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V O L . X X V I I N O. X V I I I A U G U S T 2 3 , 2 0 2 1 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E transportation hub at 25 Water St., though the price will be more than double the original budget of $1.6 mil- lion. Each of the four bids came with a far higher price tag, with Benchmark's now the most attractive, the city said. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N C&L Aviation Services in Bangor said it received STC by the FAA for its 16-passenger business class seating and floor leveling solution to be used in the Embraer ERJ 135. The STC cer- tifies structural modifications for seat track relocation, allowing for a 1x1 business-class seating arrangement with a 43-inch seat pitch and extended reclining capabilities that transforms the cabin from 37 to 16 seats. Messology Maine, a children's activity center, opened at 391 North Main St., Suite A, in Brewer. Legacy Ranch & Event Center opened at 66 White Road in Mars Hill. Logan's Service & Repair and JJ's Redemption opened at 17 Cheney Grove in Fort Fairfield. 1 COLLEGE CIRCLE, BANGOR ME 207.941.7000 | husson.edu BUSINESS | COMMUNICATIONS | COUNSELING | CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION | HEALTH | PHARMACY | SCIENCE & HUMANITIES | TECHNOLOGY Maine has a bright future ahead. We're helping to make it happen. At Husson University, we're investing in our state's future by preparing students to become leaders. Our new College of Business building features STEAM-oriented learning spaces, the incubators of future jobs in Maine. Harold Alfond Hall – Home of the College of Business – Opening Aug. '21 REGISTER NOW: GREENTREEEVENTS.REGFOX.COM/ 2021-MDF-ANNUAL-MEETING Join us September 24 at USM's Hannaford Hall in Portland for a celebration of leaders, businesses, and communities who are driving Maine's economic recovery and the systemic changes necessary for equity and inclusion. Be inspired by our Keynote Speakers, Lisa Sockabasin of Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness, and Tae Chong of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Plus our 2021 Champion Award Winners September 24, 2021 Maine Rising: MDF's Annual Meeting and Champion Award Celebration Two Maine hotel markets among the priciest in New England B y W i l l i a m H a l l Getting a room in parts of Maine in August was as costly as nearly any other place in New England. And some of those other places may surprise you. Bar Harbor placed No. 3 and Portland was No 4 in a ranking of 30 destinations across the region with the most expen- sive hotel rates for August, published by website cheaphotels.org. Only the off- shore Massachusetts tourist havens of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket ranked higher, at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Bar Harbor's average rate for a double room was $376 and Portland's was $354, according to the survey. Rates on Martha's Vineyard averaged $474, and on Nantucket, $421. The travel site determined the averages from advance booking rates for three-star hotels and inns near a city center or beach between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31. The 30 communities sampled were ones with a substantial number of hotel rooms available to survey, cheaphotels.org said in a news release. Also making the pricey poll were Kennebunk, No. 7 with an August average rate of $321; Ogunquit, No. 9, $286; Wells, No 11, $268; Old Orchard Beach, No. 13, $245; and Bangor, No. 17, $234. While expensive summer prices in resort communities are nothing new, some of the extremes in the survey are unusual, with cities like Boston struggling, said Matt Lewis, president and CEO of trade group HospitalityMaine. July numbers from the American Hotel & Lodging Association bear out the difference. Nationwide, Boston experienced the second-largest falloff in average revenue per room between May 2021 and pre-pandemic May 2019, the association found: a whopping 67%, from $184 to $61. Only San Francisco's loss was higher. Such big-city markets have been affected the most by the lack of business travel during the pandemic, and have been slowest to recover. "Corporate travel is not back, and convention business is still hampered to say the least," Lewis told Mainebiz. At the same time, leisure destinations and smallish metro areas have been able to recoup much of their lost revenue, especially as Americans have emerged from lockdowns and travel restrictions. "I don't know that we'll match 2019, but we'll come close," Lewis said. "This actually has surprised me." Finding employees to support the surge in business remains a challenge, however. "Bar Harbor is swamped this summer, but it's so understaffed," he said. "It's pretty shocking. It's not business as usual, and I'm not sure it ever will be." B R I E F At Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, nightly rates in mid-August were as high as $578, according to the hotel's website. F I L E P H O T O / R E N E E C O R D E S

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