SF occupancy rates have not recovered and revenues per room are down 23% from pre-pandemic levels. Why have hotels in cities like LA and NY rebounded from 2019 levels and are now generating more revenue per room than before the pandemic?
Great question. Why?
A major reason cited in the article is crime and safety - same reason retailers are leaving. It notes that for hotels, crime has been impacting the city’s tourism and conventions. Tourists don’t feel safe and many of the major conventions that SF used to host have relocated to Las Vegas.
So the other cities don't have conventions?
Of course they do, but as the most iconic tourist destination on the west coast, hotels in SF are heavily dependent on conventions. This is particularly true in the Union Square area near the Moscone center.
So democratic leadership only destroys one city....
The article is about hotels writing off SF. Visitors don’t enjoy the smell of human feces and urine, don’t like stepping over homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks, don’t like being accosted by panhandlers, and they don’t feel safe.
So that only happens in San Francisco
The article doesn’t say other cities don’t have crime and filth. It says major hotels are writing the city of SF off.
SF hasn’t had a Republican mayor since 1964, wonder if that has anything to do with SF’s demise?
But you posted that other cities have returned to ore pandemic levels. Is that not true?
Yes. Also noted why hotel operators are writing off SF.
You noted why the article claims as such.
It has everything to do with the demise of SF and California in general. The last time CA elected a Republican to statewide office was 2006. All Republicans were out of statewide office in 2011. Nothing happening in CA today has anything to do with Republicans.
Crime is up all over the nation, so it doesn't make sense that only hotels in SF are being impacted. There is crime in Las Vegas, and specifically crimes against tourists and in major hotels. Why does crime deter people & businesses in SF but not in Vegas?
The operators of Parc 55 and Hilton cited their reasons for leaving. Anyone who has spent time at conferences at Moscone understands. The area in and around Moscone Center and Union Square where these nice hotels are located is really, really bad.
Decline is a choice and San Francisco keeps choosing it, again and again.
I’ve been to plenty of conferences in SF and Vegas. There is no comparison in the street scenes near the major hotel and conference venues in Vegas and Moscone Center in SF. You literally smell shit and piss around Moscone and Union Square, step over homeless people, and get confronted by aggressive panhandlers. Hotel operators and major retailers are leaving for a reason.
I'm not disputing that crime is an issue. But if crime is an issue everywhere, why are hotels elsewhere not seeing a drop in patronage?
Because it’s much worse near SF’s major conference center and hotel district.
Is it?
Absolutely! I worked in tech for 35 years and have been to more conferences and trade shows than I can count in most major cities in the US and many in Europe. The situation around Moscone is exceptionally bad. I first noticed the deterioration in the early 2000s and it just kept getting progressively worse. It is highly visible and in your face there.
Neither of those hotels have left & neither said anything about crime.
You would need a citation for any of that.
