by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
“The Bobby Bowden Effect” is what some hoteliers are calling it. The only thing that sold as fast as tickets to the Jan. 1 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl game, Bowden’s final appearance as Florida State University’s head football coach, were hotel rooms for the nights around the college football game.
Downtown hotels a short distance from the stadium — such as the Hyatt, Omni and Crowne Plaza — were sold out by the close of business Monday. That’s more than 1,600 rooms on a minimum two-night reservation.
“The Florida State Booster Club drove over from Tallahassee Monday and booked 250 rooms,” said Janice Dailey, director of sales and marketing at the 292-room Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront. In addition to the room reservations the group is also having a New Year’s Eve party, something that hasn’t happened in recent years.
“It’s been so long since the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) alumni have held events. It’s going to really help out our food and beverage sales,” said Dailey. “This is a great way to end this year and start the new one.”
The phones also rang off the hook at the reservations line at the Hyatt. It’s the official hotel for West Virginia University’s traveling fans and for Gator Bowl title sponsor Konica Minolta. Those two groups blocked out most of the 966 rooms but sales still made history this year.
“We had some individual rooms left but they all sold out over the weekend. We sold out in record time for a Gator Bowl,” said Hyatt General Manager Dan King.
The Omni is the team hotel for Florida State as well as the CBS network television crew. Director of Sales & Marketing Dave Disalvo said the remaining rooms were reserved within a few hours of the matchup’s official announcement Sunday.
“Everybody wants to be near Bobby Bowden and the team. It’s an all-around win for everybody,” he added.
The “Bowden Effect” has also spilled over to the suburban hotels. Fred Pozin, general manager of the Ramada Inn Mandarin and a member of the Duval County Tourist Development Council, said he’s booked solid.
“We sold out every room over the weekend. This is a jewel for us and we applaud the Gator Bowl Association,” said Pozin. “The economic impact is going to be huge this year.”
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