Because a majority of M&R Hotel Management’s hotels are in New York City, our front-line staff, sales associates and revenue management specialists pay close attention to special events in the city, which create challenges for managing our collective hotel room inventory and pricing.

Given that New York is a center of culture, sports, entertainment and world affairs, there’s no shortage of events to track. Each event generates demand for hotel rooms. The annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly in October is an example. The running of the New York Marathon early each November is another example.

Other events are harder to predict, and some come out of the blue. Pope Francis decided almost at the last minute to visit the city in October. Likewise, few would have expected the New York Mets baseball team would make it to the National League playoffs and then playing in the World Series.

The marathon route passes through Staten Island, where we have three hotels. Similarly, the Mets play at Citi Field in Queens, where we have six hotels. Not all six are equally close to the stadium, but two are quite close. As these fill up on a given night, we can refer guests to our other hotels that still have rooms.

Like most New Yorkers, our associates take pride in their city, and we are pleased when we succeed in providing lodging for some of the millions of out-of-towners who come to enjoy special events here.