The 10 Most Expensive US Cities for Hotels

Wondering which urban destinations will set you back the most for a hotel room this fall? Cheaphotels.org recently compared hotel rates across 50 cities in the U.S. to determine the average rate for the least expensive double room during October 2019, the month when hotel rates tend to be at their highest. Only centrally-located hotels rated three stars or more were considered for the survey.

With an average rate of $185 per night for the most affordable room, Detroit rounds out the top 10 most expensive American cities for a centrally located three- or higher-star hotel room this October. That's nearly three times the average rate of 50th-ranked Las Vegas.

Dallas ties Detroit with an average nightly rate of $185, according to Cheaphotels.org's research. While it's higher than places like Houston, El Paso and San Antonio, it isn't the priciest in Texas.

L.A. isn't much more expensive than places like Dallas, Detroit, Denver or Chicago when it comes to booking a decent hotel room and with an average nightly rate of $186 it isn't even the costliest in California.

Austin is a fun city with a whole lot to offer travelers seeking incredible live music, innovative food, art and outdoor activities ranging from golf to kayaking. However, the demand to experience it all has resulted in some expensive rooms ($189 per night).

New York City ranks surprisingly low on Cheaphotels.org's list given its reputation as a budget-busting destination. Nonetheless, the average rate for a centrally-located hotel room in the Big Apple earning three stars or more still checks in under $200 per night at a respectable $196. That's less than $1,000 for five nights.

By far the biggest surprise in Cheaphotels.org's top 10 has got to be Albuquerque, which cracks the top five most expensive cities, even beating out New York City with an average rate of $198, nearly $20 higher than 13th-ranked Phoenix.

Fourth-ranked San Francisco marks the biggest jump in cost in the top 10 with a nightly rate that's $11 more than fifth-place Albuquerque at $209. While its no secret that the Bay Area isn't the most wallet-friendly destination, nearby Oakland is one of six American cities where hotels outperformed Airbnb in terms of cost, according to research by U.K. price comparison site comparethemarket.com.

In nearby Silicon Valley, San Jose will also set you back more than most cities with the average nightly rate for the most affordable room coming in at $214 this October.

A conveniently-located hotel room achieving three stars or higher in Boston will cost you about $221 per night on average, making it the most expensive city on the East Coast by those standards. Boston beats out New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia by a significant margin.

The Music City is booming with people not only flocking to Nashville to visit but to put down roots. With the destination still working hard to keep with demand, it's not all that surprising its the priciest in the nation for a hotel this fall.