Super Bowl sticker shock: Las Vegas hotel prices skyrocket for big game

Las Vegas, known for its lively Super Bowl celebrations, is gearing up for an especially bustling year as it hosts the big game between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, possibly featuring a special Chiefs fan, Taylor Swift.

Nearly half a million people are expected to flock to Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58, driving ticket prices to record highs. The cost of attending the game alone will run fans thousands of dollars. But the financial strain doesn't end there. Hotel and airfare prices are also hitting sky-high levels.

"This year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas will be historic,” Tim Hentschel, co-founder and CEO of HotelPlanner, told USA TODAY. “It’s projected to be the most viewed live event of the year, and the biggest revenue generator for the city. Las Vegas is now on the map as a premier sporting event destination, but Taylor Swift only deserves limited credit for increased viewers and attendance.”

Over the past decade, Las Vegas has invested billions into new sporting venues, hotels and more to become “bigger and better every single month, every single year, especially as host to large events, such as the recent Formula 1 race, which hit record room rates,” he continued. “The only other place on Earth that can potentially rival Vegas is Dubai.”

Here’s how much attending the game in Las Vegas will cost football fans:

Super Bowl locations: Past and future cities, venues for NFL championship game

What are the hotel rates in Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58?

Travelers to Las Vegas during the Super Bowl weekend of Feb. 11 and 12 should expect to pay a premium of 2.5 times the average hotel rate, or $391 per night, according to travel platform Hopper. The weekend right before the big game will cost an average nightly rate of $161.

Global hotel search platform trivago found the average hotel price in Vegas over the big game weekend to be $266, or 34% higher than the average rate for the same dates in 2023.

With the high demand for Vegas hotel rooms during the Super Bowl, Hentschel suggested people prepay for their rooms rather than pay upon arrival and ask for early check-in to secure their rooms. “For a very high-demand event like the Super Bowl, booking a prepaid room and checking in early is smart because you’re less likely to get bumped if the hotel is over capacity,” he said.

Consider staying off the Las Vegas Strip for potentially lower rates, according to trivago’s CEO Johanne Thomas. These hotels usually offer free shuttle services to the Strip, so travelers can still get in on the celebratory action.

How much do Super Bowl 58 tickets cost?

Super Bowl 58 is the most expensive Super Bowl ever, according to SeatGeek and TickPick. As of Tuesday afternoon, the cheapest ticket on the events marketplace was $8,100 including fees – and this will be for a far-away seat in the 300 sections on the endzone sides and the corners of the 400 level.

For a better seat, the average price is ranging from $10,575 to $12,082 per ticket on secondary markets.

Why the ultra-high price tag? Blame Sin City.

“The reason the prices are maybe higher than normal and demand is higher than normal, frankly, has a lot to do with the location of the game," Chris Leyden, director of growth marketing at SeatGeek, told USA TODAY Sports.

Special direct flight options to the Super Bowl 58

To help transport fans from their home bases to the Super Bowl, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are offering special nonstop service from the San Francisco area and Kansas City to Vegas just for the big game.

Neither American nor United typically fly direct between Kansas City and Las Vegas, but for Super Bowl weekend, American will offer:

◾ Flight AA 1989, a nod to Swift’s hit album (also the year Swift and Kelce were born).

◾ Flight AA 87, Travis Kelce’s jersey number.

◾ Flight AA 15, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ jersey number.

◾ Flight AA 1521, Mahomes' and safety Mike Edwards’ jersey numbers.

United will offer:

◾ Flight UA 1989, another nod to Swift’s album Flight UA 2287, in honor of Swift’s hit song ‘22’ and Kelce’s jersey number.

◾ Flight UA 1587, Mahomes' and Kelce’s jersey numbers Delta will also offer special, nonstop flights between Kansas City International Airport and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport.

For 49ers fans, American, which typically doesn’t fly nonstop between San Francisco International Airport and Harry Reid International Airport, will offer:

◾ Flight AA 85, tight end George Kittle’s jersey number.

◾ Flight AA 262 for quarterback Brock Purdy, the 262nd pick in the NFL draft.

United will offer:

◾ Flight UA 1995 for the last year the 49ers won the Super Bowl.

◾ Flight UA 1849, in honor of the San Francisco Gold Rush.

49er fans based just outside San Francisco can hop on one of the Delta and United direct flights between San Jose Mineta International Airport and Las Vegas – which are normally unavailable.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Surging hotel rates in Las Vegas for Super Bowl 2024