3 hours ago Archie Mitchell Business reporter CJ Washington Deidre Mathis said hoteliers thought the World Cup would be a "phenomenon" Walking the streets of Kansas City, Houston, Miami and New York it is hard not to notice a World Cup is coming. Billboards abound, there are signs outside bars and stores are churning out tournament-themed merchandise. But for hoteliers checking their booking systems, the buzz is more of a murmur. The industry body says most hotels in World Cup host cities are seeing bookings lower than this time last year, and those who spoke to the BBC said they were underwhelmed so far. "We were sold this expectation the World Cup would be a big phenomenon, people have been talking about it for years," said Deidre Mathis, who owns the Wanderstay Boutique Hotel in Houston, Texas.…