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It's a moving day, of sorts, for metro area hotels. The football fans are checking out and the Mardi Gras folks will be checking in.
Mavis Early, Executive Director of the Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association, says it won't be a problem.
"We're going to have a smooth transition, even if people are incoming on Monday," she says. "We've done this numerous times before when we've had back-to-back, major events."
Actually, she doesn't expect a lot of Mardi Gras check-ins today. That traffic will start to pick up on Wednesday, though, and she says "bring 'em on!"
"We like all crowds in New Orleans!"
She doesn't expect a lot of lingering Super Bowl folks to take up rooms that the Carnival crowd will be demanding.
"I don't think the majority of the Super Bowl people are staying for Mardi Gras. But, some are staying a little while longer...just a couple of days."
So, she says there will be accommodations to be had for the upcoming weekend.
"I don't think it'll be a problem," says Early. "We'll have rooms available for Mardi Gras."
The exodus is expected to exceed the arrivals. Early says nothing matches a Super Bowl when it comes to hotel occupancy.
"Super Bowl, we were at 99.42 percent occupied," says Early. "For Mardi Gras, we usually don't get those kinds of numbers, but we'll be in the 90s."
Those occupancy rates will climb through the week.
"Wednesday and Thursday, about 85 percent. Friday, a little over 90 percent...Saturday, higher than that and then we pretty much stay at that through Monday night."
So, she says, if you've got friends still thinking of coming to Mardi Gras..."Tell them to come! They'll get accommodations."
But, tell them not to wait too long.
