Hotel prices skyrocket ahead of April 8 solar eclipse
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - With large parts of the Tri-State less than two weeks from reaching complete totality, those traveling to view the eclipse may be looking for last-minute accommodations.
Looking at places like the Super 8 by Wyndham in Grayville, Illinois, the room rate runs nearly $1000 a night during the eclipse. Knock that check-in date back by a week, and you’d be looking at roughly $85 to $100 a night according to their website.
While that may sound outlandish, AAA Spokesman Nick Chabarria explains that because it’s not emergency, it’s not price gouging.
“We talk about travel prices and dynamic pricing,” says Chabarria, “this isn’t new. Hotels and other travel entities have been doing this for a long time. You look at any major sporting event, for example. When you have big games in town, hotel prices tend to go up.”
AAA booking data show hotels in the most popular cities along the path of totality are 48% more expensive during the eclipse weekend than they were that same time last year.
Looking at Hopper, hotels in some major domestic cities on the path of totality range between $350 and $800 per night, with many destinations seeing hotel prices up over 200% compared to the weekend before.
“Price gouging usually only pertains to emergency situations, but again when we’re having this influx of visitors to an area, hotels are allowed to set prices they see fair,” says Chabarria.
According to Trivago, events make destinations popular, and popularity drives price.
For instance, data from Trivago shows that there’s a spike in interest for Paris during the time period the Olympic games are taking place. “The average price for a standard two-bedroom hotel room is up 126% at $503 USD, compared to the same travel period in 2023 ($222 USD), and the average hotel price on the day of the opening ceremony is $535 USD, an increase of over 200%.”
According to a release from AAA, if you’re not somebody who’s planned for this trip and are just now realizing you want to experience the eclipse, it’s not too late.
AAA says driving may be your best option, especially if flights are too expensive or sold out. To save money, they also say to try and stay with family and friends who live in an area where you can watch the eclipse.
AAA also released their safety tips:
- Keep your vehicle’s headlights on.
- Put the sun visor down to block your view of the sun.
- Don’t wear eclipse glasses while driving.
- Don’t try to photograph or video the eclipse while driving.
- Don’t pull over to the side of the road, highway, or interstate to view the eclipse.
- Exit the roadway and park in a safe area away from traffic to view the eclipse.
- Be mindful of pedestrians who may be walking around with their eyes on the sky!
Copyright 2024 WFIE. All rights reserved.
