OGUNQUIT, Maine — It’s technically still the off-season for hotels like the Beachmere Inn in Ogunquit, but you wouldn’t know that if you saw their latest bookings list.
"It's busier than it was for the last couple of years on these dates, for sure," Sarah Diment, owner of The Beachmere Inn, said.
After Wednesday's storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands across the state, the Inn saw dozens checking in to find some refuge.
Diment said the spring storm brought in more traffic than previous storms during the winter.
"I think this storm, on top of the last couple of storms in March, with the lack of power, sort of put people over the edge," she said. "They weren't willing to wait a day. They just wanted to get out of their homes."
As the skies calm down and power restoration efforts continue, the weather-weary customers are starting to check out, but business isn't going back to normal just yet.
With the total solar eclipse just a few days away, a new crowd of people is arriving.
"Usually on a Monday, we can count on one hand how many rooms we have booked," Diment said.
But on April 8, the day of the eclipse, their occupancy rate is up 30 percent over previous years, and they are almost fully booked.
"Ogunquit has been really hopping," Tammy Dayton, who manages the front desk at Beachmere, said.
Even though Ogunquit isn't in the direct path of totality, viewers will still be able to watch a partial solar eclipse from there, at almost full coverage.
"We've got a big lawn out there to be able to see the eclipse quite well," Diment said.
Even a partial solar eclipse draws public interest. Places like Ogunquit, which are near the path, have seen a 22.4 percent increase in occupancy nationwide, according to AirDNA.
AirDNA also reports that when interest spikes for certain areas, hosts have the opportunity to increase rates, meaning customers often see prices surge.
However, instead of seeing an increase, Air DNA estimates the average daily rate in Maine is actually down by about 15 percent, and it's also one of the least expensive areas for lodgers to watch the eclipse.
This can be partially explained by the fact Maine's tourism is very seasonally dependent, and most spots, like Beachmere, operate under a structured rate program, offering lower rates during the off-season.
Yet, owners could still surge prices because of the increased interest, but Diment said the decision not to was personal.
"We're holding onto our normal rate structure. We didn't want to up our rates," she said. "We just wanted to be able to offer rooms and fill the ones we had available."
Diment said she and the staff at Beachmere are excited to welcome the extra business while also enjoying the experience themselves.
"We just want people to be able to come and enjoy the eclipse. We love when it's busy," Dayton said. "It's a lot more fun, and we're so excited. We can't wait to see it. We got everybody glasses, so we're all set."
Diment added they are hoping to provide everyone who wants it the opportunity to "take in something they won't see again for another 20 or so years."