Willing to pay $40,000 a night for a hotel for the Super Bowl? It’s available
Now that the teams playing in the Super Bowl have been decided, some may be scrambling to book a last-minute trip to South Florida.
If that is you — good luck.
With estimates that more than 80% of the rooms in Miami-Dade and Broward are booked for that weekend, be prepared to open your wallet VERY wide (or take out a second mortgage) to stay anywhere from Homestead to North Broward.
“Miami is popular for your travel dates,” Hotels.com warns potential travelers.
A basic search earlier this week of Hotels.com for checking in on Thursday, Jan. 30, and checking out on Monday, Feb. 3 — Super Bowl 54 is Sunday, Feb. 2, at Hard Rock Stadium — showed a range for two adults from $188 a night without taxes for a Motel 6 in Dania Beach to nearly $40,000 a night for a condo unit suite at The Retreat Collection at 1 Hotel South Beach.
On Wednesday, about 10 days before the game, an Ultra Penthouse at The Retreat Collection that can sleep five was going for $126,629 a night, with a four-night minimum. That would make a Super Bowl stay nearly a $507,000 proposition.
A week later, that same penthouse goes for about $60,000 a night — a veritable bargain.
And, no, you don’t get tickets on the 50-yard line at the game or a private performance by half-time performer JLo or Shakira as part of a package deal.
A manager with Hotels.com said the third-party site does not set the rates. Room rates and deals are provided by the individual hotels to Hotels.Com, she said.
The cheapest hotel in Homestead — 46 miles from the stadium — is A-1 Budget Motel, 1300 N Homestead Blvd., at $159 a night, according to Hotels.com. La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Deerfield Beach — 31 miles from the stadium — is $172 a night.
The rates and availability fluctuate as rooms come on and off the market as they get snapped up or when people cancel.
In some cases, room cost is more than four times what it would be on another night.
For example, a room at the guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino near Hollywood for the Thursday before the game costs $349. The rate skyrocketed to $2,045 to $2,245 a night for Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, according to the hotel’s website. The rooms, marketed as The Big Game 2020, range from a deluxe king no-smoking option to a deluxe two queens with pool view.
“The NFL sets hotel rates via room block contracts,” said Jennifer Diaz, communications VP for the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau.
This year’s Super Bowl is already expected to be the most expensive one yet for visitors, according to an analysis by STR, a hospitality data company. STR data showed that in 2010, the last time South Florida hosted the Super Bowl, the average nightly rate for a hotel room was $335.46.
While South Beach is a popular destination, with many hotels already sold out, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Resort has rooms left, but they range from $1,267 to $3,727 a night, and there is a five-night minimum, according to the hotel’s website.
Sample room rates
Here is a sample of some hotels and rates available for checking in on pregame Thursday and checking out on postgame Monday in the vicinity of Hard Rock Stadium for two adults (not including tax and fees):
▪ Motel 6 Dania Beach, 825 E Dania Beach Blvd., Dania Beach (about 13 miles from the stadium): $188 per night for room with one queen bed.
▪ Days Hotel by Wyndham Thunderbird Beach Resort, Sunny Isles Beach, 18401 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach (about 10 miles from the stadium): $254 for room with two double beds.
▪ Hollywood Beach Seagull, Hollywood, 1915 N Ocean Dr., Hollywood, (about 12 miles from the stadium): $313 per night for room with one queen bed.
▪ Holiday Inn Express & Suites Miami — Hialeah, 6650 W 20th Ave., Hialeah (about 11 miles from stadium): $387 per night for room with two queen beds.
▪ Hilton Garden Inn Ft. Lauderdale SW/Miramar, 14501 Hotel Road, Miramar (about nine miles from the stadium): $444 per night for room with one king bed.
▪ Doubletree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach, 4000 S Ocean Dr. , Hollywood, (about 10 miles from the stadium): $539 per night for room with one king bed.
▪ The Vagabond Hotel, 7301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, (about 10 miles from the stadium): $734 per night for suite with one king bed.
▪ Grand Beach Hotel Bay Harbor, 9601 E Bay Harbor Dr., Bay Harbor Islands (about 10 miles from the stadium): $924 per night for suite with two double beds.
▪ Acqualina Resort and Spa, 17875 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach (about nine miles from the stadium): $4,000 per night for room with king bed.
▪ Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, 9011 Collins Ave., Surfside (about 11 miles from the stadium): $4,594 for room with king bed.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM.
