Woman books 191 hotel rooms for Taylor Swift concert weekend in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Good luck to anyone looking for a hotel in New Orleans this weekend. The vast majority of rooms are booked by attendees of Taylor Swift's three weekend concerts at Caesars Superdome.

When Swift announced her tour stop in New Orleans, Metairie native Rebecca Fox rushed to book hotel rooms. She originally asked for 20. But Fox eventually blocked it and booked 191 rooms at the Holiday Inn on Loyola Avenue.

“They were extremely concerned,” Fox said. “But I think when their marketing and sales rep said, 'I don't think you all understand what Taylor can do and will bring to our property,' they changed their minds. And it’s been exciting ever since.”

Fox attended one of Swift's concerts in Arizona. She noted the high cost of hotel rooms and found that in some cases hotels were charging guests double after they had already booked. Fox said she doesn't want Swifties in New Orleans to have the same problem. So she paid almost $500 per room and managed hundreds of Facebook requests for one of her rooms. Fox claims she didn't charge extra for the rooms and doesn't make a profit on the bookings.

“We want to make sure New Orleans is the best, most welcoming, safest place and that they have the best time here,” Fox said.

The Eras Tour

Tourism leaders say The Eras Tour will bring a major economic boost to the city. The hotels are at full capacity on Friday and Saturday evenings, and on Sundays it is 80 percent.

“This is more than just New Orleans and more than just downtown and the French Quarter,” said Mark Romig of New Orleans & Company. “It’s Uptown, Mid-City, North Shore, Jefferson Parish, St. Bernard Parish and surrounding areas. Once they get here, they use New Orleans as a base camp, and then they get out and spend money everywhere.”

Tourism leaders say it's hard to predict the economic impact of the Eras Tour, but say the boost will ripple across the state.

“They become ambassadors for the city and spend their time on social media sharing photos and great stories,” Romig said. “That means there will be more and more people in the city, and New Orleans is doing it better than any other city.”

Candice Wright isn't a Swiftie, but said she noticed the crowds ahead of Swift's three sold-out shows. She said she's looking forward to seeing the Eras-style outfits this weekend.

“One thing New Orleans will do is you'll get a costume, you'll have some creativity and everyone will have a good time,” Wright said.

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