Harding, Larmore Kutcher & Kozal, LLP
When one lives in a city as breathtakingly beautiful and unique as Santa Monica, inevitably that city will be shared with visitors.
By Daniel Larios
Staff Writer
June 18, 2014 –Santa Monica is the most expensive city to stay in a hotel in California, according to a released Tuesday by CheapHotels.org.
The beachside city topped the list with an average rate of $213 per night for the least expensive double room, significantly more expensive that the runners up – Calistoga, a small Napa Valley city, and Santa Catalina Island.
Both Calistoga and Santa Catalina Island’s most affordable rooms had average rates of about $184 and $178 per night, respectively.
Santa Monica was a far more expensive destination to spend the night than two of the state’s most populous cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Both cities ranked in the middle of the survey, with average rates of $109 for LA and $103 for San Francisco.
San Diego, California’s second most populous city, was a bargain by comparison, with the average room going for $82 a night.
According to CheapHotels.org. the most affordable California destination is Sacramento, where the least expensive double room will cost visiting summer travelers an average of around $43 per night.
The full list of rankings are as follows:
- Santa Monica $213
- Calistoga $184
- Catalina Island $178
- Laguna Beach $154
- Coronado $148
- Napa $139
- Mendocino $136
- Pacific Grove $134
- Carmel $131
- Santa Barbara $129
- Pismo Beach $121
- Los Angeles $109
- San Jose $104
- Long Beach $103
- San Franciso $103
- Santa Cruz $94
- San Clemente $93
- Carlsbad $87
- Monterey $82
- San Diego $82
- Oceanside $78
- Morro Bay $74
- Bishop $72
- Anaheim $69
- Desert Hot Springs $67
- Eureka $68
- South Lake Tahoe $54
- Fresno $58
- Palm Springs $46
- Sacramento $43
The survey compared hotel rates in the top 30 California destinations during the summer months. It determined the average amount hotel guests would have to spend to stay in the least expensive available double room in each of the 30 locations, according to CheapHotels.org.
The data was collected during California’s high tourist season, which starts on Memorial Day, which marks the start of the summer season, and ends on Labor Day, when most children head back to school.
The survey only looked at hotels with ratings of at least two stars located either near the downtown or close to the beach – areas where large numbers of tourists and visitors would are most likely visit and stay.
