Super Bowl: Hotel rush in Tampa from Steelers and Cardinals fans

Tampa, Florida - It was originally supposed to be open two months from now, but at the new Westin Tampa Bay Airport Hotel on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, workers are getting ready for opening day Thursday.

Just in time for Steelers and Cardinals fans looking for rooms during the Super Bowl.

"Of course, our goal was to open in time for Super Bowl, but our priority was to open and open correctly," said Ron Alicandro, General Manager of the Westin Tampa Bay Airport Hotel.

The hotel's reservation system doesn't become operational until Tuesday, but Sales Manager Michelle Keenan is already fielding calls from football fans looking for group rates.

A four-night minimum for a standard room costs $695 per night.

"It's been pretty crazy. We've had people form both Arizona and Pittsburgh calling, looking for availability so the phone's just been ringing, ringing off the hook. We like that," said Keenan.

Cardinals fan Pam Avery is already here, but she's working. Avery managed a Hilton Hotel in Phoenix, where last year's Super Bowl was held. Now she's the General Manager of the Quorum Hotel Tampa.

So for two years in a row, in two different cities, Avery is hosting Super Bowl guests.

"It's the same. It helps from a preparation standpoint for the staff to talk about things, security and how we maximize revenues and really take care of our fans and make sure that everybody has a great time while being really safe," said Avery.

Other hotels, and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl host committee are also being bombarded with phone calls, now that the two teams have been decided.

"35 percent of the people coming to the Super Bowl don't find out until last night and so obviously when you've got that huge amount of people, 30,000 to 40,000 people that are just realizing they're coming to the area, arrangements have to be made pretty quickly," said Reid Sigmon, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee.

Bob Morton, Executive Director of the Hillsborough County Hotel and Motel Association, says he expects many hotels will sell out of rooms for the Super Bowl by Wednesday.