SPOKANE, Wash. — It’s almost game time in downtown Spokane as Hoopfest gets ready to kick off another year.
There’s been a lot of preparation to get to this point. From the teams, to the tournament, to the hotels many are staying in if they’re coming from out of town.
Hoopfest is a big money-maker for the city of Spokane.
According to Hoopfest officials, the 3-on-3 basketball tournament brings in about $47 million dollars to the region this weekend.
That’s because it’s not just the players that are coming to Spokane. It’s also their friends & family, as well as regular basketball fans.
Because of so many people coming in, hotels and Airbnbs are also getting booked up.
One group feeling the impact is Ruby Hospitality, which features downtown staples such as the Montvale Hotel and Hotel Ruby.
According to marketing assistant, Melinda McCormick, about 88% of rooms in their downtown area hotels are booked for this weekend.
“It brings not only locals, but people surrounding the area. We got a lot of people from Montana, Idaho. Actually, a big population from California as well. So it's really interesting.”
It’s also a busy weekend for Davenport Hotels, who are a major player in the downtown Spokane hotel scene with properties that include the Davenport Grand and the Historic Davenport.
According to Dania Duke, who’s the vice president area managing director of Davenport Hotels, they’re essentially sold out for this weekend.
But if there’s one thing McCormick hopes fans of Hoopfest can take from the tournament, It’s everything downtown has to offer: “Even though we're bringing people in that like basketball, they're coming to see Hoopfest, it’s, like, there's so much more that the town can offer.”
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