90,000 rooms and counting, Houston’s hotels are being booked at historic rates

Hotel occupancy rates for the Houston-area’s nearly-90,000 rooms are at historic highs.

RELATED: Already full with reporters and officials, Hurricane Harvey only hammered Houston’s hotels harder

While occupancy rates hovered around 40 percent pre-Harvey, they are now around 90-plus-percent, thanks to first-responders, evacuees and others looking for rooms.

Before Harvey made landfall, occupancy rates were about 41.4 percent; on September 6, they were 90.4 percent.

And, because a storm surge wasn’t enough, occupants are facing a surge in price, thanks to the demand.

Last week, rates hovered around$117 — 22 percent higher than the same day a year ago.

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With gouging an ongoing problem post-Harvey, authorities are keeping tabs on whether rates get too out of hand.