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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