Volusia hoteliers expecting full house for Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH  —  As work continues to restore beaches damaged by back-to-back tropical storms this past fall, Volusia County’s tourism industry welcomes a wave of visitors for this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, the first of a series of special events through the spring.

Area hoteliers are anticipating sold-out rooms for the famed endurance race Saturday and Sunday, a magnet for visitors that’s not highly reliant on the condition of beach access ramps or sandy shorelines eroded by the impact of tropical storms Ian and Nicole.

“We anticipate this year's Rolex 24 to very likely exceed any prior Rolex 24 hotel performance statistics for Daytona Beach,” said Jim Berkley, general manager of the 744-room Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the area’s largest hotel. “Demand for hotel rooms has been exceptional this year and with an increased field of drivers and daily events coupled with what I am hearing are the strongest pre-race ticket sales in years, it should only deliver excellent business for all merchants in our destination.”

Indeed, coveted parking and camping spots on the Speedway’s infield sold-out well ahead of this year’s 61st Rolex 24 that begins Saturday afternoon at 1:40 p.m., according to Speedway officials.

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For fans, the infield is the heart of the event’s festival atmosphere, with a midway area boasting a Ferris wheel and carnival rides as well as more than a dozen pop-up showrooms for international auto manufacturers to showcase their latest dream cars.

Race fans less concerned about the beach

And race fans generally have fewer concerns about the metal barricades that stretch along the length of the Daytona Beach Boardwalk to block access to beach stairways closed because of storm damage or the number of beach ramps still closed for storm-related repairs, hoteliers said.

“We have not heard any recent pushback or negative commentary from potential or actual guests about beach conditions,” Berkley said.

In the hotel realm, the marathon race parties for both the Rolex and NASCAR’s Daytona 500 in February remain reliable visitor attractions.

“We are sold out for both the Rolex 24 as well as the Daytona 500 race at our three hotels on International Speedway Boulevard,” said Manoj Bhoola, president and CEO of Ormond Beach-based Elite Hospitality Inc. “We have been tracking ahead of last year for a few weeks and at a higher ADR (average daily room rate), so we expect these events to be very beneficial to all the hotels, gift shops and area restaurants.”

Elite’s roster of area hotels includes the Best Western Plus International Speedway; Hampton Inn by Hilton Daytona Speedway Airport; the Hilton Garden Inn at Daytona Beach International Airport; and the Ormond Beach Best Western Castillo Del Sol.

Across from the track on International Speedway Boulevard, the outlook is equally upbeat at the 64-room Quality Inn Daytona Speedway, said Deborah Bailey, general manager.

“We’re looking really good for the Rolex, as well as the Daytona 500,” Bailey said. “Now we just have to pray for some great weather.”

At One Daytona, the retail, dining and entertainment complex across International Speedway Boulevard from the track, expectations also are high at The Daytona Marriott Autograph Collection hotel and the Fairfield Inn & Suites, said Nancy Guran, director of sales for both hotels.

“The hotels are sold out starting on Wednesday night through Monday,” Guran said. “And we are already sold-out for Race Week (in February) and have been for months. There is a lot of excitement for the Rolex this year. I have not heard any feedback from guests or clients in regard to the beaches. I believe it is a non-issue, certainly for the events during race season.”

Race visitors a welcome sight in hard-hit Daytona Beach Shores

In Daytona Beach Shores, one of the areas hardest-hit by damage from the tropical storms, the Rolex also has been a welcome source of business, said Domien Takx, vice president of operations for Ormond Beach-based Premier Resorts & Management.

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“We look forward to this year’s special events, as they prove to be important room demand generators for all of our beachfront hotels,” Takx said. “Starting with the Rolex this coming weekend, we anticipate selling all available rooms for the weekend. This entire week is strong, and we are ahead of pace compared to last year for both the Rolex and the Daytona 500.”

Premier properties include Hilton Garden Inn; Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites; and the Best Western Daytona Inn Seabreeze; all in Daytona Beach; as well as the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Daytona Beach Shores.

The latter hotel suffered considerable damage to its seawall, pool deck and parking lot as a result of the storms, but all 100 rooms will be open for race weekend after being closed in recent weeks for bathroom renovations, Takx said.

“All rooms are available,” Takx said. “The pool, pool deck and beach access are not. We have awarded the contract to build a new seawall and pool deck, with anticipated completion date of April 2023.”

Takx said that the improved booking pace for the Rolex is a result of a limited number of rooms available in the market due to storm damage, a view echoed by Rob Burnetti, general manager of the 212-room Shores Resort & Spa, also in Daytona Beach Shores.

“We’re busy this weekend for the Rolex,” Burnetti said. “It starts ramping up on Wednesday and we expect to sell out Friday and Saturday. The (Daytona) 500 is still looking strong. We’re not seeing a huge length of stay, but we are seeing bookings for three and four days and we expect to be sold out for that event.”

The reliable enthusiasm of race fans, as well as longtime patrons of the annual Bike Week in March will help counteract challenges left behind by storm damage that has limited room availability at some hotels in the market, Burnetti said.

“This is the first time the market has been tested since the storms,” he said. “Those people who come to these events know the market, they know with a hotel being down, it’ll be harder to get rooms. It helps the booking window for sure. It offsets some of the other challenges we’re seeing.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Rolex 24 at Daytona offers welcome boost to Volusia hotels