Susan Hochman had been planning the trip for seven years. See the solar eclipse on April 8thends up spending several hundred dollars for a night’s stay in a modest hotel room in Saranac Lake, New York. so-called wholeness.
According to hotel staff, she would spend $650 for a night’s stay at a Best Western hotel, but during the low season, room rates can be as low as $99.
“I thought that was strange,” said the New York City resident. “The $650 rate Best Western offered almost killed me, but at least I could stay there for the night I needed.”
Hochman booked the accommodation last October. Still, she wishes she had booked sooner. “Even though she was thinking ahead, she didn’t plan ahead any more than she had to,” she said. She called the rise in room rates “bizarre and crazy.”
Hochman and friends had originally planned to stay at Saranac Waterfront Lodge, a luxury resort on a nearby lake. But her $700 a night hotel with a two-night minimum stay was beyond her budget.
How much does a room with two queen beds and lake views cost? $2,400. Room rates dropped to $1,100 on April 8, the day of the eclipse, the hotel said, adding that guests began booking a year in advance.
In contrast, the next night, April 9th, the same room would cost $131, but on April 15th, the price would drop to $111.
Hampton Inn in Carbondale, Illinois also path of solar eclipsethere are no vacancies on April 7th and 8th.
The hotel says it has been fully booked for months. A revenue management team sets the hotel’s prices, and a spokesperson said prices for the April event are “significantly higher than normal.”
$1 billion boost
Eclipse-related tourism could inject up to $1 billion into the local economy.almost all the time 115 miles wide The region, which stretches from Texas to Maine, will momentarily see a moon that completely blocks the sun, but hordes of sky-gazing tourists spend money on everything from lodging to town business. It is expected that the number will increase rapidly. From meals to souvenirs.
Other types of accommodation, such as Airbnb homes, are also in high demand. According to the home-sharing platform, searches for stays along the path of perfection have increased by 1,000%.
Air DNA
Vacasa, another vacation rental management company, told CBS MoneyWatch that tourists appear to be most keen to watch the eclipse from Texas, according to home searches on its site. The second most popular destination is Vermont, followed by Maine.
The average daily price for a home in Burlington, Vermont is $506. In Dallas it’s $375.
Airline ticket prices are also rising. The average price for a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth landing on April 7 is $1,900, according to travel site Hopper.
For last-minute travelers hoping to see the eclipse, Hopper Chief Economist Haley Berg offered some money-saving advice.
“Please consider staying in a hotel outside the totality zone and driving into the area on Monday afternoon,” she told CBS News. “That way, it will be cheaper, but you will still be able to experience the eclipse.”
Kayak is another travel platform. tool This will allow people to search for hotels in the cheapest destinations along the path of the total solar eclipse.According to Kayak, hotels are cheapest on average in Montreal, Canada, also by road city. On average, you’ll also find the best car rental deals in Montreal.
