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By TED JACKOVICS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 30, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - When the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a Division Series baseball playoff position last week, it could not have come at a better time for Pinellas County's visitors industry.

Typically, October is the hotel industry's slowest month. Plus, the shaky economy has sliced into the number of overnight visitors staying at local hotels.

The prospects that the Rays can build a playoff run into the American League Championship Series and even the World Series are proving a boost, particularly for St. Petersburg hoteliers, visitors industry officials said.

"There is no question that people are trying to book each of the series with the hope that their team will be playing in St. Petersburg at some point in October," said Russ Bond, general manager of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg.

The Vinoy is a frequent headquarters hotel for visiting Major League Baseball teams during the regular season, but there's a space crunch in October.

"We are fortunate to have several groups and conventions booked throughout October and are working with the Rays and Major League Baseball to accommodate the demand as best we can," Bond said.

Hotels don't track the purpose behind individual reservation requests or how many rooms baseball fans have sought to book, but hoteliers in the St. Petersburg area say they think the Rays' playoff run will enhance business.

The Don CeSar Beach Resort is among those seeing interest in room bookings with the Rays in the playoffs. Officials anticipated more room requests after it was determined who plays the Rays, said Chris Bracken, director of marketing for the St. Pete Beach hotel.

The TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach is also getting calls and reservations from out-of-town fans who want to see a playoff game, said Tim Bogott, president and chief executive officer.

"The Rays' success should have a significant impact on the county overall," Bogott said.

The unanticipated demand for hotel rooms provides additional bed taxes in an otherwise tough economic year, said Bond, of the Renaissance Vinoy.

In addition, the nationally televised Rays games produce multiple references to Tampa Bay, which helps boosts the local image nationwide.

"We can get exposure to a nationwide TV audience on a repeated basis over the next one to four weeks," he said. "If we do it right, I am convinced it will lead to future vacationers at a minimum."

Bracken, of the Don CeSar, said, "For any of the people who actually come to the games from either Chicago or Minnesota, they will see what a wonderful place this is to visit and bring their families back for a vacation."

Visitors are unlikely to find rooms priced much higher than usual, but they aren't likely to find discounts, either.

Hoteliers, by law, are not permitted to charge more than the "rack rates" that are listed at the hotel, including signs inside each room, said David Downing, public relations director for Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, the Pinellas destination marketing group.

The three hotel executives said rates would not be raised beyond what's currently being offered, but some promotional discounts might be removed for the expected home game dates.

The majority of fans who sought tickets from the Rays' sale for the first round of the playoffs starting this week likely are from the Tampa Bay area. However, postseason games that continue with the pennant playoff beginning Oct. 9 and the World Series beginning Oct. 22 could draw more visitors from beyond the Bay area.

In addition to the visiting team's traveling group, the national media and out-of-town visitors, the numbers are bound to grow, with a potential World Series a true local bonanza.

"The benefits are wide open," Downing said. "If the team continues in the playoffs, it could snowball, which would be welcome business."

Downing said his group has posted a list of Rays postseason hotel packages at www.floridasbeach.com.

The numbers of hotel and motel rooms booked this year through July is down 2.4 percent, to 4.3 million, compared with a year ago. August's figures aren't available yet, but preliminary counts show they lag compared with last year.

There are 5,102 rooms in St. Petersburg among 30,701 in Pinellas County, the county's tourism consultant, Walter Klages, reported.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at tjackovics@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7817.

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