PUNXSUTAWNEY - The small town of Punxsutawney will fill with tourists from all over for Groundhog Day Thursday.
But not only does the population surge for the holiday, so do rates at local hotels.
According to online reservations, a room at the Cobblestone Inn & Suits in Punxsutawney will cost nearly $400 on Wednesday and Thursday, compared with normally costing around $115.
"We are booked, every room in the hotel is sold," Cobblestone partner Tom Frantz said. "We have 36 rooms and suites and they're all sold, so we are very fortunate to offer the service to the community and the people coming to visit."
The owner of the Country Villa Motel in Punxsutawney said normally his rooms cost $80 per night, but double for Groundhog Day.
"Obviously at any resort area, you increase your rates for the big events and Cobblestone is no different than most other hotels," Frantz said. "So we have increased the rates. We also have a two-night minimum to ensure that we have people here for the duration of both parts of the festival."
Another big even just days away is Super Bowl LI.
Online booking sites show the average one-night stay in Houston at popular hotels is about $175, over $200 cheaper.
Frantz said spring, summer and fall are the buys seasons for hotels.
"Winter in Pennsylvania is somewhat slow," Frantz said. "So Groundhog Day is a great event for Cobblestone because it enables us to rent a significant number of rooms for several days during the festivities."
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