Local hotels getting a boost in business from power outages, if their lights stay on

By Ben Freed Business Reporter

Posted on Fri, Jul 6, 2012 : 5:11 p.m.

With temperatures skyrocketing and power outages lasting multiple days, some local residents are living by the old saying, “if you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” Some hotels are reporting an increase in local customers who are getting out of their homes while the power is out.

Some people in the Ann Arbor area have found their homes to be hot, inhospitable, and even unbearable for the past two days.

That’s good for business, said Samantha Bachoura, a guest services representative at the Red Roof Inn on South State Street.

“We’ve had probably about 20 to 30 people stay with us who didn’t have power at home,” she said.

Other hotels weren’t so lucky. Both the Hampton Inn and Fairfield Inn lost power themselves and had to move their guests to other area hotels, according to front desk representatives.

Smaller local hotels have also seen an uptick in reservations. The Lamp Post Inn on Stadium Boulevard only had one vacancy left for tonight and people have been calling asking for multiple night stays.

“I’ve had two people without power call just this afternoon asking for rooms tonight and tomorrow night,” said Miranda Perkins, front desk manager.

DTE now expects to have power back to the vast majority of southeast Michigan residents by Friday night, according to latest estimates.

Click here to view the most updated outage map.