As many as 110,000 rooms in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties are expected to be filled during the 10-day buildup to Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7, including the Jan. 31 Pro Bowl. It's the first time the National Football League has held both its marquee events in the same stadium.
"For this year, it's the perfect situation," Bill Talbert, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, tells GlobeSt.com. "That will bring in more fans and more media earlier than it normally would."
While South Florida has had plenty of experience as a Super Bowl site, and will bid to host the game again in 2014, the region is treating this one like it is the first. That means rounding up hundreds of local volunteers and, for hotel owners' part, treating their properties like they are game central.
Besides 25 miles of contiguous beaches, unlimited golf possibilities and even eco-tours of the Everglades, the region's biggest selling point is what it has always been in winter: warm weather. "It's doubtful anyone can challenge it at this time," says Talbert, who also serves on the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee.
Miami and surrounding areas could certainly use a boost during an overall tough market for the US hotel industry. Occupancy at local hotels earlier this month averaged at least 75% with daily room rates averaging $173, according to Hendersonville, TN-based Smith Travel Research. That's well ahead of national average occupancy close to 40% and ADR just under $92.
To understand how area hotels can benefit from a national football championship, check out Los Angeles, where the Bowl Championship Series college title game was held Jan. 7. Occupancy in the market rose to 62% for the week, while ADR reached nearly $128, STR reports.
The NFL estimates a $400-million economic benefit to South Florida from hosting both the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl, which is traditionally played in Hawaii the weekend after the Vince Lombardi Trophy has been awarded. The Pro Bowl will return to the islands the next two years, though Talbert believes more such games could be staged stateside if this year proves successful.
In the meantime, the region will undoubtedly benefit from having two signature NFL events during a global recession, he says. "Timing is everything, and our timing is great."
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