Pandemic has positive impact on monthly renters at Penticton motel

Seasonal guests at a Penticton motel are experiencing a positive effect from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowmont Motel manager Sam Tiessen says the motel, a family-run business, is home to up to 45 guests over the winter on a monthly basis and a recent business decision now means those guests won’t have to look for a place to stay this summer.

“We saw many event cancellations, and with the car show cancelled this week along with those other events, we forecast we couldn’t bank on our May and June income from the shoulder tourist season, so we decided not to take nightly reservations for the 2020 season,” Tiessen said.

As a result, the motel’s guests who stay during the tourism off-season, have been invited to stay on through the summer.

“It was an awesome moment to go around telling them you can stay for a year,” she said. “There were a lot of smiles, and that was pretty nice."

She admits the decision not to open for tourists might have been a bit premature but noted other larger Penticton hotels will be needing the business when it returns.

“Some vacationers have told us they thought we would wait until May to make a decision but they don’t realize we have people living here that can’t wait until May to learn their fate. Now they have a safe place to stay,” Tiessen said.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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