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As the media outlets from around the nation and globe descend upon Orangeburg for the first Democratic presidential primary debate of the 2008 election cycle, some hotels are reaping the benefits.
"We have seen big groups particularly from the networks such as NBC and MSNBC," said Barry Hood, Courtesy Management director of operations of five Orangeburg hotels including the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites. "They have taken up a good percentage of our rooms."
Hood says the hotel was ''pretty much'' booked 30 days in advance for the two-day period of the debate April 24-26.
Hood declined releasing specific numbers on hotel occupancy but he says with the debate still two weeks away, there may be more individuals or groups booking rooms in the coming week.
"The high volume call may not come until this week," he said, noting that Courtesy Management-owned and operated hotels -- Fairfield Inn, Sleep Inn and Comfort Inn -- have thus far been able to handle the reservations adequately and have not yet had to refer any guests to Columbia, Santee or Charleston hotels.
In fact, officials at Quality Inn and Suites on John C. Calhoun Drive and the Howard Johnson on St. Matthews Road say there have been no reservations placed specifically for the debate through April 13.
For Hood says the additional traffic of visitors is a good opportunity to showcase what Orangeburg and small rural towns have done and can do in the 21st century.
"We have a wide range of traffic that comes to Orangeburg every day, but this is a chance for folks who have never seen Orangeburg to get a chance to see a rural community increasing in development and going into the future."
Joe Fryer, manager at the St. Matthews Road Hampton Inn, said about half of the rooms have been booked for the week of the debate.
"This is unusual for us," Fryer said, noting the hotel usually accepts reservations the day of and not as far in advance. "We have taken about 25 to 35 reservations for those days already."
Fryer said he estimates about 70 percent of the customers booked for the week are in town for the debate but explained there is no way to confirm how many customers are here for the event.
He said the month of April is normally a busy time for the hotel with travelers and spring breakers usually filling up the rooms on a nightly basis beginning at the end of March.
"We will end up selling out for that week," he said,
The debate will be held at South Carolina State University's Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium Thursday, April 26, with the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center serving as a public viewing site. The debate will begin at 7 p.m.
NBC News is producing the debate, which will be broadcast live from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on NBC's South Carolina affiliates; nationally on its sister cable television channel MSNBC; and on MSNBC.com.
MSNBC's signature political program, "Hardball with Chris Matthews," will air live from the university at 5 p.m. that day.
At the Santee Country Inn and Suites, the hotel manager who chose to be identified only as Diane, said reservations are about average for the day leading to and the day after the debate.
"What we have coming in is a lot of golfers," she said, noting she could not confirm whether reservations are for the debate or not. "There are plenty of rooms if Orangeburg fills up."
Kevin Niemann, director of operations at the Columbia Marriott Hotel, confirmed the hotel was sold out for the week of the debate but could not confirm reasons why.
"I can't tell you who is here or why they are here," he said, citing privacy as the reason for not divulging more information. "There are some media staying here, yes."
Officials at the Charleston Place Hotel said the facility too is booked throughout the month of April and into the first week of May because of a number of conventions.
A Charleston Place Hotel spokesperson could not confirm any media or guests were at the hotel for the debate.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551. Discuss this and other stories at TheTandD.com.