Despite the recession, Augusta hotels posted record revenue last year.
The Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated the total hotel revenue at $60 million for 2009, about 3 percent more than 2008.
"Augusta is extremely fortunate during these difficult financial times," said Barry White, the president and CEO of the Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau. "While other cities, large and small, are experiencing drastic declines in visitation, visitor spending in Augusta is on the rise. It's nice to say that we've had growth. That's very unusual."
Mr. White attributes the increased visitor spending to the Augusta area's strong economy: Fort Gordon, the health care community, growth at Savannah River Site and being an economical destination for leisure and business travelers.
"We've been very fortunate with all the DOT work, the road construction both with the completion of I-520 and the major interchanges around I-20 and I-520," Mr. White explained. "And St. Sebastian Way that's happening downtown around Greene Street. That's a lot of long-term stays associated with those projects."
Marty Matfess, the general manager at DoubleTree Hotel on Perimeter Parkway, credits the increase in hotel revenue to more hotels opening in Augusta.
"I don't know that any hotel as a whole did better last year than the prior year, but the city saw growth because of the growth in hotel rooms. We had a number of hotels that opened last year and the prior year that helped contribute to the 3 percent," Mr. Matfess said.
Richmond County is approaching 6,300 hotel rooms among 67 hotels. Four hotels opened in 2009 on top of three the year before.
In addition to new supply being added to the market, the Augusta Sports Council drew visitors to Augusta, especially with the ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta competition, said Darryl Leech, the general manager at Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites. "That brought a lot of new people to town for the first time," Mr. Leech said.
Jameson Suites on Claussen Road drew visitors by discounting its prices, using Internet revenue streams such as Expedia or Travelocity and improving its customer service, said general manager Mark Troiani.
"We had a lot of people staying at our hotel who otherwise wouldn't have been able to at our full rate," Mr. Troiani said.
The Science Olympiad competition in May also drew guests, he said.
Visitor spending at Augusta hotels has increased every year since 2001, Mr. White said.
Total hotel revenue and related sales and lodging tax collections for the city increased nearly 3 percent over 2008, which was also a record for Augusta, according to the CVB.
With each overnight hotel stay, visitors pay a 6 percent lodging tax and a 7 percent sales tax for a hotel room. Last year, area hotels contributed more than $9.4 million in local taxes and fees to the city, the bureau reported.
Reach LaTina Emerson at (706) 823-3227 or latina.emerson@augustachronicle.com.
NEW HOTELS IN RICHMOND COUNTY
2007
- Value Place Hotel on River Watch Parkway (January)
- Value Place Hotel on Noland Connector (February)
- Candlewood Suites on Claussen Road (August)
2008
- Hilton Garden Inn on Stevens Creek Road (March)
- Staybridge Suites on Center West Parkway (August)
- Hawthorne Suites on Jimmy Dyess Parkway (April)
2009
- Comfort Suites on Riverwest Drive (February)
- Comfort Inn & Suites on Noland Connector (April)
- Fairfield Inn & Suites on Gordon Highway (September)
- Sheraton Augusta Hotel on Stevens Creek Road (December)
Source: Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau
It appears these hotels/motels do pretty well without the county having to spend tens of millions constructing special buildings for them. These same hotels will now have their room taxes funnelled to the new TEE- Laney Walker bribes. They get nothing. It doesn't seem right, does it?
There appears to be even another large hotel going up in the Stevens Creek hotel complex. That is an amazing center of upscale hotels, restaurants and bars around a landscaped courtyard. It has become the epicenter of the CSRA hospitality industry.
Too bad they wouldn't build the TEE center at Stevens Creek Road. I guess that would have been too convient to I-20 and the new and remodeled hotels and Carrabas and Bonefish and Outback.
Interesting observation. The old Sheraton Hotel off Bobby Jones functioned as a convention complex before it was decommissioned. It seems perimeter locations don't function as well for a successful convention complex as does more centrally located destinations. I suppose if you could locate a beautiful riverfront off Stevens Creek Road and move over 200 years of historical assets there you might have the making of a good convention complex. The business traveler and the pass-through motorist is a lot different than a setting for a significant meeting destination. However, it is good to see the logic in the expansion of our Trade & Exhibit Center on our Downtown riverfront supported by this report. Fortunately Augusta is an ideal location for a hub serving the multi-needs of most who travel & meet.
Savannah Rapids Pavilion is right down Stevens Creek Rd. It has much more to offer than downtown Augusta as far as river beauty. Restaurants, theaters and shopping of all kinds is nearby. The new luxury hotel complex at Stevens Creek Rd. makes anything downtown Augusta does look small. The amazing thing is that they did it all without Richmond County building anything for them, donating land or providing parking. In addition their hotel occupancy tax will be sent to help the hotel by the TEE and even pay to manage it. It takes a centipede to not understand how wrong this is. I appreciate downtown Augusta and want to see it thrive, but this is unfair.
Guests at the Stevens Creek complex already visit Savannah Rapids pavilion as I said. They also use the walking/bike path along Evans to Lock Rd an on out along the canal. The hotel builders knew this and proceeded without any government advice or HELP. Mr. Osbon, you guys are so phonylicious.
"I don't know that any hotel as a whole did better last year than the prior year"- that's the fly in the ointment. Strong economy, but they didn't do better than last year?
This is truly a misleading statistic. The assesment by Mr. Matfess is correct. The increase in the number of available rooms is the catalyst to this false growth. Augusta hotels are simply drawing visitors from neighboring markets. The Masters tournament is an event, that until very recently, used to positively impact hotel revenue within a one hundred mile radius during the first week in April. New hotel development in Augusta has reduced this radius to twenty miles. Room rates fell during the 2009 Masters and they will fall again this year. However, displacing revenue from neighboring markets by increasing room supply helps offset the drop in average room rates. Mr. White lauding the fortune of Augusta visitation is amusing. He needs to thank the Augusta National while patting his ACVB on the back. I predict the ACVB will see an increase in hotel revenue for 2010. However, this growth comes with the price of wreckless market saturation coupled with stagnant demand. I'm being optimistic with a stagnant demand forecast. Moreover, a word to all hotel developers. If you contiunue to develop new hotels in the CSRA the Augusta National will not be able to save you.
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