Rome preparing for Pope John Paul II's Beatification

(February 02, 2011) Rome is already bracing for the impact of the many pilgrims who will converge on St. Peter's for the May 1 beatification of Pope John Paul II. Sleeping space in religious communities across the city - around 15,000 beds was booked up within a day of the Jan. 14 announcement. The Domus Aurelia hotel run by the Emmanuel Community “has been reserved since literally two minutes after the announcement," said the Manager. Two large groups made the reservations, filling the facility to capacity for an entire week and we are still receiving calls, even though the entire area is completely full, they keep on calling," he added. The hotel is located a short way from St. Peter's on foot. According to local media reports.rooms in hotels around the Vatican were snatched up quickly and those vacancies that remain are in establishments further from St. Peter's. They are priced at more than double and even triple the normal rates,
The Italian Department of Civil Protection said more than three million people were present for Pope John Paul II’s funeral in Rome, and the city is already organizing itself for the possibility of more than a million visitors for his beatification. It has a special "operating room" in place as it prepares for an onslaught of pilgrims from all over the world, whether they have a place to stay or not.