Philadelphia Ranks as Costliest Overnight Stay This Labor Day Weekend
August 28, 2013
Philadelphia has just earned the distinction of being America's costliest destination for an overnight stay this Labor Day weekend. This is the takeaway of a new survey that compared the hotel rates of 30 popular U.S. destinations. The time period of comparison was the long Labor Day weekend of August 30 through September 2 (Labor Day).
In Philadelphia this end-of-summer weekend, travelers will have to pay $250 per night for the cheapest available double room in a minimum 3-star hotel. At that price tag, they'll be paying more than double what they normally would on a regular weekend. Coming in only slightly behind the first-place finisher are Atlantic City and Seattle. At overnight rates of $246 and $244, respectively, these New Jersey and Washington cities ranked the second and third most expensive spots this Labor Day weekend.
In the fourth position on the survey is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Travelers there can anticipate a per-night rate of $228, which is 125% higher than the city's regular rates. This hefty rate hike is the largest of all 30 destinations considered by the survey. Harley Davidson's 110th anniversary party, which is slated to take place in Milwaukee over the Labor Day weekend, can be deemed a major contributor to the higher-than-usual hotel rates.
The following table compares 30 destinations in the United States for this year's Labor Day weekend. The prices shown reflect the daily rate for each destination's cheapest available double room (minimum 3-star hotel) for the holiday time period of August 30 through September 2.
| Destination | Labor Day Weekend | Regular Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $250 | $114 |
| Atlantic City | $246 | $170 |
| Seattle | $244 | $132 |
| Milwaukee | $228 | $101 |
| Boston | $209 | $161 |
| Virginia Beach | $202 | $111 |
| Atlanta | $182 | $89 |
| Charleston | $181 | $191 |
| New York City | $178 | $144 |
| Pittsburgh | $167 | $191 |
| Savannah | $162 | $139 |
| Chicago | $158 | $169 |
| Austin | $152 | $119 |
| San Diego | $149 | $108 |
| Portland | $142 | $159 |
| Los Angeles | $135 | $137 |
| San Francisco | $126 | $154 |
| Myrtle Beach | $121 | $69 |
| Miami Beach | $116 | $99 |
| New Orleans | $106 | $109 |
| Orlando | $102 | $86 |
| Las Vegas | $96 | $69 |
| Washington DC | $95 | $99 |
| Fort Lauderdale | $92 | $77 |
| Honolulu | $90 | $90 |
| Denver | $88 | $111 |
| St. Louis | $85 | $114 |
| Phoenix | $80 | $76 |
| Salt Lake City | $75 | $75 |
| Houston | $73 | $73 |
About the Methodology
For 30 of the most popular Labor Day weekend destinations in the USA, the price for the cheapest available double room (minimum 3-star hotel) was established for the periods of August 30 through September 2 (Labor Day Weekend) and September 6–9 (Regular Rate). These prices were established on August 26 based on research conducted on several of the leading hotel-booking sites. Only such hotels located in or less than one mile from the city center or beach were considered.
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