DC hotels hit hard by storm

from today's Washington Post (2/11):

In snowstorm, Washington hotels lose revenue but locals fill rooms
By Thomas Heath
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 11, 2010; A22

"The two blizzards over the past week brought huge numbers of hotel cancellations from would-be travelers to the Washington region, reducing occupancy and hotel revenue.

While the effects are hard to quantify so far, a chunk of the losses has been offset by locals who needed a hotel room, whether it was someone who had no electricity at home, a snowplow driver who needed to be near his vehicle or a ballerina performing at the Kennedy Center.

"There has been a definite loss in revenue due to the snowstorms," said Ed Virtue, general manager of the Hotel Monaco in downtown Washington, one of seven District hotels owned by San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants.

Virtue said that while the storm last weekend boosted occupancy, Wednesday's blizzard caused many cancellations by groups who wanted to steer clear of the region." ...

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