SPOKANE -- Spokane hotels are getting ready to welcome the teams making the trip for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. One hotel manager is scrambling as teams starting arriving as early as Tuesday.
The Doubletree Hotel is hosting two teams. Last night, Doubletree Hotel General Manager Mike McLeod got a text message on his blackberry Sunday night. The message read that his hotel would be hosting Sienne College and New Mexico State University.
"Normally you get a lot more notice though. Normally for a convention, everything is planned three weeks out and reservations were made two months out. We got it the Sunday before, two days out," said McLeod.
McLeod has 150 rooms reserved for the two schools players, staff, bands and anybody else traveling with them. All rooms in the hotel are booked. Alumi from the schools have started to call looking for rooms including members of the media in their area. The Doubletree is also hosting guests from this weekend's volleyball tournament. People wanting a room are finding themselves on the waiting list.
McLeod expects the first school will arrive Tuesday evening. The other will arrive Wednesday. He says Sienna called first thing Monday morning asking about local restaurants. The Doubletree is prepared to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner.
