Local hotels expect big boost during NFL draft in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The city of Philadelphia is two weeks out from the second biggest show in pro football: the NFL draft.

Local hotels are hoping for capacity crowds. And hotel officials say there is still plenty of room.

An estimated 200,000 people are projected to be on the mall, with hundred thousand coming in from out of town.

Gregory Stafford, the president of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association says, there are still a good number of hotel rooms available across the area.

Action News asked Stafford if any random surveys indicated the rates are not being jacked up dramatically because thousands of football fanatics are coming here for three days for eating and drinking...and assessing what impact the rookies selected will have on their favorite team.

Stafford said, "Some rooms from the low 300s, I think that you can find lower ones in some other hotels in the city and certainly most in the suburbs. That's a little bit north of where we would be normally priced, but not a lot."

The Democratic convention here last summer pumped over $230 million into the local economy.

This spring's pilgrimage of gridiron devotes is expected to pump $80 million in the local economy.

And that's what it did in Chicago last spring.

Julie Coker-Graham of the Convention and Visitors Bureau said, "Remember this is only the third year they've had a fan festival experience component to the draft. So we expect it to grow year after year."

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