Total Solar Eclipse Causes Surge in Pricing and Demand for Hotels, Airbnbs: What to Know as a Traveler

A hotel in Texas is charging $1,325.56 for a room, 10 times its usual rate, ahead of the eclipse on April 8

While many are hoping to catch a glimpse of the total solar eclipse April 8, those traveling for the event may find that lodging in areas along the eclipse’s path is more than they were prepared to spend.

According to a press release from AAA, booking data shows that hotels in the most popular cities along the eclipse’s path of totality are 48% more expensive during the weekend ahead of the eclipse than they were at the same time last year.

The much-anticipated event, which marks the first total solar eclipse since 2017, will pass over Mexico, the United States and Canada, according to NASA.

It will start at Mexico’s Pacific coast, and then enter the U.S. in Texas. The eclipse will then move through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will then travel to Canada in Southern Ontario, and make its way through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.

Airbnb tells PEOPLE the company has seen a 1,000% surge in demand for cities along the path of totality, from Mexico through the U.S. to Canada.

Related: All About the Rare Total Solar Eclipse, Including Where It Occurs and How to See It

In fact, Airbnb rentals are nearly 90% occupied along the path of totality for the eclipse — and one out of four guests with a reservation the night before the eclipse have booked a stay along its path.

John Henderson, president of Days Inn by Wyndham, tells PEOPLE Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have seen bookings pace up by more than 100% for April 7 and 8, While he notes owners are seeing revenue increases, the company's North American hotels are franchised, which means they manage their own rates and inventory.

Airbnb named upstate New York — including Lake Placid, Buffalo, Rochester and Niagara — at the top of its list of trending domestic destinations for U.S. travelers ahead of the eclipse. A search for flights from New York City to Rochester that weekend turned up results that were roughly five times the typical rates.

According to travel company Navan, the average hotel booking price in Niagara Falls is up 249% during the week of the eclipse, compared to the previous week.

Vermont is another hot spot for eclipse viewing.

A search for accommodations in the Green Mountain State showed even hotels and motels 150 miles south of the path of totality have increased prices by as much as 100 percent for the two nights in high demand: April 7 and 8.

The owner of Burlington’s South Side Inn, which is charging $1,585 a night for rooms that usually go for $120, told the New York Post that guests have even made up stories in an effort to snag a bargain.

“A couple claimed they were coming to town for their daughter’s wedding that weekend,” South Side owner Greg Nixon told the Post. “They wanted a room [at the standard price]. We told them that we couldn’t do it. I felt terrible. But, on the way out, the man said, ‘Actually, there is no wedding.’ He was lying. He totally had me.”

Related: The Rare Total Solar Eclipse Means Free Food at Chili’s, Cracker Barrel and More

Waco, Texas, ranked third on Airbnb’s list of trending destinations.

Forbes recently reported that even budget hotels in rural towns in Texas are charging rates above $1,000 for rooms during the big event.

For example, the Wine Country Inn in Fredericksburg, a few hours from Waco, was asking for $1,288.19 with taxes for a king room the night before the eclipse, which is more than eight times the cost later in the week. And The Inn at Uvalde wanted $1,325.56 for a room with a queen bed, which is 10 times its usual rate.

If you’re still seeking a moment out of the sun — and haven’t yet booked accommodations along the eclipse’s path — Airbnb advises that it’s not too late.

They still have inventory available to book the night of April 7 in the following cities: Richardson, Texas; Syracuse, New York; Bloomington, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Kingston, Canada; Pflugerville, Texas; Henderson, Kentucky; Toledo, Ohio; and Rochester, New York.

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People are flocking to view the spectacle — in which the moon passes between the sun and Earth, obscuring the face of the sun — for good reason.

According to NASA, the next total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. won’t happen for another 20 years; it's expected to occur on Aug. 23, 2044.

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