DENVER – Hotel prices are soaring ahead of the Taylor Swift concert in Denver this weekend.
One Denver7 viewer was quoted $3,471 for a one-night stay at a Denver hotel from Friday through Saturday.
According to Hotels.com, a one-bedroom hotel room near downtown Denver for this weekend ranges in price from $400 to more than $3,000 a night.
“We know that generally around 100,000 people will be attending the concert this weekend — that's going to affect hotel capacity," said Skyler McKinley, AAA regional director of public affairs. "We have seen this everywhere, from Nashville to Philadelphia. Across the country, when these big acts come to town, hotel rooms fill up and because hotel pricing is really based off demand and supply, you tend to see prices skyrocket. There's nothing untoward happening here. This is all supply and demand."
McKinley said hotels that are closest to the concert venue tend to be more expensive.
“Folks want to be close to the venue and remember, folks are traveling from across the country in the intermountain west to these concerts. They're going to want to be as close to the venue as possible,” McKinley said. “The further afield you go, the more reasonable rates you can find. That includes Lakewood, Aurora, even parts of Denver. That might not be your first consideration, but they have hotel inventory available and you will likely find a place to stay at a reasonable price so long as you're willing to spend a little extra to get to and from the show at longer distances. “
McKinley said ideally, concert-goers booked hotels months before the concert, but for those still looking for a hotel deal, McKinley has a warning.
“If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you do your homework before you book a room. Try to book directly from a hotel website if possible, and not a third-party. And when you're looking at things like Airbnb, and other sharing of rooms, read the fine print. Make sure that everything seems aboveboard. In some cases, when you have these very high-demand events, like concerts or like sporting events, you have some bad operators who try to take advantage of tourists. But again, the best advice… Book as soon as you can,” McKinley said.
McKinley said for those staying in Denver suburbs, public transportation could be a good cost-saving option for getting to and from the concert venue.
