Big crowds will mean hefty hotel prices as solar eclipse draws near in Erie

John Oliver, CEO of VisitErie, hopes that thousands of visitors expected in Erie for the April 8 eclipse will want to return for another visit.

But chances are good that their favorite memory of Erie won't be the low cost of bunking down for a couple nights.

It's the law of supply and demand and it's likely that demand for hotel rooms will never be higher in Erie than on April 7-8. Thousands of visitors — possibly tens of thousands — are expected in Erie to witness the eclipse from what scientists describe as the path of totality.

That's created unprecedented demand.

Dwindling supply

Oliver said that, as of Thursday, just 97 of Erie's 4,500 hotel and motel rooms were available.

By early April, "We fully anticipate there will be no rooms available," Oliver said.

Erie hotel rooms, most of which are being offered subject to a two-night minimum, are renting at prices that reflect scarcity.

At Hilton Garden Inn in Summit Township, rooms typically start at about $130 a night. On Wednesday, one of the few remaining rooms was being offered for a little over $1,000 a night. By Thursday, it was no longer available.

TownePlace Suites Erie had one or more rooms left for $674 a night, while remaining rooms at Courtyard by Marriott Erie Ambassador Conference Center started at $899.

Larger properties aren't the only ones raising prices.

Rodeway Inn, a small motel at 2540 W. Eighth St., typically offers rooms for $65 per night. Rooms were still available Tuesday, but for $350 a night with a two-night minimum.

Higher rates are expected

Nick Scott Sr., president of Erie-based Scott Enterprises, which owns about 800 of Erie's hotel rooms, said he's not hearing many price-related complaints.

"It's almost like the Kentucky Derby," he said. "This is sort of Erie's Super Bowl of the century."

Scott is taken with the excitement of the event and the fact scientists can precisely predict what we will see and where best to watch.

"People are going to connect with the solar system in a way that they never thought about before," he said. "Sitting right in front of you, you are going to get the feeling of how these celestial bodies move."

Scott said his company didn't originate the concept of raising prices to match demand.

But he's not apologizing for it, either. Hotel owners are experiencing the flipside of winter storms that keep crowds away and a pandemic that left hotels mostly empty for months.

Oliver said most travelers understand the nature of prices that rise with demand.

"Erie is no different than any other community that falls into the path of totality," he said. "I suppose it's the same as if you were going to a Penn State football game and you got a room in State College. You are going to pay a whole lot more than you would after the game."

Other lodging options

When Jim Gavio, director of the Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend, traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 2017 for what was dubbed the Great American Eclipse, he watched from a campground.

Plenty of travelers are expected to pitch tents, park trailers or pull up in their motorhomes in advance of the afternoon eclipse April 8.

The owners of the Erie KOA Holiday in McKean Township wouldn't normally be open in early April. The eclipse made them rethink that policy and prompted them to plan a special viewing event.

Sara's Campground, located near the entrance to Presque isle State Park, is counting down the days, hours minutes and seconds to the eclipse on its website.

The campground has been gearing up for the event, offering a four-night reservation package for $695. On Thursday, with more than 25 days to go before the eclipse, a red Sold-Out banner appeared on the campground's website.

Pymatuning State Park in Crawford County will offer visitors a few seconds less time in the path of totality, but the show is still expected to be a good one.

That probably why the park's 529 campsites have something in common. Every single one has been reserved.

Renting the whole house

Erie County offers other lodging options, including inns, but websites suggest most local properties are booked as well.

That leaves one other option. As of Wednesday, numerous houses, cabins and even apartments were being offered as short-term rentals on websites such as Airbnb.

Options included what the owners described as an Erie bachelor pad for $1,000 a night or a two-bedroom Erie apartment for $1,500 a night.

Visitors on a budget could also size up a photo of a dorm room at Erie Sports Center and an offer to "Stay with Gino" for $300 a night.

For those with more to spend, Arbnb lists a two-bedroom cabin in Albion that sleeps six. A two-day rental is offered for $8,000. With fees, the price comes to $9,244.

For some property owners, the eclipse provides a window of financial opportunity.

"I talked to someone that rented out their house for $1,300 a night," Oliver said. The eclipse, the homeowner said, is going to buy him a new furnace.

Contact Jim Martin at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Prices soar as Erie hotel rooms fill up for April 8 eclipse