Hotel Rates in New Orleans up to 590% Higher for Super Bowl, Survey Shows

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Out-of-town football fans who plan to attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans and are on the hunt for a hotel room better prepare themselves for sky-high dollar signs. According to a new survey from Cheaphotels.org, with just a little over two months to go until game day, hotel rates in New Orleans are skyrocketing for the Super Bowl weekend of February 1–4.

The main reason for the high price tags is that only around a dozen hotels in New Orleans and its suburbs currently have available rooms. On average, these accommodations are raising their rates by 304%, the survey found.

The award for the biggest rate hiker goes to the Holiday Inn West Bank Tower. Located in New Orleans' business district, this establishment regularly charges $109 per night. Come Super Bowl weekend, however, football fans can expect to pay $549 per night. That equates to a 403% increase.

While not as pricey overall, the low-budget Midtown Hotel in the Big Easy suburbs earns the distinction of being the percentage-wise price gouger. There, a room that normally costs $65 nightly will set guests back $449 per night, or 590% more than usual.

Currently, to score even the cheapest room, visitors will have to spend between $300 and $400 for an overnight stay. What's more, they will be subject to minimum-stay stipulations. All remaining hotel rooms over the Super Bowl weekend are currently requiring guests to commit to at least three nights and in some cases even five nights.

Will the outlook grow dimmer as the kickoff date approaches? Barbara Adams from Cheaphotels.org doesn't think so. In fact, she predicts that cheaper rooms will materialize in the near future. "The vast majority of hotel rooms are currently blocked by the NFL," she explains. "However, as in previous years, some of these rooms are expected to be released close to the Super Bowl. Hence, more reasonable-priced hotel rooms should become available."

Visit the full results of the Super Bowl survey at:
http://www.cheaphotels.org/press/super-bowl-2013.html

Press Contact: Barbara Adams, [email protected], Phone: 1-805-308-9660

SOURCE Cheaphotels.org