Some Mississauga hotels offering more affordable rates during Taylor Swift shows

With Taylor Swift set to play six shows at the Rogers Centre in Toronto this month, fans who haven’t booked accommodations yet–or those still hoping to snag tickets last minute–might want to look east or west for rooms that won’t break the bank (even if even those rooms are a little costlier than usual). 

“We do have a fairly good supply outside the downtown core,” Sara Anghel, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, tells INsauga.com. 

“There are about 9,000 hotel rooms outside downtown Toronto, and with supply and demand, prices will bear an increase during the concert times.” 

But while prices will be up at several major hotels in Toronto when Swift is in town (she’s slated to perform on Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23), a recent scan of room rates shows that some rooms in nearby Mississauga can be booked for much less.

An Oct. 31 search shows that luxury Toronto hotels are, not unexpectedly, charging more on some show nights. The Ritz Carlton, a five-star hotel in the downtown core, is charging up to $2,970 a night on Nov. 15. The Intercontinental Hotel, which is less than 10 minutes away from the venue, is also charging hefty rates, with a single king room costing $1,547 on Nov. 15. 

The Marriott Downtown, located near the Eaton Centre, will cost $1,100 a night on Nov. 15 and 16. The hotel, which sits in a prime location, is much more affordable on other nights, with room rates on Nov. 8 coming in at about $370 a night. 

While the aforementioned hotels tend to offer more luxurious accommodations, even more economical hotels are charging more during the concerts. The Holiday Inn Downtown Toronto Centre is charging less than $1,000, but rates for Nov. 15 are $839 and on Nov. 22, rooms cost $785 a night. 

While Mississauga also boasts some higher-end accommodations, a scan of rates during the concert dates shows a much different picture.

According to rates observed on Oct. 31, hotels near Pearson Airport–both in Toronto and Mississauga–are more affordable. On Nov. 15, rates at the Best Western Plus Toronto Airport Hotel are $339 and rooms at the Monte Carlo Inn Airport Suites can be booked for $240. 

Rooms at the Holiday Inn Mississauga Toronto West cost $291 and rooms at the Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto Mississauga West cost $272. At the Four Points by Sheraton Mississauga Meadowvale, rates start at $289 a night and rooms at the Marriott Toronto Mississauga/West can be rented for $329.

Even more costly hotels are still more affordable than some others in downtown Toronto. 

Rooms at the Alt Hotel Toronto Airport can be booked for $479 on Nov. 15 and the Waterside Inn, a boutique hotel in Port Credit that’s close to transit, shops, restaurants and the waterfront costs about $422 a night. 

At the Glenerin Inn, a tucked away hotel in the Dundas and Mississauga Road area that’s known for its spa and wedding facilities, a junior king room can be booked for $319 a night. 

While the high room rates are making headlines, hospitality experts say there are plenty of more affordable hotel rooms and Airbnb listings a little outside the city–or even just outside the downtown core. 

“We did an analysis of where Airbnbs are in Toronto and in a lot of the city, there are no hotels,” Matt McNama, senior communications manager at Airbnb, tells INsauga.com. 

“There’s Scarborough, Leslieville and Liberty Village, and they’ll see more of an economic boom from Taylor Swift. That’s where we’ll see a lot of the activity.” 

McNama said that while supply and demand will ultimately determine prices (which are set by individual Airbnb hosts), people who use the platform will be able to find a wide array of accommodations at various price points. 

He also says the platform has tools in place to help prevent gouging. 

“When an Airbnb host sets prices too high, we have tools that flag that, and the host will lower their fee,” he says.

He also says that people travelling from abroad or just from other parts of southern Ontario (he says that many bookings have come from people in Brampton, Mississauga and other GTA suburbs) can save by opting to book rooms rather than entire properties. 

“If you want something more budget-friendly, you can stay in someone’s home in a secondary suite, like a bedroom,” he says. 

With the concert just days away, accommodations are expected to become more scarce, especially since wait-listed fans might get one last chance to score tickets. 

“Airbnbs are more affordable outside the main core, where I think we’ll see a lot of people booking for Swift,” McNama says. 

When asked if he had seen an uptick in bookings in cities such as Brampton and Mississauga, McNama says that while those specifics aren’t available, he can confirm the platform saw a 100 per cent increase in searches in Toronto as a whole shortly after the tour dates were announced. 

An Airbnb representative also told INsauga.com that the suburbs remain a good place for visitors to find less costly accommodations–especially since large swaths of major cities can still be hotel deserts.

“New data from Airbnb shows that more than 50 per cent of Mississauga and Brampton are home to Airbnb listings in areas where there are no hotels,” the representative said in an email. 

“That means Airbnb hosts are often the only available option for local accommodations and drivers of local tourism in more than half of Brampton and Mississauga.” 

While McNama says he can’t say what the cheapest accommodations might charge, he suspects that visitors will find individual rooms in homes to be most affordable, with some places potentially renting for $100 a night or less.

“A lot of people with secondary suites like the company,” he says. 

“With the pandemic and working from home, loneliness is an issue. A Swift fan might want to open their home to other Swifties. This is a big opportunity for people on the outskirts of the city to become hosts. Hotels jumped on the bandwagon pretty quickly, and we saw prices skyrocket. Potential hosts on Airbnb might not have thought that far ahead.” 

As for hotels, Anghel says that suburban hotels are good choices because many are close to transit hubs that make travel to Toronto easier.

“You can take the Union Pearson Express or the GO Train,” she says, adding that transit is good since “traffic might be wild.” 

Recently, the Toronto Transit Commission said that there were no subway closures planned during the events and that there would be extra service on subway lines 1 and 2 in the hours before and after Swift’s showtimes. The transit agency also said it is planning on more streetcars and buses for some routes, including the 509 Harbourfront and the 510D Spadina.

Metrolinx, which operates the UP Express and GO Transit, said it will have additional staff and signage at Union Station to guide fans to the concerts.

As for what hotels are doing to entice Swifties to really get into the spirit of the tour, Anghel says hotels all across the GTA are offering special packages, themed rooms, and exclusive perks to make the stay as exciting as the concert itself. 

“The Bisha Hotel is going all out with a Taylor Swift transformation. They’ve created themed floors, each dedicated to one of Taylor’s iconic albums, along with a suite filled with Taylor-inspired décor,” Anghel says. 

“It’s a great way for fans to immerse themselves in the full experience. Lots of hotels also feature Taylor Swift-inspired drinks and play her songs in the lobby.”

Anghel also says other promotions are happening. Marriott guests can win concert tickets and experiences using the brand’s Bonvoy points and One King West will allow guests to earn cash rewards when booking their concert stay through The Guestbook. 

As for the economic impact outside of Toronto, city officials say Mississauga should also anticipate a boost from the tour.

“The series of upcoming Taylor Swift concerts is expected to inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into Toronto, and the neighbouring regions across the GTA, including Mississauga,” Victoria Clarke, CEO of Visit Mississauga, said to INsauga.com in an email. 

“We anticipate Mississauga local businesses, retailers, restaurants, and hotels will directly benefit from the Swifties who will be visiting the GTA for the concert.” 

In an email, Clarke said Mississauga officials Swifties make some memories in the city just west of TO. 

“Visit Mississauga is excited to welcome Swifties from across the country and the world this month,” she wrote. 

“We hope concertgoers have an unforgettable experience and we invite everyone visiting or passing through our city to soak up the music, excitement, and all our vibrant city has to offer – come make memories in Mississauga to last an era!”

*All hotel prices are from searches conducted on Oct. 31

– With files from The Canadian Press