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The national average, and where it is heading
The hotel industry measures price as ADR, or average daily rate: the average amount paid per occupied room per night. It is the best single answer to “what does a hotel room cost?”
| Period | US average per night | Change vs a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Full year 2025 | $160.54 | +0.9% |
| Week of Jul 12-18, 2026 | $174.49 | +5.2% |
| Week of Sep 13-19, 2026 | $179.30 (record) | +5.7% |
Sources: CoStar full-year 2025 data via Hospitality Net; CoStar, Jul 2026; CoStar via LODGING Magazine, Sep 2026.
Prices are rising faster in 2026 than they did in 2025. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the price index for hotels and motels rose 4.3% from September 2025 to September 2026. Applied to the 2025 average, that points to roughly $167 a night (our calculation: $160.54 x 1.043), though summer and big-event weeks run higher.
Keep in mind that ADR is what hotels collect for the room. Your final bill can be higher once local taxes and any fees are added.
Hotel cost by class
Hotel “chain scale” is the industry’s way of grouping hotels by price and service, from economy motels to luxury resorts.
| Hotel class | 2025 average | 2026 forecast | 3 nights (2026)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury | $425.74 | $444.55 | $1,334 |
| Upper upscale | $228.35 | $233.08 | $699 |
| Upscale | $164.08 | $167.12 | $501 |
| Upper midscale | $134.01 | $136.34 | $409 |
| Midscale | $96.64 | $97.73 | $293 |
| Economy | $70.66 | $70.59 | $212 |
Source: PwC, 2026 US Hospitality Directions, May 2026. *Three-night totals are our calculation, before taxes and fees.
Growth is uneven too. PwC expects luxury rates to rise about 4.4% in 2026 while economy rates stay flat, slipping from $70.66 to $70.59 (our calculation of the luxury change: $444.55 versus $425.74). In other words, the gap between budget and luxury hotels keeps widening.
The spread is wide: a luxury room costs about six times as much as an economy room (our calculation). Upper midscale hotels, a class that includes many familiar mid-priced brands, sit below the national average at about $136.
Hotel cost by city
Where you stay matters as much as the type of hotel. In CoStar’s 2025 full-year data for the top 25 markets:
| Market | 2025 average per night | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | $333.71 | +4.7% |
| San Francisco | $225.82 | +6.0% |
| Las Vegas | $199.79 | -4.3% |
| US average | $160.54 | +0.9% |
Source: CoStar full-year 2025 data via Hospitality Net.
Big events push prices far above these averages. In the week of July 12-18, 2026, New York’s average hit $425.03, up 41.5%, and Miami’s rose 26.7% to $212.74. In mid-September 2026, Chicago’s average jumped 28.2% to $257.66 during a large trade show, per CoStar data reported by LODGING Magazine.
How 2026 compares with a year ago
Rates in fall 2025 were already close to today’s levels, but growth was slow. In the week of October 12-18, 2025, the US average was $173.14, up just 1.7% from the year before, while occupancy fell 2.4%, per CoStar data reported by Hotel Online. By September 2026, weekly rates were growing 5.7% and occupancy 4.4%.
Price swings by city can be dramatic from one year to the next. That same October 2025 week, San Francisco’s average jumped 68.1% to $368.79, while Miami’s fell 27.2% to $178.62.
Budgeting a hotel stay
To estimate your own trip, multiply the nightly rate for the type of hotel you want by the number of nights, then add a cushion for taxes and fees.
| Trip | Hotel class | Nights | Room cost* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend getaway | Upscale | 2 | $334 |
| Family road trip | Upper midscale | 4 | $545 |
| Budget road trip | Economy | 4 | $282 |
| Big-city week | Upper upscale | 7 | $1,632 |
Our calculation, using PwC’s 2026 average rate forecasts by hotel class, May 2026. *Before taxes and fees, and city rates can be much higher.
The broader lodging index, which also covers other places to stay away from home, rose 4.4% over the year to September 2026, per the BLS, so book with a little room in your budget.
What drives the price
- Dates. Weekly averages swing with the season. The record September 2026 week was about $19 above the 2025 yearly average (our calculation).
- Events. Conventions, sports and concerts can lift a city’s rates by a quarter or more for a week, as the New York, Miami and Chicago figures show.
- Demand. US occupancy averaged 62.3% in 2025, per CoStar. Rates tend to climb where rooms fill up, such as Washington, D.C., which hit 82.3% occupancy in one September 2026 week.
- Fees. Resort, destination and parking fees can add to the bill. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC requires hotels to show mandatory fees in the total price they advertise, so compare totals rather than base rates.
How to pay less
- Compare the total price. Thanks to the FTC rule, the all-in price with mandatory fees should be the most prominent number. Use it to compare hotels.
- Avoid event weeks. Check a city’s convention or sports calendar before you book, since one event can lift rates sharply.
- Drop one hotel class. Moving from upscale to upper midscale saves about $31 a night on 2026 forecasts, or $92 over three nights (our calculation).
- Consider the whole trip. On a longer vacation, a cruise bundles lodging, food and travel between stops, and for a drive, our road trip cost calculator helps you budget gas and nights on the road together.
Planning something special? See what couples spend in our honeymoon cost guide.
See how we research every number on our method page, or browse more travel costs.
Common questions
What is the average price of a hotel room in the US?
CoStar's full-year figure for 2025 is $160.54 a night, up 0.9% from 2024. In 2026, weekly averages have run higher, at $174.49 in mid-July and a record $179.30 in mid-September.
How much is a luxury hotel per night?
PwC's May 2026 outlook puts the average luxury hotel rate at $425.74 in 2025 and forecasts $444.55 for 2026. Upper upscale hotels average about $228 to $233.
Which US city has the most expensive hotels?
New York City led the top 25 markets in 2025 at an average of $333.71 a night, per CoStar. In one July 2026 week, its average reached $425.03.
Do hotels have to show resort fees up front?
Yes. Under the FTC rule on unfair or deceptive fees, which took effect May 12, 2025, hotels must include mandatory fees such as resort fees in the total price they advertise. The rule does not cap or ban the fees themselves.
Sources
Every number above comes from these pages. We list the date each page showed when we checked it.
- Hospitality Net, U.S. hotels report first full-year occupancy, RevPAR declines since 2020 (CoStar data)
- LODGING Magazine, CoStar U.S. Hotel Industry Reports Positive Year-Over-Year Comparisons
- CoStar, U.S. hotel results for week ending 18 July
- Hotel Online, U.S. Hotel Results for Week Ending 18 October (CoStar data)
- PwC, 2026 US Hospitality Directions Outlook Tables
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Detailed Table 2
- Federal Trade Commission, Rule Banning Junk Ticket and Hotel Fees
Estimates are for general information only. Get written quotes from licensed local pros before you decide.
Parastoo Parsa is a budget strategist with a background in tourism strategy and cultural heritage. At DollarMap she researches and writes our guides on family life, pets, travel and big celebrations like weddings, turning published prices into budgets you can actually plan with.
“An organized life starts with an organized budget.”
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