- The Super Bowl is expected to provide a huge boost to Las Vegas's economy.
- But surging hotel prices could cause many visitors to look beyond the Strip and to nearby cities.
Las Vegas may be the center of the football world this week but Boulder City, Nevada, roughly 30 miles away from the Vegas Strip, expects to get in on some of the action.
On February 11, the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium, which is located right off of the Vegas Strip. Up to 450,000 people are expected to be in Vegas by Super Bowl weekend, and this influx of people has caused the city's hotel prices to surge. According to Priceline information provided to Business Insider, the average cost for a hotel room between February 9 and February 11 is $376 a night in Las Vegas, over 70% higher than a year ago.
This dramatic increase in price has made Boulder City — a Vegas suburb with roughly 15,000 residents that is perhaps best known as the home to the Hoover Dam — an attractive option for some fans. The average hotel stay in Boulder City between February 9 to February 11 is $110 per night, according to Priceline information provided to BI.
When big events come to town, whether it be the Super Bowl or Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, cities tend to get an economic boost. The Formula 1 race Vegas hosted last November reportedly pumped over $1 billion into the area's economy, something the Super Bowl is expected to replicate. These economic impacts don't stop at cities' boundaries: surrounding areas like Boulder City could see an uptick in visitors and spending as well.
"Boulder City is a great option for Super Bowl attendees looking to save money on accommodations and avoid the crowds," Christina Bennett, consumer travel expert at Priceline, said in a written statement to BI.
Rob Loredo, general manager of the Best Western in Boulder City, told BI the majority of the hotel is booked for Super Bowl weekend but there are still rooms available. The average rate for a room is about double the usual average weekend rate of around $200, Loredo said.
Loredo said a lot of the hotel's reservations appear to be for people visiting from out of town, but that it's unlikely all of them are booking for the Super Bowl.
"We need the rates to stay high," Loredo said of the Strip's accommodation prices. "And then people will start looking to stay elsewhere."
By looking back at Formula 1, Boulder City is getting ready for the Super Bowl
When Las Vegas hosted a Formula 1 race last fall, Boulder City saw an uptick in visitors, Raffi Festekjian, Boulder City's economic development coordinator, told BI via email. He expects a similar — if not bigger impact — during Super Bowl week.
"We anticipate this will be Las Vegas's biggest event ever, thus we would hope Boulder City benefits as well," he said.
To prepare for these visitors, Festekjian said the city is updating signage and putting QR code stickers on storefronts so tourists can easily find places to eat and shop.
Some wealthy fans may not be staying in Boulder City — but flying into the city's airport. Strained capacity at larger airports could make Boulder City Municipal Airport a necessary — and less expensive — option for some fliers arriving in private aircrafts. An individual familiar with the airport's operations told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a late January story that the airport's bookings around Super Bowl weekend were almost full to capacity.
Hosting the fans who do stay in Boulder City requires some extra planning from local entrepreneurs, Todd Cook, owner of Boulder Dam Brewing Company, told BI. Cook said the brewery tends to get busier whenever something major is happening in Vegas.
"As with other busy weekends, we will schedule more staff and order additional products to ensure our guests have the best experience," he said.
While Loredo said there are plans to have more staff on hand, exactly how much the hotel benefits from the big game remains to be seen because this is the first time Las Vegas has hosted a Super Bowl.
"F1, we thought we were going to be a lot busier and it turned out it wasn't as busy as we thought," Loredo said. "So we're hoping it's not going to be the same scenario."