MERCER COUNTY, W.Va. – Linemen and other crews are nearing a week of round-the-clock, on-the-ground restoration work in the two Virginias. Now we’re getting a better idea of just how many of these crews are utilizing local hotels.
One management firm says the majority of around 900 hotel rooms in the county are filled with out of state workers.
“With AEP, tree cutting companies and other sub-contractors, probably about 80% of our hotel rooms are filled by those entities ever since last Friday,” said Phil Lane.
Lane is the director of sales for V.P. Management out of Princeton. Lane says rooms not filled by workers were occupied by locals looking for a warm place to stay while their power is out.
He says he’s been shocked by the demand for hotel rooms.
“We’ve seen it before but not in this grand of a scale. Even this morning, myself watching the news they’re now comparing this to the largest since Katrina. This was just such a massive storm and situation. We’ve done it but probably not for this length of time,” said Lane.
Lane adds the demand isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon. He’s already received communication from groups like Appalachian Power which say they’re going to be extending stays for some workers in the area until Sunday.
“I think that’s part of what we provide is that clean, comfortable experience for the workers to stay while they’re helping us and our local residents to get their power back on,” said Lane.
Lane says it’s not just Mercer County that’s seeing the significant spike in demand for hotel rooms. He says crews have also been requesting rooms heavily in the Beckley area as well.
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