Omar Perras, Elias Vincente and Carlos Medina, from left, trim bushes at the front of the Chattanooga Country Club in preparation for the inaugural Little Debbie Ironman Chattanooga race on Sunday.Even with the headlining Ironman competition and its estimated 15,000 visitors, travelers can probably get hotel rooms in the Chattanooga area this weekend, though Saturday it's less likely.
Still, the triathlon and two other weekend events - Wine over Water and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football game - have bumped up hotel occupancy rates, even if some hotels have rooms to spare.
The Chattanooga Marriott Downtown is fully booked Saturday and Sunday, with just a few rooms left for Friday. General Manager Tom Underwood expected them to get snapped up though.
"They're rolling in," Underwood said.
The hotel would not normally be fully booked during a weekend this time of year, he said, and most certainly not on Sunday, generally a slow night.
Nor would any of the nine hotels that 3H Group manages in the Chattanooga area. Occupancy rates would typically be 60 to 70 percent, but should hit at least 90 percent this weekend, said Bob Dollinger, the company's vice president of operations.
As of Thursday afternoon, some of the company's hotels were fully booked on Friday and Saturday, others on Saturday and Sunday, Dollinger said.
The Chattanooga Choo Choo wasn't yet sold out for Friday, Saturday or Sunday, general manager Jim Brambrey Jr. said Thursday afternoon. The hotel, like a few dozen others, had blocked off rooms especially for Ironman guests. The Choo Choo filled all of them months ago, he said. Walk-in guests in the next day or two will probably take remaining rooms, he said.
Red Roof Plus and Suites in downtown Chattanooga has rooms available every night this weekend, though the event has increased stays in the hotel for the next few days.
Triathlon-related bookings aren't confined to downtown Chattanoooga, the hub for Ironman action. Some people are staying in hotels near Shallowford Road, 15 miles away, and in East Ridge, 10 miles away, including 3H Group locations.
Embassy Suites Chattanooga/Hamilton Place, near Shallowford Road, didn't fill all of its blocked rooms, said Paul Mezick, the general manager. "It's not as many as I had hoped. Downtown was probably able to accommodate most of them."
Selling out Friday and Saturday is typical for the hotel, making this weekend no busier than any other, Mezick said. But Sunday will be more full than usual, thanks to Ironman, he said.
This year marks the first of five years Chattanooga will be hosting Ironman. The event is estimated to have an $8 million economic impact each year.
There are about 2,500 hotel rooms in downtown Chattanooga and 10,000 in Hamilton County.
Contact staff writer Mitra Malek at mmalek@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6406.