the count.
Fife may not technically count as Tacoma, but close enough in my books. I'd put them in the list too. There are several hotels there, and Emerald Queen's hotel complex will be done by then. Heck, they'll probably have built two hotels by then.
How about the Fort Lewis area? I think there's a new one by the freeway in Lakewood still under construction, and one in Dupont? Gig Harbor?
Count the B&Bs, which won't add much to the count. I'm intrigued by the temporary B&B network idea. Could even be expanded to any Tacoma-area neighborhood with a lot of big old houses, like NSHD. |
by FunkomaVintage
on 2/11/2008 @ 2:49pm | I cringe to think of the impression of Tacoma that a generally high-end crowd will get by staying at the South Tacoma hotels, but you have to include them in the count. |
by jenyum
on 2/11/2008 @ 4:27pm | I would add the Days Inn, Shilo Inn, and Crossland Economy Studios. All in the South End. Can't speak for how nice they are, but they're in the area and in Tacoma. |
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