Sky-high stays: Survey names ABQ hotels 5th most expensive destination in October

A survey from Cheaphotels.com, a budget hotel booking site, ranked Albuquerque as the fifth most expensive city to book a hotel in during the month of October.

The survey compared hotel rates across 50 destinations based on the average cost of the cheapest available three-star double room between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, a news release said.

“With the average price of $303 for the most affordable double room, Boston emerged as the most expensive city for the third year running,” the release said.

At $288 and $257 respectively, New York and Austin took second and third.

Fourth place went to Cleveland at the average cost of $257.

Albuquerque's average of $233 put it in fifth place.

October is a special month for the city, as spectators from all over the world come for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

This past October, a record-setting 968,516 guests from across the world came to Albuquerque to celebrate the art of ballooning at the 51st annual fiesta.

Hotel occupancy saw 96.3% of rooms in the area filled on Oct. 13, the day before the solar eclipse, which was the busiest day of the fiesta.

If Balloon Fiesta has always been on your bucket list, now is a good time to start discussing a trip with friends and family.

The 2024 event will kick off Oct. 5 and run through Oct. 13 in 2024.

In addition to the hotels, the Fiesta offers visitors has spots for RV reservations, campsites and glamping. Glamping gives attendees a high-end camping experience by providing beds with linens and pillows, premium parking, full access to all ballooning events during the stay and amenities such as a heater and refrigerator. It also provides a power for electrical devices, an electric blanket and a lamp.

Registration for RV spots opens in January, and the camping ang glamping sites will begin accepting bookings in April.

For information about the 2024 event, visit balloonfiesta.com.

These are the Journal's 100 favorite photos from 2023 Balloon Fiesta