Welcome to Mardi Gras season in the New Orleans and Mobile Carnivals! Do you have a room to spare?

Dateline: October 26, 2002 New Orleans, La. .......   Because of the modest hotel building boom across the area, of late, many hotels in the outlying sections of the city, will have lower room rates this coming carnival season.

 That's good news for those willing to stay just a cat's whisker out of the main heart of the celebration. Last season the average room rates jolted some reveler's for a loop. The city had more than it share of reveler's spending time in their cars. 

 Most of these room rates however, is going to be around $ 180/night .  If you use Extended Stay America motels, you may be able to get a rate of $84/ night and around $350 a week. Otherwise, rates in the quarter will remain about the same, upwards to $325/night.

Are The Area Hotels doing all they can to Help during Carnival? The hotels and motels that are in our area, enjoy one of the most lucrative tourists markets going today in the United States. Their attitude is "it's a seller's market", get over it.

  Indeed they are correct. The area is simply under built,  when it comes to hotel rooms, during Carnival season. There may be a little relief on the way, but don't bet on it. With 2.9 million total revelers expected to hit town this entire season, it's a safe bet that the only break will be due to the economy, in fact, without that factor, it is highly doubtful that you would be getting a break at all on the rates.

Last year however, one trend that kept increasing in it's yearly progression, is the fact that many revelers are choosing to forgo the large hotel bills altogether, and camp out in their autos during their stay in the Big Easy. This is something that has always occurred, and is nothing new to those who regularly visit New Orleans or the locals.

What is new, is the fact that, this once light activity, has become increasingly widespread with each season. We took note of it, three (3) seasons ago when it seems to almost explode. We also noticed as did some others that the hotels has risen rates about 18% during that season as well.

Let us be extremely clear on this fact to all who come here, during Carnival. Camping out in your auto during the season is illegal! We are not condoning it by writing this article and telling you that people do this. The police take the position that sleeping in your car violates several ordinances designed to prevent just this type of loitering. Its been somewhat ignored during the last few Carnivals but the new chief here in Nawlin's, plans to address the issue this season and he isn't going to be ignoring this growing trend.

We'll be keeping an out out for this season to see if this trend continues. If it does, we will have to sound the warning to the city and others who may not be aware that the hotels and motels may will be pricing themselves out of the local market.

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