La Quinta stay at $1,150 a night? Nashville hotel rates spike amid Taylor Swift concerts

Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read
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Like Taylor Swift's song, "Cruel Summer," her set of weekend concerts — beginning Friday in Nashville — is creating quite a frenzy for hotels.

And if you're traveling to Music City for the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Swift concerts, chances are you already know: Cheap rooms downtown and beyond are difficult to come by.

And not just luxury and boutique hotels.

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At La Quinta Inn & Suites on 315 Interstate Drive, the cost of one room on Friday night will set back Swifties a hefty $1,150.

On the bright side? You get two queen beds.

If you are going to the concert Saturday and checking out Sunday, the same room's price is listed at $950.

Going to be a crowded weekend in Nashville

If you book the same room the next day?

The price decreases to $285.

It's not just the Taylor Swifts concerts that has Nashville buzzing.

Nashville is going to be more crowded than normal this weekend. Lots of families and friends celebrating education milestones.

In addition to the trio of Swift concerts, there are several other events going in Nashville, including Belmont, Lipscomb and Tennessee State University graduations — the latter will host commencement speaker Oprah Winfrey.

Bonna Johnson, the senior vice president of corporate communications at Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., said 148 hotels across greater Nashville reported increases in hotel occupancy rates.

For Friday, Johnson said occupancy is 89%, while Saturday is at 96% occupancy.

"Friday is pacing 24% higher than last year and Saturday is 38% higher," Johnson said.

Sunday's hotel occupancy — the final day of Swift's concert run in Nashville — is at 69%, a 31% percent increase from the same time last year.

"It’s going to be a great weekend for Nashville with lots of visitors spending a lot of money at local businesses. We’ve seen hotel occupancy numbers go through the roof in every city on Taylor’s tour, and we attribute much of our chart-topping occupancy in Nashville this weekend to her fans," said Butch Spyridon, the CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

Need for more rooms

Spyridon said major stadium tour events are demand generators for cities like Nashville that create the need for more hotels.

In the past five years, Spyridon said 71 hotels with 11,000 rooms have opened. An additional 15 properties are under construction and another 47 are in development.

Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her "Eras Tour" at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023.
Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her "Eras Tour" at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023.

Some hotels are sold out despite being miles away from Nissan Stadium.

The Hilton in Cool Springs, 17.5 miles from Nissan Stadium, is out of rooms.

Same for the Comfort Inn and Suites in Antioch.

Best booking finds

For some concert goers, saving a little on the downtown hotel stay is worth it to take a ride share to Nissan Stadium.

For those of you looking for a last-minute booking, Baymont By Wyndham, 354 Sumner Hall Drive in Gallatin has a two queen bed room for $319. It would be a 28.3 mile drive to and from Nissan Stadium, but hey, it beats $1,150.

During your Uber ride, there will be plenty of time to talk all things Taylor Swift.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville hotel rates spike over $1,000 a night amid Taylor Swift shows