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Hotels filling up quickly in uptown ahead of playoff game

By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com
By Jason Stoogenke, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fans wanted to get a hotel in uptown Charlotte this weekend are out of luck.

All rooms are sold out for Sunday's big game featuring the Panthers and the 49ers.

Januray is usually a slow month for hotels, so a playoff game is making what is typically one of the slowest weekends, one of the busiest.

"It's going to be huge," said Residence Inn employee Stacey Leach.

Leach is from San Francisco, but lives in Charlotte and works just a block from Bank of America Stadium.

Not far away, all 700 rooms at the Westin are booked.

"It's funny, you don't budget 60 percent occupancy, now we're sold out," said Westin General Manager Leo Percopo.

In dollars and cents, he is talking an extra $100,000 to $200,000.

"It's not just he hotel rooms. What it really does is the food and beverage," Percopo said.

Charlotte-area Hotel Association Executive Director Sid Smith said also keep in mind, 49ers fans have to travel cross-county to see the game and that means staying an extra night or two.

And personal seat license (PSL) owners who live out of the area may not make the trip for a regular-season game, but will for the playoffs.

"To have this in that period of time is really a blessing," Smith said.

As for Leach, as much as she wishes she could go to the game, "I'm going to be working. I'm going to be working. I'm definitely going to be working," she said.

The more people fill rooms in Center City, the more business gets pushed to the suburbs.

Panthers Pride Kickoff Party live Friday

Channel 9 will bring you everything Panthers playoffs in prime time Friday night.

Join Eyewitness News anchors Erica Bryant and Blair Miller at 8 p.m. for the Panthers' Pride Kickoff Party live from the EpiCentre. We will have player interviews, important information for fans about traffic, parking and tickets.

Plus ESPN.com David Newton will be answering fans' questions live on Twitter. The show airs live from 8 - 9 p.m.

For more details on the live show, click here.

WSOC

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