Posted September 3, 200420 yr September 2, 2004 By Maya Rodriguez Collier County - It's the law of supply and demand in Collier County: the supply of hotel rooms can't meet the demand from east coast evacuees fleeing Hurricane Frances. "We were able to get a room for tonight, but we're not sure about the next couple of nights," said Elliot Lipson, who left Miami-Dade County and arrived in Naples on Thursday afternoon. The general manager of the Best Western in North Naples said they are out of rooms, and are having to turn away those looking for shelter. "It's sad because you want to take care of everybody and our business is hospitality," said hotel manager Trent Seguin. "Basically, we've been calling every hotel up and down the coast to try to help find these people lodging, and it's difficult." It's difficult, even though there are more than six thousand hotel rooms in Collier County. "It's really full. The people have really heeded the warning on the east coast," said Jack Wert of the Naples, Marco Island and Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau. "A lot of Miami people evacuated early and came over and were already in hotel rooms." Instead of hotel rooms, those traveling from the east coast are turning to Red Cross shelters. One at Gulf Coast High is now open, and can accommodate two thousand people. The shelter manager said it is possible that hundreds of people from the east coast will seek shelter there. "We're expecting a lot of people from the east coast to come over," said shelter manager Ray Gravlin. "We're acting as a host shelter for the people coming from the east coast." Collier County will open eight more hurricane shelters beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday. The open shelters are a relief for Harold Smyth, who left Martin County for Naples. "I'll be here 'til I can safely get back," Smyth said. "I don't know when that'll be." The convention and visitors bureau plans to put out an appeal to hotels in the area, asking them to consider opening up any meeting space they might have. That way, they can accommodate additional people who may seek shelter from Hurricane Frances.
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