Travelers to the Bay Area to Pay Approximately $380 per Night the First Weekend of February
TripAdvisor® announced its Top 10 spots in the greater San Francisco Bay area to save on hotels for the golden anniversary of the “Big Game.” Football fans headed there on February 6-7, 2016 can expect to pay $380 per night on average2, with some of the most affordable options available in Santa Cruz and Oakland. The study also highlights 10 popular, low-cost lodging spots near Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara as well as average airfares for fans flying out to experience all the football festivities.
“Football fans looking to score tickets or just get a piece of the action in San Francisco can still find a wide selection of reasonably-priced rooms available to book on TripAdvisor,” said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Bargain-hunting travelers can save up to 50 percent if they are willing to hike more than 20 miles from the stadium in spots such as Oakland or San Bruno compared to closer destinations like San Jose or Mountain View.”
The Big Game has driven prices up dramatically to almost triple the normal rate within 10 miles of the arena, particularly in the already pricey Silicon Valley area. This year’s rates are 38% more expensive than Phoenix area hotels were for the 2015 Big Game and almost double (83%) what hotel rates were near New York City for the Big Game in 2014.4
| Destination | Miles from Stadium | Hotel Average | |
| 1 | Santa Cruz | 30 | $273 |
| 2 | Oakland | 30 | $286 |
| 3 | Pleasanton | 20 | $319 |
| 4 | San Bruno | 29 | $366 |
| 5 | South San Francisco | 30 | $411 |
| 6 | Fremont | 7 | $434 |
| 7 | San Francisco | 36 | $479 |
| 8 | San Jose | 6 | $532 |
| 9 | Palo Alto | 10 | $533 |
| 10 | Mountain View | 6 | $580 |
Surrounding Areas for Super Savings
- With rooms booking for around $273 per night, the least expensive destination for travelers headed to the Big Game is the beach town of Santa Cruz, which is roughly 30 miles from the stadium.
- Oakland is the second least expensive location ($286 per night) but is also among the farthest destinations from the stadium included on the list (30 miles).
- Located approximately 20 miles from Levi’s Stadium, Pleasanton is the third most affordable destination, available for $319 per night on average.
Silicon Valley Convenient, but Pricey
- Cupertino, located about six miles from the stadium and best known as Apple’s headquarters, is the most expensive destination on the list, with rooms booking for more than $1,117 a night.
- With an average nightly cost of $783, Sunnyvale (three miles from the stadium) is the second priciest destination.
- Located 15 miles from the stadium, Redwood City has the third highest average nightly cost at $654.
Football fans can score lower hotel rates the farther away from the stadium they stay. Average nightly hotel rates for the Big Game weekend:
- 0-10 miles: $562
- 11-25 miles: $423
- 26-50 miles: $345
Travelers looking to save money should also consider where and when they fly into the area. With an average national roundtrip fare of $243, touching down in Oakland International Airport is the least expensive option for those traveling by air. Other nearby flight options include:
- Monterey Regional Airport – $299 avg. roundtrip rate
- San Francisco International Airport – $600 avg. roundtrip rate
- Mineta San Jose International Airport – $716 avg. roundtrip rate
