Hotels Offer Incentives to Keep Furniture Market Visitors Coming

HIGH POINT, N.C. - My how times have changed. Available hotel rooms, once expensive and nearly impossible to find during furniture Market, are cheaper and plentiful this year as the slow economy keeps buyers at home.

Greensboro's Doubletree Hotel generally puts up a large number of market attendees, but this year, reservations are off and rooms are available. Managers there say they usually sell out a few nights by March, but this year has been significantly slower.

The spring furniture Market officially gets started Saturday.

Hotel location also appear to be a bigger factor influencing where visitors stay.

Hotels near downtown High Point are offering discounts and other incentives to make sure guests return.

The Courtyard by Marriott has done away with minimum-stay requirements and only requires a one-night advance deposit. The Marriott is also providing breakfast and complimentary beer and wine for its guests.

Several hotels have reported that visitors have cut the number of nights they are staying, and some are waiting until the last minute to make reservations.