With football and golf, Scottsdale expects ‘no room at inn’ in early 2015

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottsdale is calling next January and February a “Super Season.”

But out of town visitors who don’t already have a reservation may have a “super” hard time finding a hotel room if they want to come here to enjoy it.

“We are anticipating that there will not be a room available,” said Rachel Sacco of the Scottsdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Super Bowl-related events are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Scottsdale, in addition to the annual events that already bring people to the area.

One is the Waste Management Open Golf Tournament.

“We’re anticipating about 600,000 people there, many of whom are coming from out of town,” Sacco said.

The Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction is also in February, and the NFL’s Pro Bowl will be played in Glendale one week before the Super Bowl. Scottsdale expects to see around one million visitors for the first two months of 2015.

Sacco said that those that do have a hotel room can expect to pay more for it.

“I think the Scottsdale room rates are going to be their normal ‘Super Bowl’ room rates,” she said.

Ironically, one reason that many of the Super Bowl events are being held in Scottsdale is the NFL and Arizona Cardinals felt that Glendale, where the Super Bowl will be played, failed to get hotels there to refrain from price gouging.

Sacco did not comment when asked if the Cardinals had any complaints about increased ‘Super Bowl’ prices at hotels in her city. She tried to downplay that hotels there are charging more during that time period.

“I wouldn’t say that they’re jacked up (hotel room rates),” said Sacco. “What I would say that, in any business, there’s supply and demand.” That means higher rates, and people willing to pay them.

“Corporate and fans have already made their bookings,” she said.

Sacco said that the rush for rooms could extend all the way through the end of Spring Training, especially if the San Francisco Giants win the World Series — and that would result in more of their fans trekking to Scottsdale Stadium to see their Cactus League games in March.

Sacco said that her organization will try to help any visitors who are trying to get a hotel room, but she joked that it might be a good idea for any visitor who doesn’t already have a reservation to make friends with someone in Scottsdale who will let them stay at their place.