Hotel Rooms In Tulsa Area Hard To Find As Storms Knock Out Power To Thousands

It is hard to find an empty hotel room around Tulsa right now. Some places are full because of reservations made months ago, while others still don’t have power.

“We had already a sellout week for gymnastics, now you add in 200,000 Tulsans who need a place to stay,” said Stephanie Pomeroy, general manager of the Downtown Tulsa Hampton Inn & Suites.

Just across the street, the USA Gymnastics Championships is underway at the BOK Center.

Pomeroy said her hotel is booked up, and is having to refer people as far as Tahlequah to find a bed.

For Destiny Loya, the Tulsa hotel is her temporary home after the storms knocked out the power to her Sand Springs home.

“Just super thankful that we have a place for us and our dogs to be in,” said Loya. “In the cool and electric.”

The high demand has some storm victims looking for a hotel outside of Tulsa.

The Hampton Inn & Suites in Claremore typically would only be 50-75 percent full in the middle of the week, but right now it’s booked solid.

"We’re at 100-percent,” said Amber Wright, manager of the hotel. “We’ve been at 100-percent since Sunday evening, and we’re looking to continue to be that way for another week or two.”

Wright said the phones have been ringing non-stop.

“It’s all around,” said Wright. “Catoosa, Owasso, Tulsa, Pryor, a lot of locals in Claremore."

She compares the high demand for hotel rooms to the 2007 ice storm that devastated Oklahoma.

She said if you are lucky enough to find a room, consider booking for longer than you think, just in case your power does not get restored.

Many rooms are being sold as soon as they’re vacated. Managers said someone in need of a room should keep calling since vacancies can change as people start to get power restored.