'Business Is Extraordinary': Cape Cod Hotels Looking Forward To Bright Summer
CHATHAM (CBS) - If there is such a thing as the Grande Dame of Cape Cod hotels, perhaps it is the Chatham Bars Inn. But even that storied venue was hard hit by the pandemic last summer, with bookings down.
But how is this summer looking, so far? "I have a big smile on today, because the business is extraordinary," said Chatham Bars Inn General Manager Gary Thulander. "There's a lot of pent-up demand out there for travel as people went through the pandemic this past year."
Even some of the smaller hotels are looking at a bright summer. At the Carpe Diem Guesthouse and Spa in Provincetown, they have much room for optimism. "What's been great for us is it's not only just for summer, but a lot of people are booking for April, May and June," said owner Stephen Hooper. "A lot of local people around Massachusetts have been booking."
But if the hospitality industry is looking to celebrate this summer, there may be one little obstacle: COVID. The numbers are increasing in certain areas of the Cape, especially in Barnstable and Yarmouth.
"Two towns here are seeing an increase in positivity cases, and it's a real concern dealing with that as we start to lead into the summer," said Yarmouth Health Agent Bruce Murphy. "We definitely see an uptick, we're not sure if that's the start of the third wave."
But with vaccinations statewide increasing steadily, there is room for hope that Cape Cod could be celebrating this summer. Just don't forget your mask.
