FAMINE TO FEAST

NEW HOTELS GOING UP ALL OVER SWLA WITH MORE TO COME

By Karla Wall

A couple of years ago, the lodging choices for visitors to Lake Charles and the surrounding area were minimal. Other than the casino hotels, there were very limited options for overnight stays.

That’s no longer the case. 

Like so many other aspects of life in Lake Charles, the area’s hotel scene is rapidly changing. A La Quinta and a Wingate by Wyndham were built a couple of years ago on W. Prien Lake Rd.; a Comfort Inn went up on E. Prien Lake Rd., a Red Roof Inn went up on Hwy. 397, just off I-10 east of Lake Charles a few years ago; and an America’s Best Value Inn on Lake St. was also added to the mix.

Building Boom

As of now, says Kimberly Caldarera-Dixon, hotel sales manager at Isle of Capri Casino and president of the SWLA Lodging Assoc., there are 59 hotel properties in the area, which add up to about 6,000 rooms. (There are also, she says, 25 RV parks, totaling 1,591 RV spots.)

And the building continues. Delta Downs in Vinton is expanding by 167 rooms in the near future, as well as renovating the existing 200 rooms, expanding the events center, and creating an outdoor pool and entertainment area.

Motel 6 recently took over and is renovating the Inn on the Bayou on W. Prien Lake Rd. A new Hampton Inn just opened up on W. Prien Lake Rd., a Springhill Suites opened recently on W. Prien Lake Rd., and is expanding with a Residence Inn adjacent to the property; a Candlewood Suites has already staked out a site on W. Prien Lake Rd., and a  new Courtyard Marriott is going up on W. Prien Lake Rd.

See a pattern here? 

“The hub of new construction is the W. Prien Lake Rd. area, mainly to accommodate the overflow from the casino industry,” confirms Caldarera-Dixon.

And all of these new hotel rooms aren’t staying vacant.

According to recent figures, hotel and motel rooms are, on average, at 57-percent occupancy, with some reporting 70- to 80-percent occupancy.

What’s keeping those rooms filled, and what’s keeping developers motivated to build in the area?

Tourism Still Driving Market

Though the expected influx of workers will soon impact the lodging industry in the area, the market, right now, is driven mainly by the tourism industry, says Caldarera-Dixon.

Sports tournaments, ecotourism, and, particularly,  the gaming scene, are drawing, and will coninue to draw, overnight visitors to the area.

“Tourism and visitor business is still what’s driving the (hotel) occupancy, whether it’s our casinos, sports and athletics industry, the Creole Nature Trail, or the (La. Rum)  distillery,” says Caldarera-Dixon. “Only a small portion of (hotel occupancy) is attributed to the construction frenzy. Few (hotels) right now are corporate/business oriented,  but we believe that (impact from construction) will increase in the future; that (market) will grow considerably in the next nine months.”

Nearing The Saturation Point?

Workers flocking to the area will need only temporary housing. The hotels going up now will have to rely on the Lake Charles market after the construction phase is completed on the many projects the area will be seeing in the next few years. Will that market support all of the new hotels?  Caldarera-Dixon says it will.

The gaming industry continues to grow, and draws increasing numbers of visitor from Houston, which will keep hotels filled, she points out.

“It would make sense to see additional lodging to meet the needs of the gaming overflow, in addition to eco-tourism visitors,” Caldarera-Dixon says.

And the area’s other tourism attractions will fill rooms, as well.

“The Lodging Association and local gaming industry work closely with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to market Southwest Louisina to a wide variety of travelers visiting our region to experience gaming, outdoor recreation, festivals, our culinary specialties and more,” says Caldarera-Dixon. “If we continue to focus on the diverse experiences SWLA has to offer, we’ll be able to keep our hotels filled with both leisure and business travelers.”