As more and more us are take EVs on trips, we would like to stay at places that offer EV charging. This way, we can charge overnight, and start our day with full charge. And not worry about driving around to find charging stations.
And hotels and vacation rentals are noticing the demand! Good news is there are lots of options. But finding them can take a bit of work.
Summary of Booking Options
We have evaluated many booking options and summarized our findings below.
Be sure to checkout tips at the bottom of this guide.
| Search sites | Hotel sites | Vacation Rentals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searchable by EV charging | * Plugshare (show me how) * Hotels.com (show me how) * Trip Advisor (show me how) * Expedia (show me how) * Kayak (show me how) * Booking.com (show me how) | * Hilton (show me how) * Best Western (show me how) | * AirBnB (show me how) |
| Not Searchable | * Priceline * Google travels * Bing travels | * Marriot * Wyndham * Choice hotels * IHG | * VRBO |
Note: Some of the links in this post, may be affiliate links. They support this site.
PlugShare.com
PlugShare allows looking for hotels very easy.
- Search for chargers at desired destination
- Click on the filters, and select Lodging
Search and book at PlugShare.com
Hotels.com
Here is how you search Hotels.com
- Search for hotels in desired destination
- On the left hand side, expand Amenities and select Electric vehicle charging point
TripAdvisor.com
This popular review site has an option to filter by EV charging. Here is how you use it.
- Search for hotels at your destination
- Expand ‘Amenities’ filter on the left hand side
- And choose ‘EV charging’ option, click Apply.
Search and book at TripAdvisor.com
Expedia.com
- Search for hotels in desired destination
- On the left hand side, expand Amenities and select EV charging point
Kayak.com
Here is how to search stays with EV charging at Kayak
- Search for stays at your desired destination
- In search results, expand the Amenities section on left and choose EV Charging Station
Booking.com
Here is how to search stays with EV charging at Booking.com
- Search for stays at your desired destination
- In search results, expand the Amenities section on left and choose EV Charging Station
AirBnB.com
Now AirBnB supports searching stays that have EV charging!
- Search for stays at your desired destination
- In search results, expand the Filters and choose EV Charger
Hilton
- Search for hotels in desired destination
- On the left hand side, expand Amenities and select Electric vehicle charging point
Best Western
- Search for your destination
- On left hand side expand Amenities and select Electric Car Charging
Booking Tips
Ok, so you have narrowed down a few hotels. Before you book, I would recommend doing some research. Here are some tips
Tip-1: Call the hotel
Before you book a hotel, please call them ahead and verify the following.
- Confirm that the chargers are working. I have heard stories of how the chargers appear to be working online, and when you get there, the charger is NOT functional. Avoid the aggravation and call head.
- Do you need reserve charger time: Popular hotels may be oversubscribed charging capacity. At some hotels, you may need to reserve charging slots! If charging reservations are required, be sure to make them.
- Is there an extra fee for charging: At most places charging is included in hotel rate, but some hotels may tack on an extra charge for EV charging. Personally, if the fee is reasonable ($5 – $10 / day) then I would use the hotel chargers. At very few hotels, I have seen obscene charging rates, like $30 / day for charging. In that case, I would rather find a fast charger in town to use and ‘fill up’ there.
- Does the valet need car keys to use charging: At some hotels, there are more cars need charging than there are chargers. So one way they manage this is, valets will move cars to chargers. So your car may have access to charger for 4-6 hours at night. And then a valet may move your car out, bring in another car, and plug it in. So they would need keys.
Tip-2: Contact AirBnB host
Verify the following
- What is the charger type (Tesla, J-1772 ..etc)
- Do you need to bring an adapter for your vehicle, or do they provide one
- Is the charger accessible (some hosts may lock the charger)
- And is there extra fee for charging
- I have also heard that some hosts are listing EV charging available, because they have a regular 120 outlet outside. This is not ideal, as charging from this type of outlet, essentially L1 charging, will only add 30-50 miles of range to your car overnight. So ask to make sure
Tip-3: Read reviews of chargers at PlugShare
Skim through the reviews. If there are lot of negative reviews (like “charger down” or “charger not working”) that is a red flag.
That’s It! Enjoy your trip!
Have fun. And leave your tips in the comments section below!
I’m not finding any mention on Booking.com as to Amenities filter or anything resembling charging station.
It’s under the Facilities section – make sure you click Show all to list all the available options. You’ll find it there.
I’ve started compiling a list of vacation rentals that offer level 2 EV charging for guests. Just getting started so the list is still small but hoping it can grow into a useful resource for EV travelers.
The list is at https://www.plugintravel.com