The Marriott, an official hotel supporter of the World Cup, has plenty of availability for bookings, despite the start of the global soccer events in Los Angeles.
Higher-priced rooms, like upgraded or presidential suites, are in more limited quantities. However, if you’re looking for rooms in the $200 to about $500 price range to catch the World Cup competitions, there is lots of availability.
This deficit in bookings may be due to the political climate and policies, according to Jackie Filla, CEO of the Hotel Association of L.A.
“As we saw this past winter, with Canadian tourists, policies that make other countries view the United States in an unfavorable light very much have an impact on visitors,” she said to KNX News’ Craig Fiegener.
She also said policies that restrict entry into L.A.or the United States or create additional burdens for people looking to come to the United States impact visitors.
L.A.earns a 14-percent hotel occupancy tax from each room night, known as the L.A. Transient Occupancy Tax or TOT.
It had been projected that World Cup hotel rooms would generate more than $600 million in tax revenue for L.A. That’s not counting tourist spending in the city.
“In Los Angeles, for every $1 an individual spends on a hotel room reservation, they spend another $2.20 outside the hotel in Los Angeles, in communities and small businesses,” said Filla, “there is just such a larger economic ripple effect when people do come and they stay in hotels.”
International tourists are here, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said, with the Iran game bringing the largest Iranian population outside of Tehran.
She acknowledged that political tensions are leading to what she believes will be fewer hotel rooms in L.A. being occupied during the World Cup matches.
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