Suburban Hotels Feel Super Bowl Bump
Right behind the Marriott on Wayzata Boulevard, finishing touches on the new Courtyard Marriott Minneapolis West came at just the right time. The new hotel started taking reservations just ten days before the Super Bowl.
“The Courtyard Minneapolis West opened Jan. 31, just in time for the Super Bowl,” says Dan Maurer, director of sales and marketing. “We went from nothing to being sold out for the Super Bowl, so there was excitement on the guest side and on the employees.”
More hotel rooms on the market translated into good news for fans like Mark Stubits, who traveled to Minneapolis from Philadelphia to cheer on the Eagles.
“Luckily I got the tickets on Monday before the game and luckily I found the hotel,” says Stubits. “The host city was unbelievable. People were so nice and friendly.”
Visitors like Stubits who stay in the suburbs bring an economic boost along with them.
“We have seven hotels in the St. Louis Park and Golden Valley area and they were full. Many were full a few weeks prior, but all were full from Thursday to Sunday night,” says Becky Bakken, president of Discover St. Louis Park, which represents not only St. Louis Park but Golden Valley too. “We’re that first ring suburb opportunity that gets the chance to be a part of things on the sidelines, to use a football term.”
Bakken says hosting such a big event like the Super Bowl puts the city and its hospitality industry in prime position for hosting more big events in the future. The next big event is the NCAA Men’s Final Four Tournament in 2019.
