Manteca Short On Hotel Rooms As City's Marketing Pays Off
MANTECA (CBS13) – It's been a little crowded in Manteca this week.
"It's crazy going from here to Modesto. What takes me usually 15 minutes is taking 20, 25, even 30 minutes now," said Isaiah Gordon, who works in Manteca.
And not just on the streets – it's also in hotel rooms.
This week, all Manteca hotels reported no-vacancies. The city was so booked that investors for the city's newest, yet-to-be-built hotel, couldn't even get a room in Manteca for a mid-week meeting. City officials said investors had to stay in Stockton.
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"We're really excited. This is something that we've been waiting for and we've known that it's been coming. So, we're so excited about it," said Kimberlly Frank from the Manteca Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The visitors bureau has been marketing the city as the perfect hub for Northern California.
"So we're like the center point if they're going to Yosemite, or heading to Stockton or Lodi," Frank said.
The Holiday Inn Express says it hosted several business conventions. The Hampton Inn says its 101 rooms were filled with soccer tournament teams and travelers to Yosemite.
Today, Bay Area travelers on their way to Twaine Harte thought it best to stop in Manteca.
"We stopped here for food because as we head further east there's very little to pick from," said traveler Cathy Burket.
Locals say they hope the full hotels are just the boost the city needs to finish filling up stores in promenade.
"Some people come into visit because we're a new restaurant and they heard about us," Gordon said.
And with the Labor Day holiday coming up, local businesses are telling guests "Stay as long as you'd like."