High-end hotels in picturesque getaways and cities alike find themselves hosting well-heeled travelers for extended stays — as long as 90 days.
The pandemic has left some wealthy Americans at the end of the summer with fouled-up travel plans and no reason to go home, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Even some Angelenos with perfectly good homes are paying to stay at local hotels. The Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel Air are experiencing an uptick in 90-day stays, mostly from area residents.
A quarter of the guests staying at the Timbers Kaua’i in Hawaii are booked for longer than 30 days. Rhode Island’s Ocean House anticipates three families will stay there during the fall.
Auberge Resorts, which operates 19 hotels around the world, has experienced a 300 percent increase in the average length of stay.
Hotels have struggled throughout the pandemic and some are targeting travelers seeking long-term stays by offering package deals at big discounts off the nightly rate. Auberge offers 30 percent to 40 percent off for two-month stays.
Still, extended stays are options only for the wealthiest. Even with a 30 percent discount, a year-long booking for a two-bedroom unit at the Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito runs around $1.1 million.
Tourism-dependent economies are also taking advantage. Barbados’ tourism recovery plan includes a 12-month tax-free stay for visa holders for just a $2,000 fee. Bermuda also has a program in place to attract remote workers for the winter months.
In the Hamptons, renters are also hanging out longer at private rentals: Stays for bookings in the Hamptons via online rental platforms VRBO and Airbnb were up 20 percent between May and September. The latter month, typically beyond the end of the Hamptons summer season, saw an 8 percent year-over-year rise in total bookings. [LAT] — Dennis Lynch