More and more families are choosing to take a summer vacation here in the U.S.A, traveling to beach destinations and all-inclusive resorts to enjoy some quality time. Planning a summer vacation can be a stressful time – from researching the best resorts and places to visit with the kids to ensuring you are getting the best deal to make your money go further.
With the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, hotels in the U.S. are seeing the biggest price hike in years. Many popular tourist cities across the country cost more than double for accommodation compared to three years ago. In particular, family-friendly hotels are seeing the biggest price increase.
If you are planning a family vacation this summer, it’s important to research the city and make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck by looking at price comparison sites to find the best hotels.
We decided to delve deeper into the most popular tourist cities for families to see which destinations are seeing the biggest price increase for accommodation.
US Cities with the Biggest Hotel Price Increases
When looking at the U.S. cities with the greatest price increase, we looked at the cost of a one-night stay in a 3-star hotel in June 2019 compared to June 2022.
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
Price Increase: 252%
Topping off our list of the U.S. hotels with the biggest price increase is Honolulu, Hawaii.
The beautiful tropical city of Honolulu has almost tripled in price since June 2019, when a one-night stay in a 3-star hotel was $186. Today, travelers can expect to pay an average price of $654 for one night.
There are several reasons why Honolulu has seen the biggest increase in hotel prices. To name a few, there are additional taxes that hotels incur, including the Transient Accommodations Tax and the General Excise Tax, passed on to customers.
Hawaii is also in huge demand for vacations, and travel to the state is so popular that tourism makes up more than one-fifth (21%) of the state’s economy. Food costs are also a big factor, as most of the products are transported by sea or air travel, as there are no land routes connecting Hawaii to the USA.
2. New York City
Price Increase: 226%
The second city on our list is New York City.
It’s not surprising that the Big Apple is in our top three. The ‘concrete jungle’ has seen a huge price increase in accommodation since June 2019, when a one-night stay in a 3-star hotel was just $228. Today, that’s a whopping $743.
New York is a notoriously expensive city to visit, and it’s difficult to plan a trip there on a tight budget. However, it can be done if you are keeping food and transportation costs to a minimum.
3. Chicago, Illinois
Price Increase: 200%
In third place for the USA cities with the biggest price hike in hotels is Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is well known for its impressive architecture and amazing food, including deep-dish pizza and hotdogs.
The skyscraper city has had a big price increase for hotels since June 2019; a one-night stay in a 3-star hotel costs $107; in 2022 it is now $321. That’s a 200% price increase.
US Cities with the Biggest Hotel Price Decreases
While looking at the prices for a one-night stay in a three-star hotel in 2019 compared to 2022, we noticed that some hotels in certain U.S. cities are actually cheaper to stay in now than they were three years ago. These are the cities that have had the lowest price increase:
1. Sacramento, California
Price Increase: -31%
Sacramento, California, is one of the few destinations to see a decrease in our list of 30 popular U.S. cities. In June 2019, you could expect to pay $298 for a one-night stay in a three-star hotel room. Now, in 2022, the prices average at around $207.
If you’re set on traveling to the Golden Coast this summer, Sacramento is one of the most affordable places to visit in California.
The city holds great importance as the state’s capital, and it also has some of the most unforgettable landscapes and historic sites, including the Sacramento River and Old Sacramento, an experience that almost mimics time travel.
2. Birmingham, Alabama
Price Increase: -3%
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Birmingham, Alabama, is second on our list for the biggest decreases for hotels. In June 2019, the average price was $197, compared to June 2022, which now averages at $192. That’s an increase of -3%.
As the largest city in Alabama, it’s not short on things to do. There’s something for everyone from scenic parks to beautiful gardens, amazing restaurants, and award-winning museums.
3. Vancouver, Washington
Price Increase: 0%
Vancouver, Washington, has essentially seen its hotel prices stay the same, decreasing by just $1.
Vancouver offers spectacular sights, including the majestic North Shore Mountain range, ocean views, and rainforests throughout all four seasons, making it a perfect place to go hiking, cycling, and swimming.
Methodology:
We took a list of the most family-friendly cities in the U.S. to visit by looking at listicle articles, such as Yahoo’s 30 Most Visited Cities in the U.S., and Timeout’s 17 Most Beautiful Cities in the U.S. to Visit Right Now.
Using the lists, we used the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to look at historical data in 2019, navigating to Booking.com. We were able to look at Booking.com in June 2019 for each US city, to find the average price for a one-night stay in a 3-star hotel.
We were then able to look at the 2022 price by navigating to June 2022, to find this year’s average price. We then took the 2019 and 2022 prices and were able to calculate the price increase into a percentage.
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