The most expensive summer destinations in the Midwest

Updated: July 12, 2017

Traverse City, situated along the shores of Northern Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, has earned the title of the Midwest’s most expensive summer destination. A recent survey conducted by ChicagoHotels.org crowned it with this distinction.

In coming up with the rankings, the survey compared all Midwestern destinations. The average minimum price an overnight guest will have to spend to stay overnight in each destination’s cheapest available double room served as the basis of comparison. The survey focused on the summer months of July and August 2017 and excluded those hotels and inns that do not have a central location or that are rated less than 3 stars.

An average nightly rate of $221 for its least expensive room puts Traverse City in the survey’s number one position. Coming in at number two is the resort city of Lake Geneva, Wisc. at a cost of $207 per night. Rounding out the Top 3 is another Michigan destination, Marquette, with an overnight rate of $194.

South Dakota's most expensive destination is Deadwood, ranking eighth most expensive overall in the Midwest. An average of $174 per night puts it in the Top 10. A couple of dollars more expensive is Chicago, which takes the seventh position on the survey.

The following table shows the 20 most expensive summer destinations in the Midwest. The prices shown reflect the average rate for each destination's cheapest available double room for the time period spanning July 1st to August 30th, 2017.

1. Traverse City, MI $221
2. Lake Geneva, WI $207
3. Marquette, MI $194
4. Ann Arbor, MI $192
5. South Haven, MI $184
6. Madison, WI $182
7. Chicago, IL $176
8. Deadwood, SD $174
9. Des Moines, IA $173
10. Detroit Lakes, MN $172

11. Cleveland, OH $168
12. Rapid City, SD $164
13. Grand Rapids, MI $164
14. Port Clinton, OH $163
15. Duluth, MN $162
16. Mackinaw City $161
17. Detroit, MI $161
18. Lansing, MI $150
19. Kansas City, MO $149
20. Saint Ignace, MI $147

About the Survey

The survey considered all destinations in the Midwestern United States that boast a minimum of 10 hotels/inns. Only well-located hotels rated at least 3 stars were considered. For each destination, the price for the cheapest available double room was established for the following time periods: July 6–9, July 13–16, July 20–23, July 27–30, August 3–6, August 10–13, August 17–20 and August 24–27.

An average nightly rate was then established for the two-month period, resulting in the Top 20 most expensive destinations. Rates were established in mid-June based on research conducted on the hotel comparison website Kayak.