Gas prices are expected to continue to rise as well as more hotels being fully booked in the coming days as more people are expected on the roads this weekend.
AAA Spokesperson Marie Montgomery said, “The auto club is projecting a 64 percent increase in the number of travelers this Memorial Day Weekend compared to last year.”
With California re-opening and with more people vaccinated, the number of travelers this weekend is expected to be noticeable across the state.
Montgomery said, “You’re probably going to see a lot of increase in the traffic, the 101 of course is going to be impacted.”
The rise of gas prices is something to monitor over the weekend.
Montgomery said, “Right now we’re seeing about a two cent, three cent increase that really hasn’t stopped. San Luis Obispo as you may know is probably one of the most expensive market in the state for gas prices. The city is located pretty far away from the major distribution points for gasoline.”
AAA says they expect to rescue 115,000 motorists this weekend.
For Madonna Inn, this weekend will look very different than it did a year ago.
Madonna Inn Marketing Manager Amanda Rich said, “Last year we were completely shut down at this time. We were still doing to-go orders and we were open to essential workers, but you can’t even compare it.”
The hotel is already seeing a noticeable rise in bookings and is booked throughout the weekend.
Rich said, “All of our rooms are booked but we do extra cleaning procedures, so we have extra steps that all of the staff takes to make sure the room is nice and safe for all of our guests. We do say if they are wanting to come and eat in the restaurant, they should probably make reservations because we are very busy.”
The hotel is looking to bring back staff to account for the rise in guests.
Rich said, “Things are starting to return back to normal this Memorial Day Weekend and we are starting to hire people. If anyone is looking for a job, we are ready for you.”
The Madonna Inn will continue to have a strict mask indoor policy.
