Between the Final Four, Valero Texas Open and Spurs, San Antonio has a jam-packed weekend coming up that is expected to bring big business to the hotel industry.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio will be in the spotlight, and it will be packed with visitors from all over next weekend. Happening at the same time is the NCAA Men’s Final Four and the PGA Valero Texas Open. The San Antonio Spurs are also playing the first Friday of April.
Just for the Final Four, officials said 101,000 visitors are projected to be in San Antonio. Chaitan Mugili and Michelle Madson with the San Antonio Hotel and Lodging Association said this will mean big business for the industry.
“It is huge,”Mugili said. “It is huge.”
Mugili is also the general manager of the AC Hotels by Marriott and Element Hotels, and 1Watson Rooftop bar in downtown San Antonio.
“We have been preparing for it,” he said. “Our team understands how important this is, and how rare this opportunity is.”
Mugili said this takes years of preparation and said a lot of hotels will be under a lot of demand and pressure.
“So, three months of business that you can make in four days,” he said.
Madson said the economic impact will be felt beyond the hotel industry.
“We are expecting about $440 million dollars over just the four days of the Final Four tournament,” she said. “It doesn’t just come from ticket sales to events. It goes to hotels, bars and restaurants, transportation.”
Madson said hotels are either near capacity or already sold out. However, given it’s the Final Four, at this point, hotels don’t know who is coming just yet.
“We are starting to get some bookings, but the majority is coming next week,” Mugili said.
The Final Four will primarily take over downtown, while the PGA Valero Texas Open will be in full swing up north at TPC San Antonio.
“A lot of people are waiting to press commit,” Madson said. “Until then, we are preparing for an almost sellout situation across the city.”
Madson said the impact will be felt for a long time.
“Even hotel occupancy tax doesn’t just go to maintaining our great facilities, like the Alamodome, it goes to historic preservation, and arts and culture,” she said. “So, this economic boost will be felt throughout the city for years and years.”
She said San Antonio hotels are still not seeing numbers like they saw before the pandemic. She said projections for 2025 is looking positive with a lot visitors coming in the Summer.