In Juneau, this time of year is normally the slump between the busy summer and the Legislative session, when lawmakers and their staff arrive.
But after a nonexistent tourism season, downtown hotels are especially looking forward to the arrival of lawmakers and the opportunity to make up some revenue.
Since statehood, the Baranof Hotel in downtown Juneau has been a focal point for visitors.
The nine-story, art deco-inspired building has almost 200 guest rooms and a cocktail lounge called the Bubble Room, where legislators and lobbyists have wined and dined for decades.
It’s also where the FBI famously staked out in the mid-2000s as part of an investigation into political corruption in Alaska’s Capitol.
But right now, when you call the hotel’s main number, this is what you hear on the answering machine: “The Baranof Hotel is closed for the winter … Thank you and we’ll see you next year.”
Juneau’s largest hotel will remain closed through the upcoming Legislative session.
It’s not clear when it will reopen. Attempts to contact the out-of-state owners were unsuccessful.
“In my experience here in Juneau, that is an absolute first and it is troubling to us,” said Liz Perry, president and CEO of Travel Juneau. She’s been tracking the situation for hoteliers all summer.
“They were just facing a vacancy rate that was high enough that it did not make sense to keep the whole property open,” Perry said.
The Baranof’s out-of-state owners also own the Four Points by Sheraton, a few blocks away. Perry said they moved all of the reservations to that hotel to consolidate.
She said hotels in other parts of town have fared better. Many of the rooms at the Best Western and a few others near the airport have been booked almost continuously for hundreds of mine workers quarantining before heading to their job sites.
The owners of Juneau’s two local mines have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on rooms and meal delivery for their employees.
“Aside from them, the downtown hotels have really been hard, hard hit this summer,” Perry said. “And will be well into the winter, so far as we can tell.”
As it stands now, the Legislative session is the best bet for local hotels to make up some revenue.
Jessica Meacham is general manager of the Ramada by Wyndham, formerly known as the Prospector Hotel. They had to lay off some staff early on in the pandemic.
“We saved on labor, we didn’t do any of the renovations we were planning on, like, we just hunkered down,” Meacham said. “You know, we’re just waiting ’til, you know, people come back.”
Even though this summer was a bust, she said things picked up a bit this fall. And she’s hoping the Baranof’s closure could mean more business for her.
“My rooms are huge and good for long term,” Meacham said. “So I’m hoping some of the people that usually stay there will come here, but no one’s contacting me.”
At a recent meeting, the Juneau Assembly approved $300,000 in city funding for the Alaska Committee. That’s the local group dedicated to keeping the capital in Juneau.
Assembly member Maria Gladziszewski said at the meeting the funding would be used to “intervene” in the local private housing market.
She said the Legislative Affairs Agency (LAA) that helps to coordinate housing ahead of the session is struggling, especially without all those rooms at the Baranof.
“Normally this time of year, they have a good number of options for legislators and staff,” Gladziszewski said. “They currently do not have that many listings. So, not clear what is happening there, but if you’re looking for a way to make some money on some of your housing, please contact LAA.”
She said if more Juneau residents with rental properties reach out, they may not have to spend as much of the city’s money.
Legislators and staff will begin arriving shortly after the new year. The session is set to begin Jan. 19.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Legislative session begins Jan. 21. The spelling of Maria Gladziszewski’s name has also been corrected.
