EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, June 13 (Reuters) – Days before the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there was no outward sign that this desolate, trash-strewn parking lot in New Jersey would soon become one of the priciest stretches of asphalt in the tri-state area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The newly refurbished World \u200cof Blue hotel will charge soccer fans $450 to park here on the night of the tournament final, to be held across the highway at MetLife Stadium, \u200cwhich will host eight matches in total over the next five weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Booking a room for the final on July 19 will cost you around $2,300, according to World of Blue’s website, or about seven times what you would \u200bpay a month later. But it does come with a discounted parking spot \u2014 for $383.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This expanse of warehouses and wetlands between New York City and Philadelphia is generally a place you pass through on the way to somewhere else \u2014 like Tony Soprano in the opening credits of “The Sopranos” \u2014 or where you stay when you can’t afford a place in Manhattan. But its proximity to MetLife had local hoteliers banking on a surge in World Cup bookings, and pricing rooms accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, however, demand appears to be lagging. Occupancy at World of Blue, which spent some $100 million \u200cto remake itself into a luxury destination ahead of the \u2060games, ranged from 8% to 30% for group stage games, according to front desk agent Alexandra Sanchez. Only 4% of rooms were booked for the final and just a single parking spot had been reserved as of Monday, she told Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was the latest indication that the \u2060expected rush of soccer fans to host cities in the United States has yet to fully materialize, which industry analysts and travel agents attribute to a combination of factors, including astronomical ticket prices and soaring airfare costs. Then there’s the lack of affordable lodging options, even in places that usually cater to budget-conscious travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A room at a two-star Super 8 motel on the side of a \u200bfour-lane \u200broad goes for around $500 on the night of the final match; at Extended Stay America, an economy \u200bapartment hotel chain, the latest figure was over $900.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both places have already begun \u200cdropping room rates for group stage matches, according to a Reuters review of their websites, while higher-end hotels have kept rates elevated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
None of the hotels in this story responded to Reuters requests for comment about rates and customer demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT’<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Chris Andraka, 36, the director of operations at a manufacturing company, learned that his regular hotel, Marriott’s SpringHill Suites, jacked up nightly rates from around $300 to $5,300 in the third week of July, he changed his plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m not gonna work that week,” he said as he got into his car. Would he recommend the hotel to World Cup fans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There’s a pool, there’s a small gym room, free breakfast \u2014 nothing to write home about,” Andraka said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond the amenities, being close to \u200cthe stadium, which FIFA regulations required to be debranded to New York New Jersey Stadium from MetLife \u200bfor the tournament, only gets you so far. Guests who shell out for a parking spot will still \u200bneed to take a shuttle or rideshare service to the matches. Making the \u200bjourney on foot is highly discouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It is illegal and dangerous to walk on the roadways surrounding the stadium,” read a sign at the reception \u200cdesk of Extended Stay, embossed with a New Jersey police logo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Illegal” and “dangerous” \u200bwere bolded and underlined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many fans will likely opt \u200bto stay in New York City, where they can enjoy the city’s nightlife and restaurant scene in between treks to New Jersey. Even there, though, the crowds may fall short of expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As of June 1, 28% of hotel rooms in New York City were booked for the night of the final on July 19, \u200bversus 40% for the same date a year earlier, according to \u200cdata from the CoStar analytics firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jan Freitag, director of U.S. hospitality at CoStar, said there was still time for a turnaround.<\/p>\n\n\n\n