Ask the Travel Shrink: What the F Has Happened to Hotel Prices?!

You’re not crazy. The hotel market has fundamentally shifted. Upwards.

If you feel sticker shock when booking a hotel lately, you’re not alone. There are many reasons hotels have gotten really expensive, especially in Europe. 

Spoiler alerts:

• the unexpected fees travelers don’t see

• the trouble with traveling for the trophy

• the death of the $250 hotel room

• this could be good for last-minute planners (the silver lining bonus!)

But first, time is running out on our special offer for annual subscribers: We’re giving away our new 3-Day Itineraries for Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast as a special thank you. The guides go on sale soon for $100, but we will send you all four guides as a FREE GIFT when you upgrade to an *annual subscription* (just $80 for a whole year).

The Tuscan landscape that launched a billion likes. Photo by Jarek Pawlak / courtesy of La Bandita Townhouse.

Dear Travel Shrink: I like to think of myself as an experienced and savvy traveler. But while I was recently planning a trip to Europe, I noticed something weird and a little upsetting: I cannot find a good boutique hotel for less than $500 a night. What the fuck has happened to hotel prices?