Hotel Room Cost

Sometimes we get carried away by the many offers available for flights to different places and think that the vacation is already organized, but in reality, a trip involves many more things, especially choosing the right type of accommodation.

There are many more options and a lot of flexibility nowadays than in the past because accommodation now can mean anything from regular hotels, and guesthouses to apartments. Therefore, you can find a place to stay where you can feel good and where you can have fun much more easily.

How Much Does a Hotel Room Cost?

The cost of a hotel room depends on the quality of the hotel and will vary from one city to another. The average cost of a hotel room would be anywhere between $50 and $550 per night, depending on the time of the year, hotel brand, star rating, size of the room, geographical location, and so on.

The price of a room at a lower-end hotel would be anywhere between $50 and $70 per night. For instance, the cost of a double occupancy hotel room at the Days Inn in Michigan City, Indiana is $52 per night.

On the other hand, the cost of the same room, at the same hotel brand is around $150 per night in a city like New York.

You might also like our articles on the cost to build a hotel, to send a pet by plane, or travel by train.

Depending on the view of the room, you will have to pay anywhere between $270 and $400 per night, per person at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

Factors that affect the cost of a hotel room

Accommodation rates are influenced by the following factors:

1. The location of the hotel is a very important factor (proximity to tourist attractions, number of hotels in an area, distance from the city center, etc.).
2. The location of the room – this factor appears to be important, especially in the case of hotels in resorts, where the rooms that offer the best views are the most expensive (for example, on the coast – sea view). In most hotels, rooms located far from noisy public areas (restaurants, discos, etc.).
3. Meals included. Accommodation rates depend on whether or not it includes food services and if so, the types of meals included.
4. Season and length of stay in the hotel. In general, the tourist pays according to the number of nights in which the room is occupied.
5. The size, structure, and equipment of the room influence the accommodation rates through construction and maintenance costs (for example, the Penthouse suite – with access to the roof, swimming pool, tennis court, and gym). It should be mentioned that the number of individuals occupying a room usually does not affect the rate to a large extent (for example, single rooms and double rooms). In the USA and other developed countries, facilities such as bathrooms, telephones, televisions, and air conditioning are part of the standard facilities.
6. Special facilities – the availability of special facilities, such as tennis courts, gyms, swimming pool, cable television, room service, non-stop, etc., affects the room rate. The use of these facilities is free if the customer has already paid for them through the price of the room.

In many cases, accommodation rates vary depending on demand. For example, hotels in cities are busier during working days than on weekends. That is why, often, the rates during the weekend periods are higher – due to the higher demand.

Hotels in seaside resorts have higher rates during the summer, as there is a greater demand. In the off-season, the rates drop by 10-15%. On the other hand, there are also seaside resorts where the highest prices are in the winter – Caribbean Zone, Mexico, and Florida (due to the fact that the winters have a more favorable climate for tourism than the very hot summers).

What are the additional costs?

One of the biggest additional costs for a hotel room represents the taxes. In general, this tax is higher than the normal rate of the state because a hotel tax is also charged.

In case you are causing any damage to the room in which you are staying; you will be responsible for the reparation of the broken things.

Also, you will have to pay upon your check-out for anything additional ordered to your room, like movie rentals or food.

Most of the hotels charge a fee for any lost key card or keys.

In case you cancel your reservation less than 24 hours in advance, you will have to pay a fee.

You may have to pay for a nightly parking fee at hotels that have limited parking spaces or that have valet parking.

How can I save money?

Usually, the weeknight prices are lower than the weekend prices. So, plan your trip during the week if possible.

You can find the lowest possible price by using services like Priceline. This website is known for its name-your-own-price services, although these services seem to be discontinued currently. You can set your own price for a hotel room and if it is low enough, the hotel will accept it.

Take into consideration looking for deals on websites like Travelzoo. You may be able to save up to 70% on a last-minute reservation.