Patel said he took part in the Paycheck Protection Program and has taken out disaster loans, which he’ll have to pay back.
A water tank had to be repaired, and the hotel is undergoing renovations even as it serves its guests.
Business has been slow, but it is picking up a bit as spring arrives, he said.
“Very much a hard time,” Patel said.
Other hotels in the metro area are in the same straits, some with parking lots so empty that if you didn’t try the door, you couldn’t be sure if they were open.
At least seven of the 60-plus hotels in the metro area were at least temporarily closed as of April 5-6, several of which had signs saying that COVID was the cause:
Our view: The North Dakota Legislature needs to make a commitment to marketing the state s tourism opportunities grandforksherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from grandforksherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
North Dakota tourism primed for a big return, but is there enough money for marketing?
North Dakota has a biennial tourism budget of about $9.7 million, meaning the state gets that much every two-year budget cycle. Those dollars are dwarfed by area states, including South Dakota, which has approximately $15 million to spend each year.
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Turtle River State Park Manager Larry Hagen expects 2021 to be another year of increased park usage during the COVID pandemic. Photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
In the long, endless summer of COVID marked by lockdowns, early closings and all kinds of travel restrictions there just wasn’t very much to do.