Connecticut hotels are hoping a vibrant fall foliage season and an array of autumn festivals and events turns around a lackluster past year for the industry.
Thanks to a large differential between nighttime and daytime temperatures, the fall foliage this year is expected to be particularly vibrant, helping the state reassert itself as a leaf-peeping destination.
“It will be a stark contrast to last year,” said Chris Martin, director of forestry at the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. “It is going to be a great year.”
The Inn at Kent Falls — the No. 1 bed and breakfast in the state, according to Connecticut Magazine — is taking reservations from Louisiana, Alabama, and all over the country for people wanting to see Connecticut’s colored leaves.
The Inn’s rooms already are booked solid for every fall weekend and the weekdays are filling up fast, said proprietor Ira Goldspiel.
“It is the most pre-booked we have ever been,” Goldspiel said. “September, October are the best times of year to be up here. It is very beautiful.”
Winvian in Morris has seen a dramatic increase in occupancy rates this year at the hotel property, which is situated on 113 acres of land and backs up to 4,000 acres of nature preserve, said Win Smith, director of the hotel sales and marketing.
“Our backdrop is classic New England, and the explosion of colors makes us an ideal location.” Smith said.
Fall foliage season officially kicks off on Columbus Day — Oct. 8 — and runs through the end of November, Martin said.
“The health of the trees is good, and that brings forth the best color,” Martin said.
Daytime-nighttime temperature difference is a major indicator of leaves’ color, and this fall has seen nighttime temperatures dip into the 40s. Last year, nighttime temperatures stayed in the 50s and 60s, delaying color change and impacting brilliance, Martin said.
This summer was very dry, and there is a possibility for an early frost — two factors improving fall color, Martin said.
The summer season is crucial for Connecticut’s $11.5 billion annual tourism industry, but the leaf-peeping season is one of the state’s biggest moneymakers for hotels and restaurants.
Leaf-peepers, as they are called, spend an average of $700 a day in Connecticut on shopping, transportation, recreation, meals, gambling, and lodging.
The Connecticut Office of Tourism prepared for leaf-peeping season this year by making online fall travel itineraries that provide tips on where to look, available at www.CTvisit.com.
The fall foliage season is a major time of year for Kent, which has been named as New England’s best spot for autumn color by Yankee Magazine for the past two years.
“It is this little, special spot in the world and people know about it,” Goldspiel said.
Beyond the state’s leaf-peeping regions, hotels and other businesses expect a busy fall season as well through a greater variety of visitors.
Michael Trosin, general manager at Hartford Windsor Marriott, says the fall is also the busiest time for his company, even though his property is not located directly in the center of the lush foliage.
“We get corporate travelers during the week and youth, sports and college groups, families and leisure travelers during the weekend,” said Trosin. “We’ve experienced an uptick in occupancy rates in 2012 and business is definitely up this fall about 20 percent over last year.”
To accommodate the eateries outside the fall foliage regions, the Connecticut Restaurant Association is currently holding its fifth annual Restaurant Week event through Oct. 14. More than 90 eateries are participating, according to Nicole Griffin, CRA executive director.
“The foliage effect is seen more in the rural areas of the state,” said Griffin. “Therefore, those restaurants see an increase during the October weekend event.”
The big boost for the industry remains fall foliage, and hotels and restaurants won’t be disappointed in the turnout, said Ginny Kozlowski, executive director of the Connecticut Lodging Association.
“Mother Nature has really been cooperating,” Kozlowski said. “This will be one of the best years we’ve seen.”
Last year’s double blow from Hurricane Irene in August and the surprise snow storm two months later forced travelers to give up their plans to see the a mediocre fall foliage in 2011, Kozlowski said..
“There was nothing to look at,” said Kozlowski. “The trees were stripped and we had flooding and severe wind damage everywhere.”
This year, heavy winds and a hurricane could impact the expected brilliance of the fall color, Martin said. However, those scenarios are unlikely because of the predicted weather patterns. Even if a snowstorm hits late in the season like last year, the snow won’t have the same impact.
The majority of the damage from the snowstorm was caused by falling tree branches, which held onto the wet, heavy because the green, healthy leaves still were attached firmly.
Since the leaves will change color earlier this year, they should fall off the trees before any snow arrives, Martin said. Even if snow comes early, the colored leaves won’t hold onto the snow the same way as last year.
“That should prevent any disaster,” Martin said.
