In KC, an Airbnb spikes to $20,000 a night for FIFA World Cup. See hotel rates
It is now clear that Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in soccer history, will be headed to Kansas City with his defending world champion Argentina national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Of course, he and all World Cup athletes have places to stay.
The question now is who among soccer’s legion of fans — some 650,000 are expected — will nab a room in Kansas City as hotels are filling up. Room prices on short-term rental sites like Airbnb, Vrbo, Orbitz and others are climbing at the speed of a Messi free kick.
The tournament in Kansas City runs from June 11 to July 19, with four of six matches at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium already scheduled. They are Argentina v. Algeria (June 16), Ecuador v. Curaçao (June 20), Tunisia v. Netherlands (June 25) and Algeria v. Austria (June 27). Two other matches will be held on July 3 and July 11.
A quick check of Kansas City hotels during that month-long period shows the demand:
The Westin Crown Center Hotel — sold out, a reservation representative said.
The Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center — sold out.
The Loews Kansas City Hotel — sold out.
Hotel Kansas City — sold out.
The Marriott Kansas City Overland Park — sold out.
Hotels up to $1,000 per night, one rental tops $20,000
Of those that aren’t sold out, many are offering rooms at a premium.
On Orbitz, The Cherry Warehouse Hotel, 2936 Cherry Street, shows it charging $1,102 a night for the first week of the tournament, up from about $188 a night one month prior.
The Hotel Phillips Kansas City, Curio Collection by Hilton, $637 a night. The Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City, $738 nightly. Hampton Inn Kansas City-Airport, $799. Embassy Suites By Hilton in Olathe, $499. Best Western Premier Liberty Inn & Suites in Liberty, $626. Drury Inn & Suites in Independence, which in May is at $148 a night, is at $506 during the first week of the World Cup.
The prices of short-term rentals listed on platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, Orbitz and others have likewise skyrocketed.
One host, identified at Kristen Doppelt of the company Cozy in KC, lists a three-bedroom “villa” with pool that normally rents for about $450 per night for just over $20,341 per night in the first week of the World Cup.
Doppelt also lists a downtown loft that sleeps two for $8,428 a night, a three-bedroom “cottage” near the stadium for $8,209, and a one-bedroom flat on Forest Ave. in the Columbus Park area of Kansas City, north of downtown, for $4,864. The Star reached out to Doppelt on Tuesday by phone, email and over a rental platform, but did not receive a response.
The City of Kansas City currently lists between 800 and 1,000 short-term rentals on its registry. To meet what the city realizes will be increased demand, the City Council, in November, amended its short-term rental ordinance to allow property owners to pay a lesser fee, $50, to offer short-term rentals for the three-month period, May 1 to July 31, surrounding the event. Applications will be available beginning December 15.
As the tournament approaches, some Kansas Citians have raised concerns over the condition of some short-term rentals, price-gouging, or, at the very least, offering subpar properties for premium prices.
Reasonable rates still available
While prices are quickly rising, not all have skyrocketed, depending on one’s definition. In Waldo, a three-bedroom house, sleeping six, was listed this week for $993 a night. In south Johnson County, what was advertised as a highly-rated, six-bedroom home, sleeping 16, was running $1,200 a night. A four-bedroom house on Oak Street, just south of Brookside, rated “Exceptional” on Vrbo with reviews of 10 out of 10 by nearly every renter, was still available Tuesday for $1,165 a night.
Bargains, to a degree, can still be found. Even with 650,000 visitors expected, Devin Aaron, a spokesperson for Visit KC, Kansas City’s conventions and visitors bureau, is confident that enough rooms will be available.
“I think a good thing to keep in mind is that the 650,000 people won’t be here all at once,” Aaron said. “People may be traveling in and out, they may be staying for a day or two, or be here just for a match. I know everyone keeps seeing that number and thinking, ‘Oh, we don’t have enough space.’ But that will be across the entirety of the tournament.”
Aaron said that in bidding for the World Cup, Kansas City had to prove to FIFA officials that the city had a sufficient number of hotels and other rooms to host an international event of such scale.
“Looking at hotel rooms in teh Kansas City metro, looking out at those other neighborhoods in Overland Park, and Leawood, Bonner Springs and things like that, we are more than confident that there is going to be more than enough housing to go around,” she said. “Especially if people are looking at places further afield, like a St. Joe, which is an easy commute. Places like Lawrence. There will be more than enough for all the demand that we’ll have.”
Her advice, still: Watch the market. More short-term rentals are likely to come online soon, as people register. Deals could show up.
“It’s always better to do sooner than later,” Aaron said. “I always say, I like to plan ahead. Sooner rather than later is probably their best bet.”
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 6:06 AM.
