The incredible cost of hotels in North America...

[cove]

Recently our staff members stayed down the street from the Las Vegas Convention Centre at a Marriott property to avoid resort fees and gambling. The price was up a bit but not much compared with 3 years ago.
Drinks at any hotel are crazy where the bar tender takes the top off a beer bottle and expects a tip on top of a crazy price. It is no wonder so many buy a carton of beer from a supermarket and drink it in their room.
We use Lyft and Uber to get to events where parking is difficult.
In many cities the price quoted can exclude the plus accommodation tax or resort fee which is annoying. With our currency sub 0.70 cents places like Disney are really expensive and they are still raising their prices.

 

[drron]

Apart from the momentary salad days of US$1.10 to A$1, the US was never an “inexpensive” destination.

The current rates in some locales is just gouging. With or without “resort fees”.

It was in 1981 with $US 1.30 to that Aussie. Remember eating a 2 lobster lunch in a restaurant in Maine for less than $A10

 

[SYD]

It was in 1981 with $US 1.30 to that Aussie. Remember eating a 2 lobster lunch in a restaurant in Maine for less than $A10

April 2011 was the more recent time I was thinking of where we got to just shy of US$1.10. I did a cruise out of the US in March before heading down to Argentina. The amazing thing there was a devalued peso. My last visit was Sep 2001 and we’d plunged below US$0.50 and the Argentinian peso was pegged 1:1 with the USD. Ouch, that hurt.

I was also travelling to the US for work ~4x p/year in the early naughties. Expensive times back then.

 

[cove]

We do hear stories of families going to Disney, Legoland and similar places because they promised their children. It can certainly be a wealth hazard. Check out the latest Disney hotel prices as they are thru the roof in 2023.We did stay at one where we had a side gate entry so our son did non stop raft water rides while we watched from our hotel room.That Grand Californian Adventure hotel is currently $1,067 US per night.
We would stay again at Clementine Hotel near Disneyland as we fitted five in a two level room.We used AAA card for discounts.
Hotels near Universal Studios are much lower than Disneyland.
Many would stay quite a distance from the park to avoid the cost and drive there.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I've been a very infrequent traveller to North America in the last twenty years, but each time have been aware that hotel prices tend to be much higher than in Australia for my category of accommodation.

Not my experience at all. I find the opposite is true and I always look forward to staying in US hotels because of their excellent value vis a vis Australian hotels. I'm in the US for more than 100 days this year and have booked around 50 nights in Marriott properties.

I find the best value is Marriott points. Purchase these when there's a signfiicant bonus - like right now!

 

[SYD]

Not my experience at all. I find the opposite is true and I always look forward to staying in US hotels because of their excellent value vis a vis Australian hotels. I'm in the US for more than 100 days this year and have booked around 50 nights in Marriott properties.

I find the best value is Marriott points. Purchase these when there's a signfiicant bonus - like right now!

Paying cash is dreadful in the US at the moment. Currently on a trip to West Coast (and then NYC) and even some smaller places in off season are expensive. AirBnBs haven’t hiked prices as much.

Coming back in Aug/Sep. Mostly NE US and all very expensive.

 

[cove]

In Southern California our family members use Ayres Hotels if they are too tired to get back to our home in Marina del Rey.
We use IHG and Marriott points plus AAA membership and Costco memberships to keep costs closer to reasonable.
Sometimes airlines can get you a good deal but with the Australian currency being so weak we just buy the rallies using Bell FX.

 

[SYD]

SYD+1 and I just reconciled the costs for just over 6 weeks in LOTFAP.

Not including cash in bars (there was a bit of that…), it averaged about A$5,000 per week for two. That’s including internal flights (2x transcon AS F), hotels/AirBnBs, meals (we mostly self catered breakfast), car rental (SFO-SEA, SAN-LAX on Corp rates) and gas. Flights to/from Oz were on points. We didn’t stay in the Ritz (far from it) but did have 2 wks each in SFO and NYC.

A solo traveller isn’t going to fare much better given accommodation costs are the biggest driver.

 

[drron]

A recent hospitality conference in NY produced some interesting views. It seems that with travel bouncing back there is more demand. However investors aren't buying or building hotels. So the perfect storm for ever increasing room rates.

Succession of favorable circumstances just the confluence the hotel industry needed - HOTELSMag.com

NEW YORK — Keith Barr, the outgoing CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group, offered one more astute observation before exiting the stage. “We had the most headwinds in COVID, but now have the most tailwinds,” he told the audience, here at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment...

hotelsmag.com

However in the USA most hotels are finding it hard to attract staff so wages are going up and hotel workers who were amongst the worst paid workers have seen hourly rates nearly double.

Succession of favorable circumstances just the confluence the hotel industry needed - HOTELSMag.com

NEW YORK — Keith Barr, the outgoing CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group, offered one more astute observation before exiting the stage. “We had the most headwinds in COVID, but now have the most tailwinds,” he told the audience, here at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment...

hotelsmag.com

Some however are looking to AI to produce nirvana for there guests.

AI will and already is changing hospitality. Here's how. - HOTELSMag.com

In the ever-changing realm of hospitality, where every detail is tailored to create an unforgettable experience, artificial intelligence or AI is revolutionizing the industry in ways that are both delightful and profound. Envision a hotel that not only knows your preferred room temperature but...

hotelsmag.com

 

[jrfsp]

Got a trip to Toronto & Vancouver at the end of Sept and the hotel prices are shocking. More than anything ive ever seen. Hostel dorms are over $100 a night. Basic 3 star hotels are AU$400-500 a night! For a holiday inn!

 

[SYD]

Got a trip to Toronto & Vancouver at the end of Sept and the hotel prices are shocking. More than anything ive ever seen. Hostel dorms are over $100 a night. Basic 3 star hotels are AU$400-500 a night! For a holiday inn!

Yep! We found an AirBnB in Vancouver for late August. Strangely, Montreal seems reasonable.