The Big Apple's Big Sleep: How Many Hotel Rooms Can NYC Tuck In?
Ah, New York City. The city that never sleeps... except maybe for all those empty hotel rooms. But just how many rooms are we talking about here? Enough to house all your sleep-deprived college buddies? Enough to stage an epic game of hide-and-seek that lasts a lifetime? Let's dive into the quirky world of NYC hotel room counts.
The Pre-Pandemic Boom: A Room With a Million Dollar View (Except Maybe of Another Hotel)
Back in the heady days of 2019, NYC was on a hotel room building spree that would make even a Kardashian blush. We're talking about a whopping 123,000 rooms! That's enough to comfortably house the entire population of Vermont (sorry, Vermont). Imagine the tourist hordes! You practically needed reservations just to walk down the sidewalk.
The Great Hotel Hibernation: When the City That Never Sleeps Took a Power Nap
Then, 2020 rolled in like a wrecking ball and things got a little... empty. Hotels, used to the constant bustle of tourists and business travelers, found themselves with more tumbleweeds than guests. Some reports say the city lost around 200 hotels altogether, which translates to roughly 30% of its total. Ouch. That's a lot of lonely room service carts.
The Great Hotel Rebound: Are We Back in Business?
So, where are we at now? The good news is, the Big Apple is slowly waking up again. Tourists are trickling back, business deals are being struck, and those "vacancy" signs are flickering less often. New construction is even happening, with some estimates suggesting there could be as many rooms as before the pandemic in a few short years.
The Big Mystery: So, How Many Rooms After All?
Truth be told, getting a definitive number on NYC hotel rooms is about as easy as hailing a cab in rush hour. The constant churn of openings, closings, and renovations makes it a bit of a moving target. But hey, that's the beauty (and chaos) of New York City, right?
Here's the TL;DR for all you busy bees:
- NYC once had a crazy amount of hotel rooms (around 123,000).
- The pandemic took a big bite out of that number.
- Things are looking up again, with new rooms on the horizon.
- The exact number? That's a mystery even Sherlock Holmes might struggle with.
So, there you have it. The next time you're planning a trip to the city that never sleeps, you can rest assured there's a good chance you'll find a place to lay your head, even if the exact number remains a bit of an enigma.
