For some B.C. Taylor Swift fans, Dec. 6 may feel like one of those nights they won't be sleeping.
That might be the only affordable option as hotel rates have been skyrocketing for the Eras Tour weekend in Vancouver.
Most of the time when someone is looking for a budget hotel room in downtown Vancouver they can find something between $150 and $200, if they book at the right time. For example, the Quality Inn, Best Western, Century Plaza, and Days Inn all have prices in this range for weekends in March, according to a quick search.
For one weekend in December, it's going to cost a lot more for a hotel stay in Vancouver.
Taylor Swift's trio of BC Place concerts on Dec. 6, 7, and 8, appear to have caused hotel room costs to skyrocket for anyone staying in the city's downtown, giving plenty of visiting fans reason to yearn for prices to go back to December 2023 rates.
Hotel rooms soar from usual rates under $200 to $1,000-$2,000
The Best Western Plus Sands (in the West End) shows its cheapest rate for the night of Dec. 7, 2024 is $972.40 if you're a member. If not it's $1,100, according to Google (which shows it drops back down to $165 the week after).
The other Best Western in downtown Vancouver, on Granville Street, won't allow one-night stays that weekend and doesn't have any rooms open Dec. 6. To stay there Dec. 7 and 8 it's more than $1,900 per night, with a membership. Without a membership, it's $2,249 per night. A week later it's about $190 per night (and prices dip to $180 at other times). That's an increase of more than 11 times the normal rate.
Meanwhile, the Quality Inn downtown is showing the cheapest prices that whole weekend are between $1,200 and $1,500 over the three-day Eras Tour Vancouver weekend. The next weekend it drops to $156.
Some similar hotels appear to already be sold out. Both the Holiday Inn and the Days Inn downtown have no availability at all that weekend, and the Century Plaza only has Sunday night available ($1,008, versus $143 a week later).
Stays outside of downtown Vancouver running about three times typical rates
Nearby mid-range hotels with prices spiking over that weekend include the Sutton Place Hotel, which shows a room on Friday, Dec. 6 runs $1,276. A week later it's advertised at $281. At the Georgian Court, the night of Dec. 7 is running $1,999; the same room a week earlier is $359.10.
Hotel Blu is also seeing a spike of more than 10 times, with rooms throughout December 2024 advertised for around $245, except when Swift's shows are happening, with rooms rates starting at $$2,899.
It's not just downtown, either, though other areas see less of a spike. For example, the Metrotown Holiday Inn has rooms about three times normal, with the cheapest rate Sunday, Dec. 8 going for about $750 according to Google; a week later it's $246. And a the Lonsdale Quay hotel the same night is $1,824. The next night, Monday, Dec. 9 is $230.
At the Sandman Signature in Richmond near YVR room rates run more than $800 per night, compared to just over $300 a week later. Also in Richmond, the Steveston Waterfront Hotel is asking for $1,450 per night. The week after, rooms are $186 per night.
Swift's impact appears to extend east, as well, with rooms at the Surrey/Langley Ramada going for $950 per night for those three nights, while it's normally below $200. In Abbotsford, rooms at the Coast Hotel are usually around $230 that time of year, but from Dec. 6 to 9 it's gone up now to about $800 per night.
Luxury Vancouver hotel stays still pricey but increase not as dramatic
Given the unaffordability of normally affordable options, some may consider higher-end hotels. Prices are still spiking at these types of locations, but the ratio is different. For example, the Shangri-La has rooms going for $2,337 on Dec. 6, according to Google, a week later it's $650; that's less than three times.
And the Fairmont Pacific Rim often has its cheapest rooms on weekends listed at $700 or $800. Late in the night, when the city's asleep, hotel guests staying on Swift's Vancouver weekend will have paid about $1,700 per day for their room there.
The famed Fairmont Hotel Vancouver often has rooms starting at $354; that weekend rooms start at around $1,400. That's comparable to the Quality Inn.
One place that has seen prices just double is the Hostel International location downtown. While a bed on a weekend in December or November is normally $50 if you're sleepin ghte 4-bed dorms, they've popped up to $97.50 that weekend. Few are left though, and a minimum two-night stayt is needed, meaning (after fees) it's closer to $230.
Over at the Cambie Hostel, one night that weekend is $125.99 plus fees, bumping it up to $150.
It's not just a Vancouver issue, though. Right now Sydney, Australia is feeling Swift's impact with fans spending thousands on "mediocre rooms" with the Eras Tour in town there.
