Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably read about the total solar eclipse, which is set to darken a large swath of United States on August 21st.
For those who are unfamiliar with this natural phenomenon, a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks out the sun, turning day into night within a couple of seconds.
I actually had the pleasure of witnessing my first solar eclipse last year in Palu, a remote city in Indonesia, which you can read about here.
Due to the fact that this is the first total solar eclipse to darken the United States in 38 years, demand for hotel rooms is through the roof, with accommodation rates soaring to unheard levels.
A quick glance at the few remaining hotels with occupancy shows rates starting around $500+, with a few rates climbing to over $1000. Enterprising homeowners have also gotten in on the action, renting out houses for as much as $5000 a night.
AirBNB prices in Casper, Wyoming
Fortunately, even when cash rates for hotels become sky high, there’s always the possibility of using your award points instead.
I was recently able to grab the last room at a Days Inn directly under the eclipse path for a mere 3,000 Wyndham points + $65 using a Go Fast award.
The retail price was a mind boggling $1550 a night, which meant I received an incredible value of 50 cents per point, a new personal record!
Typically for award nights I’d aim for at least 2-3 cent per point, so needless to say, I got my money’s worth on this redemption.
If you’re a late planner and don’t want to give your first born as payment, there are still a few select areas where hotel rates are more reasonable.
Using primarily the hotel search feature on Google maps, I systematically went through the entire solar eclipse path, from Oregon to South Carolina, taking note of any hotels with interesting points redemptions or reasonable cash rates.
For those in the west coast, you’re going to be limited to staying in Portland, which is slightly outside the eclipse path. However, Salem is only an hour drive down the interstate.
Currently there are two Hilton hotels with available award space, starting at 40,000 HHonors points.
If you’re planning on heading to Rocky Mountains and Grand Teton national park, award space is nonexistent, except for a lone Super 8 in Dubois, which still has rooms available for 15,000 Wyndham points.
Grand Teton National Park
The retail price is $1505, which is probably the only time you’ll ever see a super 8 cost over a thousand dollars!
Moving eastward, there is no hotel award space available until you reach Kansas City.
If you’re looking for a place with reasonable hotel cash rates, Kansas City is the best place to find it, with numerous hotels going for around $100-200 a night.
Over 80 hotels under $150 available on Eclipse Eve
For those using points, the Hyatt Place Kansas City / Overland park is available for $111 a night or a mere 5000 Hyatt Points a night, a fantastic value!
I would almost call Kansas City the “eclipse oasis” as it’s pretty much the only city on the Eclipse path where supply is outstripping demand. If you’re on a budget crunch, book your accommodation here.
There are also a decent amount of properties in St. Louis with available award space, including a Hyatt Regency, which can be booked for 8000 points a night.
If you’re looking to splurge, there’s also a Ritz Carlton which can booked for 40,000 Marriott points or a mere 13,333 SPG points.
There are is also a Hilton and even a Renaissance that can be booked for 10,000 points a night.
There are significantly more non-stop flights to St Louis, so if you can’t find affordable air fare to Kansas City, this would be my second choice.
After St Louis, you’ll find there’s pretty much zero award space on the east coast, except in Nashville, where a plethora of concerts will be held on Eclipse day, including one featuring Darius Rucker!
There are a few Marriott’s properties in Nashville that have limited award space available, including the Gaylord Opyrland Resort, which can be had for 35,000 Marriott points.
Retail price is $626 USD night so this is a pretty good use of Marriott Points to witness the Solar Eclipse in the country music capital.
Bottom Line: If you’re looking to book a last minute trip to see the solar eclipse fly either to Kansas City or St Louis. Award space is pretty slim outside those two major metropolitan areas with the exception of Nashville. If you’re looking to visit the Yellowstone & Grand Teton area, that Super 8 award redemption in Dubois is your best bet.
