I-Drive motel getting ready to reopen after being shut down for a year

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The Travelodge by Wyndham on International Drive is gearing up for a comeback. 

"[We’re] turning on the water and making sure everything’s hot," Travelodge by Wyndham Property Owner Micah Bass said. "Hot water. Cold rooms. Heads in beds."

The motel had to shut down last July because there weren’t enough bookings to keep it open.

"The occupancy was eight percent to 20 percent on weekends," Bass said. "Just not enough to pay the staff. Forget the taxes the cable bill the monthly things like that."

The property manager is hoping to open back up for the Fourth of July.

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Workers are cleaning up the rooms and washing all the linens. The staff is also making sure the pool and the elevators are ready for inspections.

"We have Wyndham coming next week for the brand standard," Bass said. "They’ll check everything for quality and say okay you’re up to standard with new COVID guidelines."

He’s noticed that I-Drive is busier now with tourists.

"It’s back to pre-pandemic busy with traffic," Bass said. "Not as many people walking because I think the tourists are doing more driving than they are walking, but I’ve noticed that the traffic is back in full force." 

He’s hoping that when he opens up bookings later this month that they all will sell out in just 72 hours.

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