Travelers whose short-term plans include a visit to the Jazz Festival in Monterey, California, this upcoming weekend may be in for a surprise if they haven’t already booked a hotel room. Some rooms are still available, but accommodations in and around the area are charging much higher rates than usual. That’s the finding of the latest survey conducted by www.CheapHotels.org.
Currently, approximately 50% of hotels in the coastal California community of Monterey are still offering available rooms for the festival dates of September 21-23. On average, however, they are increasing their overnight prices by 47%. Some budget hotels are taking advantage of last-minute planners even more and hiking their rates significantly higher.
A good case in point is the Downtown Days Inn. There, rooms regularly go for US$109 per night, but during the Monterey Jazz Festival, they’ll cost guests US$209. With its close proximity to the Monterey County Fairgrounds, where the festival takes place, the Vagabond Bay Inn is also gouging festival goers. During the event’s three-day run, the establishment has jacked up its nightly rate to US$249. That’s 128% more than the regular rate of US$109.
Those travelers who insist on staying in a three-star hotel will currently have to pay close to $300 per night, and that’s for the cheapest available room. If they are willing to settle for a budget hotel, they can find a room for around US$150 in neighboring Seaside. Another advantage, in addition to the cost savings, is that Seaside is actually located closer to the festival grounds than downtown Monterey is.
For the full results of the survey, visit http://www.cheaphotels.org/press/monterey-jazz-festival-2012.html
