Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. The holiday is often associated with two activities — going on road trips and flying to cities with warmer weather.
After more than a year of refraining from travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that people are on the move again. As new COVID-19 cases decline, vaccination rates go up, and travel restrictions are loosened, more than 37 million people are expected to go on a trip this holiday weekend. This is more than twice the number of people who traveled last year.
To compile a list of how expensive hotels are at 29 popular Memorial Day destinations, 24/7 Tempo reviewed information on hotel bookings provided by Priceline. Data is based on daily hotel rates for checking in or out anytime between May 28 and May 31, 2021 for bookings made between May 22 and May 26, 2021. Average daily rates are listed from most to least expensive.
Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida, are the top two most popular Memorial Day weekend destinations in terms of hotel bookings, even though they are in the top 10 in terms of hotel costs. It’s cheaper to book lodgings in the West.
Many people will probably take a staycation, staying at home and engaging in leisure outdoor activities at nearby places like state or national parks. These areas offer fun experiences in nature and are often free — these are the national parks that have grown most in popularity since 1980.
29. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
> Daily hotel rates: $255
> Population: 180,124
28. San Diego, California
> Daily hotel rates: $245
> Population: 1,409,573
27. Hampton Roads, Virginia
> Daily hotel rates: $226
> Population: N/A
26. Las Vegas, Nevada
> Daily hotel rates: $225
> Population: 634,773
25. New York, New York
> Daily hotel rates: $204
> Population: 8,419,316
24. New Orleans, Louisiana
> Daily hotel rates: $193
> Population: 390,845
23. Los Angeles, California
> Daily hotel rates: $190
> Population: 3,966,936
22. Austin, Texas
> Daily hotel rates: $187
> Population: 950,807
21. San Antonio, Texas
> Daily hotel rates: $187
> Population: 1,508,083
20. Tampa, Florida
> Daily hotel rates: $184
> Population: 387,916
19. Nashville, Tennessee
> Daily hotel rates: $182
> Population: 663,750
18. Memphis, Tennessee
> Daily hotel rates: $179
> Population: 651,932
17. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York
> Daily hotel rates: $177
> Population: 256,480
16. Chicago, Illinois
> Daily hotel rates: $175
> Population: 2,709,534
15. Boston, Massachusetts
> Daily hotel rates: $174
> Population: 684,379
14. Jacksonville, Florida
> Daily hotel rates: $174
> Population: 890,467
13. Orange County, California
> Daily hotel rates: $161
> Population: N/A
12. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> Daily hotel rates: $160
> Population: 1,579,075
11. Atlanta, Georgia
> Daily hotel rates: $159
> Population: 488,800
10. San Francisco, California
> Daily hotel rates: $153
> Population: 874,961
9. Orlando, Florida
> Daily hotel rates: $150
> Population: 280,832
8. St. Louis, Missouri
> Daily hotel rates: $144
> Population: 308,174
7. Phoenix, Arizona
> Daily hotel rates: $142
> Population: 1,633,017
6. Seattle, Washington
> Daily hotel rates: $137
> Population: 724,305
5. Houston, Texas
> Daily hotel rates: $136
> Population: 2,310,432
4. Baltimore, Maryland
> Daily hotel rates: $136
> Population: 609,032
3. Dallas, Texas
> Daily hotel rates: $133
> Population: 1,330,612
2. Washington D.C.
> Daily hotel rates: $131
> Population: N/A
1. Portland, Oregon
> Daily hotel rates: $127
> Population: 645,291