The Hollywood Reporter (Weekly)
BIG SPENDS FOR THE BIG WEEKEND: ARMED MOTORCADES AND $8K HOTEL SUITES
What luxury concierge companies say their clients are splurging on to enjoy Super Bowl LVI
Despite the NFL Players Association canceling the VIP party and other activities amid a continuing wave of omicron, Super Bowl
LVI will bring an estimated 150,000 visitors to L.A. and generate up to $477 million in revenue, according to a report by research firm Micronomics.
The city added 2,100 hotel rooms in 2021, says Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board CEO Adam Burke. And the majority of L.A. area hotels are booked for Super Bowl weekend, with a $445 average rate, the second-highest in Super Bowl history, per hospitality analytics firm STR. For many party planners and catering outfits, the weekend represents the first big revival of events after weeks of omicron-related cancellations. “I am encouraged that we might be returning more toward normal business, but I’m still a little gun-shy,” says Craig Susser of Craig’s restaurant, who is catering several Super Bowl events that he describes as outdoors and not “that big.”
Prices have soared for Super Bowl tickets on the secondary market, with the cheapest ticket available, about two weeks before game day, costing $5,300. And spots in nearby parking lots are being offered on StubHub, priced from hundreds of dollars up to $5,000 for a space.
Traffic is expected to be beyond snarled, with SoFi Stadium offering four shuttle services for fans who park off-site. Sammy Sahakyan, CEO of Platinum Transportation Group, says that many of his clients are turning to his “top-of-the-line motorcade services, normally four armed security officers on motorcycles with a luxury SUV or Mercedes Sprinter van at $1,000 to $1,200 per hour.” Adds Sonam Raman, co-founder of Beverly Hills-based ALTA Concierge, “We had five kids coming in last minute, but were able to get them game tickets, a presidential hotel suite, normally $2,000 a night, for $8,000 a night, plus $40,000 in club table bookings and two chauffeured Escalades [at] $3,565 a day.”