Leisure Demand Boom Came Early For Key West Resort
General Manager Says Hotel's Independence Has Lent Flexibility During Crisis
The summer leisure season, as predicted, has been bountiful for beach and resort destinations, as travel demand pent up by the pandemic is unleashed in the U.S.
But for the Ocean’s Edge Resort and Marina in Key West, that “summer demand surge” really started in February.
In large part due to the state of Florida’s more-relaxed approach to COVID-19 regulations for businesses, the hotel has operated at pre-pandemic occupancies — and at rates significantly higher than they were in 2019 — since February, according to General Manager Tom Elwood.
The resort wasn’t fully immune to the COVID crisis, however. After a pandemic was declared in March 2020, the Monroe County government made the decision to close the Florida Keys to visitors, and the hotel shut down until the Keys reopened again that June.
