Victims bring unexpected business to hotels

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- For Chris Spears and his neighbors, Brian and Stephanie Pitts, the swimming pool, Jacuzzi, weight room and room service are just a few of the perks of their new home.

"It's nice to have someone vacuum and make your bed every morning," Stephanie Pitts said.

"I'm sure we'll miss the hot breakfast ready every morning," Spears added.

But it's not really home. It's just a temporary fix.

For the Pittses, Spears and others left homeless by tornadoes earlier this month, times are tough. But they're enjoying a mini-vacation at Springfield hotels and the hotels are glad to have them.

The Residence Inn estimates it has about 20 Battlefield families, including Spears and the Pittses, staying at the hotel. Closer to the May 4 tornadoes, the hotel had closer to 40 families staying there.

"Actually, our whole block's staying here," Chris Pitts said.

"We're like ants. We're a little colony over here," his wife added.

The families aren't the only ones helping the hotels' bottom line.

Front office manager David Parkhurst estimates about 30 of his rooms at the Clarion Hotel have been taken by insurance agents since the tornadoes hit.

"It's been good business for us, but it's a pretty tragic event," Parkhurst said. "These guys have sold out our hotel a lot of nights."

With insurance checks to come, State Farm Insurance executive Ken Gunter said there is more economic help on the way.

Gunter said State Farm alone will send about $60 million to southwest Missouri to be spent on construction, cleaning and repair and cars, appliances, clothes and other goods.

Randall Hargis, truck manager at Reliable Chevrolet, said he's seen about 25 tornado victims looking for new cars. He said the dealership is offering rock-bottom prices to the victims.

"We can't lose money on them," Hargis said. "But we don't want to make money."

The hotels are also trying to help the displaced families, offering discounts, free shuttles to the grocery store and, of course, not requiring a check-out date.

The Pittses expect to be at the hotel for another two weeks while their house is fixed. The Spears, however, figure they could be there for three months while their flattened house is rebuilt.

After three weeks, the families say they're starting to settle in, but there are things they miss about home: more space, less noise and a backyard.

"I do miss mowing," Chris Pitts said. "Well, it's not mowing, per se, that I miss. It's just kicking around in the yard."