Texas-based hotel group offers free rooms for Hurricane Ida evacuees

Posted: Aug 29, 2021 / 07:50 PM CDT

Updated: Aug 31, 2021 / 03:22 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday in Louisiana, a chain of Austin hotels opened its front doors free of charge.

Bunkhouse Hotels posted on its Instagram page that it’ll be accepting evacuees, giving them a safe hotel room starting Sunday through Wednesday, Aug. 31.

“We don’t know how it’s going to go, how it’s going to play out,” evacuee Julian Boyd said Sunday.

A total of 100 rooms were offered at the following locations:

According to Bunkhouse Hotels General Manager Robert Vogel, just before 6 p.m. Sunday there were only three rooms left at the Stagecoach Inn in Salado out of the block of offered rooms.

“It was really quick and last minute, and as soon as we saw it’s as serious it is, we all made the decision that it’s the right thing to do,” Vogel said.

While there’s still a cloud of uncertainty, Boyd and Kizza Hannah were able to land a free room at the Austin Motel.

“It took 11 hours,” Hannah said.

They made the trek from New Orleans, a target of Ida’s unruly wrath.

“Most of them [hotels] were out of capacity, so we’re lucky to get this one,” Boyd said.

Bunkhouse is also collecting essential items like toiletries and nonperishable food to send to New Orleans to help with post-hurricane aid.

“We just went through the winter storm ourselves…we know what it feels like,” Vogel said.

You can drop off items at Hotel San José through Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Though Ida is predicted to lose momentum, for Boyd and Hannah, there’s no shaking the eerie reality of it making land fall on Hurricane Katrina’s anniversary.

“We don’t know if our house is going to have a roof,” Boyd said. As the two anticipate what’s next, they’re thankful for the help.