• The Most Expensive U.S. Cities To Visit

    Posted date:  April 10, 2011  |  No comment

    After dropping off precipitously in 2009, hotel prices around the U.S. stabilized in 2010.

    According to the latest Hotel Price Index put out by Hotels.com, these 10 cities commanded the highest prices for a night’s stay last year.

     

     

     

     

    No. 1 New York

    Avg. nightly room rate: $194.14

    New York’s average room stays under $200 for the second straight year, but an improving business travel market has prices stabilizing after a 24% plunge in 2009.

    No. 2 Honolulu

    Avg. nightly room rate: $158.95

    Vacation destinations typically slump during a recession. The biggest sign the worst may be over: Honolulu’s hotel prices dropped less than 1% in 2010, following the previous year’s 12% fall.

    No. 3 Boston

    Avg. nightly room rate: $154.62

    Lots of tourist attractions for leisure travelers, and the city is within easy driving distance from big population centers.

    No. 4 Santa Barbara

    Avg. nightly room rate: $143.33

    When leisure travel comes back, it comes back among the affluent first. So while Los Angeles fell off the top 10 list in 2010, this upscale enclave 100 miles up the coast jumped onto it.

    No. 5 Washington, D.C.

    Avg. nightly room rate: $140.33

    Like Boston, the nation’s capital draws lots of weekend visitors seeking short stays to see the sights.

    No. 6 Miami

    Avg. nightly room rate: $139.58

    One of the East Coast’s bigger international hubs, Miami draws crowds from places like Sao Paulo and Rio. Prices stabilized after dropping 14% in 2009.

    No. 7 Chicago

    Avg. nightly room rate: $133.93

    The convention business still isn’t what it was in the early 2000s, but it’s picked up from 2008 and 2009.

    No. 8 Idaho Falls

    Avg. nightly room rate: $132.53

    A destination in its region for scenery and culture, Idaho Falls landed on Forbes’ Best Small Places for Business and Careers list last year.

    No. 9 New Orleans

    Avg. nightly room rate: $132.27

    The Big Easy is the year’s comeback story, thanks to the city’s promotional efforts and the attention the Saints’ 2010 Super Bowl victory attracted. More leisure travelers are coming, and conventions are picking up.

    No. 10 Monterey

    Avg. nightly room rate: $131.93

    Like Santa Barbara, pricey Monterey saw an uptick in business last year as the larger California cities slumped a bit.
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