Report: Idaho Falls Hotel Rates Among Most Expensive In Nation

Research released by Hotels.com shows Idaho Falls as having the 10th highest hotel rates.

The most expensive hotels can be found in New York City at $190 per night. The average rate for a hotel room in 2010 in Idaho Falls was $135 per night. In 2011, prices jumped to $137 per night…an increase of one percent.

“I think rates are based on demand sometimes, just like any other commodity out there,” said Jeff Johnson, general manager of Fairfield Inn & Suites.

Hotel managers say that rates have been slowly increasing for the past ten years, to match the area’s economic growth.”

Slideshow: See what other cities made the list.

Johnson says hotel reservations typically increase after Memorial Day when tourists come to the area to visit places like Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park.

“Any hotels that have the same amenities and can offer the same things, those prices kind of stay consistent. So as the demand generates it and people keep on paying it, those prices will get higher and higher,” said Johnson.

For those of you wondering, Idaho Falls wasn’t the only city to increase rates. In fact, 68 percent of U.S. cities showed an increase in prices in 2011, according to the Hotel Price Index.

Honolulu, Anchorage and New Orleans all rank higher than Idaho Falls, while cities such as San Francisco, Seattle and Myrtle Beach rank a little lower.

On the other end of the spectrum, the city with the lowest hotel rates is Glendive, Mont., at $65 per night.