Tampa Bay evacuees seek hotels on higher ground ahead of Hurricane Helene

As numerous Florida counties declare a state of emergency and order residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, hotels are opening up.

Every room was booked on Wednesday at the La Quinta by Wyndham Tampa Central because of people evacuating, said general manager J.C. Patel. The Waters Avenue hotel isn’t far from Raymond James Stadium, so it already had a full weekend of visitors because of the planned Eagles game against the Bucs this Sunday.

“Some of our guests decided to come early in case the weather shut down airports,” Patel said. “But then we are fully booked because of the hurricane.”

A stretch from Pasco County north along the Big Bend to Mexico Beach in the Panhandle is under a hurricane warning after Hurricane Helene formed Wednesday morning. Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties have issued mandatory evacuation notices for residents in evacuation Zone A, along with all mobile homes.

With much of north Florida heading out, the town of Dothan, Alabama, located about 100 miles northwest of Tallahassee, launched a Hotel Availability Portal for those who may evacuate. By midday Wednesday, there were already seven hotels and RV parks that had no vacancies left.

Another resource for those looking for hotels is the website Open Hotel Alert, a free site that lets you search by city name when hotels have an open room. The Visit St. Pete.-Clearwater tourism bureau also put up a Hurricane Helene update and hotel availability site on Wednesday that uses filters to sort for hotels in specific areas, as well as those that are pet-friendly.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando activated its Florida Resident Distress Rates for residents in the 61 counties where Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday.

The hotel chain is offering deeply discounted rates to residents in the path of the storm.

“Rosen Hotels & Resorts remains committed to the safety and well-being of all Floridians, prioritizing people over profits in times of need,” according to a press release.

The distress rates offered are as follows.

$69 per night (not including taxes): Rosen Inn International, Rosen Inn Closest to Universal, Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn Lake Buena Vista

$99 per night: Rosen Plaza

$119 per night: Rosen Centre

$139 per night: Rosen Shingle Creek

“Rosen Hotels & Resorts is pet-friendly and does not charge a pet fee during the distress rates,” the company announcement said. There is no resort charge and free Wi-Fi is offered. To reserve a room, call 866-33-ROSEN (76736).

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