Hotels and motels are hanging out their ‘no vacancy’ signs and some have had to turn away guests, the Mercury was told.

Tourists, visiting medical patients, business people, railway workers, expressway contractors and tradesmen working on major projects in the region are often looking for rooms for overnight and weekly stays.

Meanwhile, grey nomads on the caravan circuit are directed to stay in Cessnock instead of Maitland, according to the Australian Caravan and Motorhome Association guidebook.

Maitland Business Chamber president Steve Thomson noticed every motel had a ‘no vacancy’ sign out front on a recent drive through Maitland.

“Maitland needs more motel style accommodation and a caravan park,” Mr Thomson said.

­“People are coming here to work and to stay overnight and we need to cater to them and to tourists.”

As council continues to promote the new look Maitland and its festivals, the tourists will come here in bigger numbers.

“Maitland city centre festivals are the envy of regional NSW – Taste, Aroma, Steamfest, Bitter and Twisted – we want visitors to stay at least overnight while they are here,” Mr Thomson said.

“The plan for visitors to stay here, enjoy new restaurants, sit and wander down by the river and encourage night time trade in the city centre, is one I applaud.”

The Belmore Hotel, Maitland owner Josh Murphy said his hotel’s 18 rooms have been full or near full on a weekly basis.

“Railway shutdowns or major projects means the whole town is booked out,” he said. “I could have sold our rooms twice over a fortnight ago.

“Hotel style rooms attract everyone from white collar workers to mining employees and tradesmen working on big projects.

“Some stay for long periods while tourists come here to stay overnight to visit the gaol and Morpeth.”

Mr Murphy said Maitland is often used as a base for bus loads of tourists who want to see the greater Hunter region.

“Maitland needs more quality motel and hotel accommodation, one that keeps to a high standard and encourages the night time economy in the CBD,” he said.

Maitland City Motel at Rutherford has had every one of its 33 rooms booked for the past three weeks, with limited rooms available for only three days in that period. Relief manager Gary Estcourt said Maitland would benefit from another motel to cater to travellers from the Upper Hunter.

“We have people coming here at 10 o’clock at night because they could not get a room at Singleton or Muswellbrook,” Mr Estcourt said.

“But we have not been able to offer them a room because we have been booked out.

“Most of our guests are workers staying Monday to Friday, some are older people visiting medical specialists and then there are tourists who stay one or two nights to visit the wineries.”

Shenanigans at the Imperial hotel manager Joel Thomas has had to turn away visitors mid-week because the hotel’s 14 rooms were booked.

“We have experienced a busy time in recent months with workers staying in town,” he said.

“Railway shutdowns and concerts such as Groovin the Moo, ensure every room is booked.

“The past six months have been very good but things will quieten down now over Christmas.

“Maitland would benefit from more pub and motel accommodation but Maitland also needs to market what the city has to offer because tourists often stay here to visit the wineries out of town.”

Monte Pio manager Atul Seth said rooms are booked out when there is a big event or concert in the area “We also get some mining contractors staying here as overflow from Singleton and Muswellbrook,” he said.

“Maitland needs to promote itself more as a tourist destination. We need to get more tourists to stay in Maitland and do day trips in the area.”