Looking for a hotel in Canada for an upcoming Taylor Swift show? Be prepared to pay perhaps 10 times the normal price.
MSN.com reports there has been “a truly horrific surge” in hotel prices in Toronto and Vancouver when Swift is in town for her concerts. The Canadian leg of her tour kicked off last week in Toronto with three shows at Rogers Centre stadium. She has three more, starting tonight and then again Friday and Saturday night.
After taking time off for U.S. Thanksgiving, and probably some Kansas City Chiefs (boo!) football, she’ll be in Vancouver Dec. 6 to 8 for three more shows.
The so-called “Taylor Swift Effect” has been great for so many cities and businesses (Toronto is expecting a nearly $400 million impact), but it’s showing the ugly side of these Canadian hotels, MSN said.
Just for fun, I went onto Expedia.ca today (Nov. 21) to see what I could find. For a room at The Four Seasons in Toronto tomorrow night (Nov. 22), you’re looking at $2,216 including taxes and fees. The 1Hotel? How about $2,906 with fees and taxes? On the other hand the Hampton Inn and Suites in downtown Toronto is a relative bargain at $490, all in.
(Here’s a recent story I posted on great things for Swifties to see and do in Toronto.)
For our American friends, I’m happy to report that the Canadian dollar is worth a lot less than the U.S. greenback. The $2,906 figure for 1Hotel is a mere $2,084 USD, while the Hampton Inn $490 CAD rate works out to $351.
For Vancouver on Dec. 6, opening night for Swift, the Georgian Court Hotel is asking $3,379 (but, hey, taxes and fees are included!). The Hyatt Regency is only seeking $2,534 (all in); a relative bargain. But if you don’t mind staying out near the airport in Richmond, you can get a room at the Travelodge by Wyndham Vancouver Airport for just (ahem) $836, taxes and fees included. It’s got a pool, a gym and a hot tub, and it’s pet friendly.
Those are expensive, but MSN said Swift recently stayed at the renowned Hotel De Crillon in Paris, where rooms go from $4,600 USD to $21,000 USD per night.
CTV News has reported) on Vancouver condo owners seeking as much as $10,000 for a five-night stay centred around Swift’s shows on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.
At least one group visiting the city that weekend had to find alternative accommodations for a higher price after their VRBO host demanded that they cancel their reservation. They told CTV News they think the host realized she could get more money than what she had agreed to accept because of the Eras Tour demand.
Here’s a look at a story I did a several years ago on great things to see and do in Vancouver.
Of course, finding a hotel is just part of the problem for Swift fans. Ticket prices are a whole separate kettle of very expensive fish.
The CBC says the cheapest resale tickets it has seen for a Swift show in Toronto is around $2,000 for a restricted view, standing room only spot. Tickets with a seat — though still with an obstructed or limited view — will run fans closer to $2,800 CAD.
Salaries were a lot smaller in those days, but, just for comparison, you could buy a ticket to see The Beatles at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in 1964 for $5.50. That works out to about $50 in today’s money.
And people say concerts have become too expensive.
