Center City hotel targeting workers instead of papal pilgrims

A Center City hotel is offering rooms for the papal weekend to workers.  

The hotel manger says some visitors are dropping reservations.

Cancellations for the big weekend have been coming fast as people get word of restrictions on moving around when Pope Francis is here, according to Brian Krason, a manager with the Rodeway Inn on Walnut Street.

“I get three or four a day,” Krason said Thursday. “I just had one, a woman from Paoli who was coming in for the papal visit, now she’s decided not to come.  She has a young child and wasn’t sure where the bus was coming. She couldn’t get exact answers, so she canceled.”

Krason said he’s targeting a different potential market.

“We reached out to the local businesses that are having trouble figuring out how to get employees to work, and we made a flier inviting them to rent rooms from us for the employees,” he said.

But don’t expect a discount.  The hotel is charging $500 for the Saturday night before the papal Mass.