CLEVELAND — The Westin hotel in downtown Cleveland holds nearly 500 rooms, but since most of them have been empty for the past year, it's now in danger of being foreclosed upon within days.
Emily Lauer with Destination Cleveland says they’re tracking the situation.
"There's not a final decision on the Westin, so they may not close," she told 3News. "I think that's important to keep in mind is to not write them off before a final decision is made."
The Westin Downtown Cleveland hotel is having serious financial struggles. 3News reached out to the location directly for comment and were passed along to the corporate communication office, which has not returned our call at this time.
Lauer says people who plan to have friends or family stay in the area shouldn't worry because we have 17 other downtown hotels. She adds the potential drop in hotel capacity shouldn't hinder any spring or summer events.
"We have more than 20,000 hotel rooms in the region," she said. "We have suburban hotels, we have downtown hotels, we have AIRBNB, we have lots of lodging options."
The National Restaurant Association estimates nearly 3,900 restaurants have closed in Ohio the past year. With the number of vaccinations increasing and the temperature heating up, more people will be seeking dining options.
"Restaurants and other businesses have actually opened during the pandemic," Lauer said. "So at a time when everything felt very dark, we had some light."
One event Lauer believes will be big for Cleveland hotels, restaurants, and businesses is the NFL Draft at the end of April.
"Not only will this be a shot in the arm economically as we continue to recover as a region, but also as Cleveland being able to be on the global state with the return of live events," she said.
While we are all itching for things to get back to normal, there is at least one event next year hotels are quickly booking up for – and that’s the NBA All-star weekend.