If you were hoping to book a last-minute stay in one of Maine’s eclipse totality towns, you’ll most likely come up short.
A 10-bedroom, 2-bathroom lakefront vacation home that Cameron Clark operates as a short-term rental in New Limerick was booked nine months in advance by a Massachusetts family. It is usually a seasonal property that would sit empty until summer, said Clark, who owns three Airbnb units around Houlton, which will be the last place in the U.S. to see totality.
“There’s definitely been a hike in demand, and what I’ve noticed is that people really planned ahead,” Clark said.
On April 7 of last year, about 18 percent of short-term rentals in Houlton were occupied, according to AirDNA, a company that analyzes short-term rental data pulled from Airbnb and Vrbo. On Sunday, the day before the eclipse, 97 percent of them will be occupied.
The story is similar in other Maine towns that will experience totality, or roughly three minutes of darkness during the first total solar eclipse to come here since 1963. It underscores that the region is set to experience a surge in economic activity at a normally sleepy time of year. Hotels are also booked, while stores and restaurants have increased their stocks.
Jackman and Caribou have no short-term rentals available on Sunday and Monday. Only about 1 in 6 listings in those towns was occupied at that time last year. Airbnbs in other totality towns, including Bingham, Millinocket and Presque Isle are also completely booked when they otherwise would be easily available or not on the market at all.
Clark, who owns 45 residential properties in the Houlton area, even added an extra listing to rent out: his 1-bedroom apartment in downtown Houlton for $479 a night. That’s a price that he would usually charge to rent the space in the summer but never at this time of year, Clark said. He has heard of many other hosts raising prices and booking out months in advance.
“Many in Houlton are looking forward to this, and we’re hoping it’ll drum up business,” Clark said.
Business owners and short-term rental hosts in the Houlton area and in other totality towns are hoping that some of this sky-high demand and attention translates into long-term growth for their regions. The Massachusetts family coming out to Clark’s lakefront vacation home might come back in the summer if all goes well, he hopes.
