Super Bowl 2016 Sending Hotel Rates Sky High in San Francisco

October 28, 2015

San Francisco hotel owners are capitalizing on Super Bowl 2016 in a big way. A recent survey from CheapHotels.org has discovered that in response to the big game, they are elevating their prices significantly. Fortunately for cost-conscious fans, affordable rooms can still be had, but CheapHotels cautions that the window of opportunity may fast be closing.

Although Levi's® Stadium, home of Super Bowl 50, is situated in Santa Clara, approximately 40 miles outside of San Francisco, the City by the Bay is experiencing a high sellout rate. Indeed, nearly 60% of San Franciscan hotels are already sold out for game day, February 7, 2016. That’s because the stadium has very few rooms in its environs. Vacancies in nearby San Jose and the Palo Alto area do still exist but with the caveat that they will cost 300% more they typically do.

The San Francisco hotels that are still listing available rooms are jacking up their prices by an average of 124%, the survey found. But that’s just for starters. The usually budget-priced Monarch Hotel, for example, in San Francisco’s theater district has raised its rates to $649 per night for a standard room during the Super Bowl. That price tag reflects a 335% markup over its regular rate.

On the positive front, decent three-star rooms in downtown San Francisco can still be found for less than $200 per night. But football fans who are planning to stay in San Francisco on February 7 should book their hotel now, recommends Barbara Adams from CheapHotels.org. "It is expected that hotels will be selling steadily until the end of the year. Depending on the teams that qualify for the Super Bowl, we expect that overnight guests will have to spend at least $300 to $400 for a room in San Francisco if they book short term."

The table that follows lists the hotels in San Francisco with the highest price hikes for next year's Super Bowl on February 7, 2016. Regular prices reflect rates for the same room one week later (February 8). The hotel rates shown were established mid-October via the hotel comparison site Kayak.