Art Basel hiking Miami hotel and restaurant rates sky-high

So you still want to fly down to Miami for Art Basel and all the parties? Good luck getting a room, a restaurant reservation or a VIP nightclub table.

Sources tell us almost every hotel in South Beach is sold out — or going for astronomical sums. “Hotel prices are sky-high,” gasped one attendee.

The only rooms left at the luxe W South Beach on the day of Art Basel Miami Beach’s VIP preview on Tuesday were suites, with the cheapest going for $6,218 per night — and the highest at $27,003 for a two-bedroom with an ocean view.

Over at the swanky One Hotel, a standard room was going for almost $4,000. The glittery Ritz-Carlton has a room with city views for $3,259, while the SLS had a relative bargain at $1,234.05.

Restaurants are also tough to book.

“Most restaurants are either fully committed or booked for private events,” says a source. “There will be longer than normal waits. It’s not impossible, but it will be difficult.”

Hotspot Carbone has no reservations left, and even its pop up with Amex at the Edition — for $150 a ticket — is sold out.

Myles Chefetz, owner of steakhouse and celebrity spot, Prime 112, tells us, “I see a huge uptick in business, and spending. After being canceled last year,  the art crowd is anxious to be back out. I see an increased celebratory mood… We actually got extremely busy on Monday whereas in years past you don’t see the crowds until Wednesday.”

Chefetz continued, “As much as we have celebrities, Art Basel brings a crowd of ultrahigh net worth people unlike any other weekend. It’s not surprising when you look around the room and see multiple blue chip art collectors, billionaires and celebrities all having dinner at the same time.”

Meanwhile, tables at clubs are also going for high numbers.

“Tables for the night range from $5,000 to $75,000,” Dennis DeGori from megaclub E11Even tells us. “We are basically sold out for the week and we just finalized our talent on Monday. We are seeing guests that are coming into town with an appetite to spend and have a great time. We are also seeing people pay in cryptocurrency.”

After being canceled last year due to COVID, this year’s fair looks to be busier than ever. VIP previews opened on Tuesday with a spy telling us Basel regular Leonardo DiCaprio was spotted perusing the booths.

The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau told the Miami Herald that airport traffic indicates that there could be more people coming than in 2019 and that “Miami International Airport expects an average of 130,000 daily passengers from Dec. 1-3, a 5% increase over the same period two years ago.”