Too Much Room At The Inn?

When the AmericInn opened in Griswold back in 2002, the timing seemed especially poor as the tourism industry was absorbing a major hit in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Looking back now, those may have been the good old days. A USA Today article says the hotel/motel industry is switching to survival mode, with 45 per cent room occupancy rates across the nation. That is down from just a month earlier, when 55 per cent occupancy had marked a new low. Southeastern Connecticut, an area highly dependent on tourism, continues to see new hotels such as La Quinta in Stonington and Hyatt Place in Uncasville. Given these statistics, when will this growth turn into a glut of hotel rooms? The hospitality field has already lost thousands of jobs. Now those little extra touches may be a thing of the past as hotel operators look to cut back further. That would be a real shame for travelers. While some would criticize the offerings of "cookie cutter" hotel chains as much as those of the restaurant giants that dot the nation's interstates, there has at least been some minimum degree of consistency, cleanliness and overall quality. The freedom to move about the country has always been part of the American dream.