Hotel rates in states in the path of Monday's eclipse skyrocketed to astronomical levels, with some eclipse-watchers from across the country having their reservations canceled and hotels going up for sale at multiples of their original price. Some people have been.
Millions of Americans are expected to travel to witness one of the most spectacular celestial phenomena in recent memory, with the moon's total orbit reaching 15 states in addition to parts of Mexico and Canada. It is expected to take the market by storm and bring in more than $1 billion in total. local economy.
For those looking to book lodging along the heart of the Great American Eclipse, prices are soaring and hotels are fully booked. A New York Times analysis found that a hotel in Grayville, Illinois, is advertising rooms at nearly 10 times the regular nightly rate. .
As many as 1 million tourists are expected to flock to Buffalo, New York, in search of the best viewing spots during the eclipse, according to an analysis by Chase Travel, and hotel and flight bookings are expected to be lower than at the same time last year. It has increased four times compared to the previous year.
Amid growing demand for accommodations, a travel agency announced that two hotels in Buffalo had reservations canceled two years ago, forcing them to re-arrange accommodations for more than 150 people. Chris Donnelly, owner of Sugar Tours, said rooms priced between $129 and $159 were canceled and resold for more than $450, a “gross hike.”
“Of course, this was all for profit,” Donnelly said. “I feel like they never entered our room into their system, just sold it and waited until 30 days before letting us know. We've been in business for 30 years and this… Nothing like that ever happened.”
Manga Hotel Group, which owns Aloft Buffalo Airport and Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport, said the room cancellations were the result of an overbooking mistake. The canceled rooms were not resold as new reservations.
The region's tourism agency, Visit Buffalo Niagara (VBN), said it would work with individuals who received cancellation notices and “does not condone this commercial practice of canceling accommodation reservations.”
“It's shameful that long-time customers and new visitors should be treated this way,” said Patrick Kahler, president and CEO of VBN. “Prioritizing greed over visitor experience and destination reputation is unacceptable.”