Peter Segall / Juneau Empire 
Visitors depart from the Baranoff Hotel in downtown Juneau on Thursday, June 3, 2021, just days after the typically year-round hotel reopened its doors after closing for the COVID-19 pandemic. Travelers are returning, hoteliers say, but many of their rooms remain empty.

Peter Segall / Juneau Empire Visitors depart from the Baranoff Hotel in downtown Juneau on Thursday, June 3, 2021, just days after the typically year-round hotel reopened its doors after closing for the COVID-19 pandemic. Travelers are returning, hoteliers say, but many of their rooms remain empty.

Visitor numbers rebound, but hotel vacancies remain high

Travelers are coming back, but hotels have a lot of empty beds

Hotel operators and those who promote Juneau as a destination say hotel bookings are picking up but vacancies are still expected to be high for the next few months.

Things are certainly better than last year, according to Liz Perry, executive director of Travel Juneau, but still low enough to be concerning for local businesses.

“Downtown hotels are picking up pace, smaller properties are picking up at a faster pace,” Perry said in an interview with the Empire. “They’re not quite where they were in 2019, but they’re seeing some daylight.”

Travelers to Juneau typically book at least two months in advance, Perry said, and hotels typically don’t see a lot of last-minute bookings. Numbers are picking up for later in the summer, she said, and hotels in Juneau often see an increase in reservations made for late summer or early fall made in late June and early July.

[US House passes bill that could allow an Alaska cruise season]

Both the Baranoff Hotel and the Four Points by Sheraton Juneau were only at about 40% capacity, according to Dana Ruaro, regional director for the hotels.

“Normally we’d be at like 85% occupancy at this time,” Ruaro said.

Local tax data paints a similar picture.

An analysis of reported room tax from the City and Borough of Juneau shows the reported room tax from hotels steadily increasing from 2013-2019, before significantly dropping off in 2020. In 2019, CBJ reported $1.4 million in room tax from hotels and only $769,000 for 2020. Room tax from non-hotel lodging saw a similar drop off; in 2019 CBJ reported $218,000 in non-hotel room tax versus only $100,000 in 2020.

The Four Points in Anchorage was doing much better, she said, but Juneau doesn’t see as many last-minute travelers. Ruaro was hopeful for the late summer season but said she had already had to lower rates and that the Baranoff would be closed through the winter.

“Especially after this summer,” Ruaro said, “we’re not going to be able to keep everybody employed through the winter.”

But there’s already enough tourists in town that visitors are having trouble finding rental cars, Perry said. In fact, visitors are so strapped for rental cars they’re hiring U-Haul trucks simply for transportation, she said, an issue other states are facing too.

Jeff Lockwood, public relations manager for U-Haul, said in an email the company was aware the trend was happening but could not provide specific data.

In April, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced a $150 million plan to help Alaska’s tourism industry and has launched an ad campaign in the Lower 48 aimed at bringing visitors to the state. Part of that package included offer free COVID-19 vaccines to anyone ages 12 and older and as of June 1, the state’s three largest airports have walk-in vaccine clinics open daily.

It’s too soon to tell to what extent that plan has impacted the capital city.

Official data from the Federal Aviation Administration won’t be available until later this year, said Patty Wahto, airport manager at Juneau International Airport. Currently, airport officials only have the numbers of enplanements reported to them by the major airlines, Wahto said, but those numbers reflect only one portion of the airport’s travel numbers.

“Airlines is one part of it and we’re seeing that rebound,” Wahto said, “but we don’t have a full grasp on what’s happening with the small carriers.”

Smaller carriers account for roughly one-third of the airport’s enplanements, Wahto said.

Perry expressed cautious optimism that all kinds of tourism would increase as the summer progressed and cruise ships returned. According to Cruise Lines International Association, large cruise ships will begin arriving in Southeast Alaska in late July. The CLIA calendar shows both Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas and Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder set to arrive Friday, July 23.

• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 17

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

The Douglas Island Breeze In on Wednesday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
New owner seeks to transfer Douglas Island Breeze In’s retail alcohol license to Foodland IGA

Transfer would allow company to take over space next to supermarket occupied by Kenny’s Liquor Market.

A butter clam. Butter clams are found from the Aleutian Islands to the California coast. They are known to retain algal toxins longer than other species of shellfish. (Photo provided by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Among butter clams, which pose toxin dangers to Alaska harvesters, size matters, study indicates

Higher concentrations found in bigger specimens, UAS researchers find of clams on beaches near Juneau.

An aerial view of people standing near destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 8, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Members of U.S. Senate back disaster aid request amid increasing storm severity

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s request for nearly $100 billion in natural… Continue reading

Media members and other observers gather at the Alaska Division of Elections office on Wednesday evening as the results of all ballots, including ranked choice tabulations, were announced. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ranked choice voting repeal fails by 0.2%, Begich defeats Peltola 51.3%-48.7% on final day of counting

Tally released Wednesday night remains unofficial until Nov. 30 certification.

Looking through the dining room and reception area to the front door. The table will be covered with holiday treats during the afternoon open house. The Stickley slide table, when several extensions are added, provides comfortable seating for 22 dinner guests. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
The Governor’s House: Welcoming Alaskans for more than 100 years

Mansion has seen many updates to please occupants, but piano bought with first funds still playable.

The language of Ballot Measure 2 appears on Alaska’s 2024 absentee ballots. The measure would repeal the states open primary and ranked choice voting system. (Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)
Count tightens to 45-vote margin for repealing Alaska’s ranked choice system going into final day

State Division of Elections scheduled to conduct final tally at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The drive-through of the Mendenhall Valley branch of True North Federal Credit Union, seen on June 13, is where a man was laying down when he was fatally struck by a truck during the early morning hours of June 1. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police: Driver of CBJ truck not at fault in death of man struck in drive-through lane of bank

Victim laying on pavement during early-morning incident in June couldn’t be seen in time, JPD chief says.

Most Read