Pensacola Beach is the Most Expensive Florida Beach Destination This Summer

Entrance to Pensacola Beach(Melani Rivera/Aloha Melani)

A Survey by Cheaphotels.com Revealed Pensacola Beach is the Priciest Beach Destination in the Sunshine State for Hotel Stays This Year

Pensacola Beach, which happens to be the whitest sand beach in the United States is finally banking on its sugar-sand beauty.

At an average rate of $295 per night for the cheapest double room, Pensacola Beach came out to be the most expensive accommodation compared to 40 destinations for accommodation in Florida this summer. Source: CheapHotels.org

Pensacola is the first Floridian city your reach coming from the West and is said to be America's first settlement. Folks from Alabama and Mississippi who share the Gulf beaches have been aware and patron Pensacola Beach every year.

Arial View of Pensacola Beach, Florida(Joe Ciciarelli/Unsplash)

Pensacola Beach is a barrier island stretching miles along the Gulf of Mexico. It's almost a hidden gem that is only discoverable by military personnel and their families training or stationed at Pensacola NAS. Every year more and more people have been flocking to Pensacola Beach and it has become one of the most popular beaches in Florida.

The pandemic may have caused the price hike at Pensacola Beach. In 2021 after pandemic fatigue more families who never traveled before started traveling, especially by car. Source: TRIP

The Pensacola Bay Bridge as viewed from Naval Live Oaks Preserve(Skye Marthaler/Wikipedia Commons)

Pensacola is the quickest Florida destination to get to via I-10 East by car, and the reopening of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in 2022 that leads to Pensacola Beach gave Pensacola a 20% increase in visitors from January to March of 2022 in comparison to 2021. Source: Pensacola News Journal

Ranking

Pensacola Beach outranked all 40 popular beach destinations in Florida for expensive lodging. Surprisingly, once one of the most expesive beaches Miami Beach, is now the least expensive destination in Florida this summer, where a rooms are available from around $100 per night.

All 40 destinations, their rank, and thier rates shown below reflect the average price for each destination’s cheapest available double room for the period spanning July 1 to August 31, 2022.

1. Pensacola Beach $295

2. Fort Walton Beach $258

3. Anna Maria Island $245

4. Miramar Beach $240

5. Destin $234

6. Cocoa Beach $226

7. Panama City Beach $221

8. Islamorada $215

9. Palm Beach $211

10. Key Largo $210

11. Jacksonville Beach $195

12. Siesta Key $195

13. New Smyrna Beach $188

14. Sanibel $186

15. Key West $185

16. St Pete Beach $185

17. Clearwater Beach $180

18. Marathon $180

19. Pompano Beach $175

20. Naples $165

21. Madeira Beach $164

22. Fernandina Beach $151

23. Fort Myers Beach $147

24. Miami $145

25. Jacksonville $142

26. Tampa $136

27. Delray Beach $136

28. Gainesville $135

29. West Palm Beach $131

30. Lakeland $129

31. Saint Petersburg $127

32. Daytona Beach $127

33. St. Augustine $124

34. Fort Lauderdale $121

35. Orlando $120

36. Mount Dora $118

37. Tallahassee $112

38. Hollywood $111

39. Port St. Lucie $110

40. Miami Beach $104

Only hotels situated near to a beach or in the city/town centre, and with 3 stars or more, were considered for the survey results by Cheaphotels.com.

Hotel Alternatives - Short Term Retals

Supply and demad is what is causing the increase in hotel costs in Pensacola Beach and Pensacola in gerneral. As a result of high demand for lodging, short-term rentals in the Greater Pensacola area have increased in 2022 as well. In March 2022 there were 5,909 short-term rentals listed on sites Airbnb and VRBO, an increase of 900 from last year. Source: Pensacola News Journal

Mel and Mel of Convey Concepts took advantage of the lack of hotels available in Pensacola during the past two Summers.

"We listed our first home on July 1, 2021 and was booked solid within the first hour the Airbnb listing went live. This year we had 2 homes by May of 2022 and both homes were booked solid in both June and July." ~ Mel & Mel Rivera, Convey Concepts - Airbnb Superhosts

Mel and Mel host homes on Airbnb near Perdido Key, about 40 minutes from Pensacola Beach and are reaping the benefits of the Beach's popularity and the rising costs of hotels in Greater Pensacola.

Mel & Mel Rivera Airbnb Superhosts & Property Managers with Short-Term Rentals in Pensacola, Florida posing for a shot at Pensacola Beach(Melani Rivera/Aloha Melani)

Popular Central and South Florida destinations like, Orlando and Miami have always been Summer vacation hot spots. With beautiful beaches and ease of accecibililty by car North Florida hidden panhadle gems like, Pensacola are gaining in popularity.

Have you experienced Pensacola Beach or the surrounding Gulf Beaches?