Many Countries Are Saying No To ‘Unthinkable’ Room Costs For Climate Talks

"Brazil brought the U.N.’s COP30 climate conference to the Amazon. Then the price frenzy began." 

"The idea had seemed symbolically fitting at first — a global climate summit set on the edge of the threatened Amazon rainforest.

But as the annual U.N. climate mega-conference, known this year as COP30, draws nearer, what seemed poetic is now turning into a contentious fiasco.

In the Brazilian host city of Belém, the few remaining hotel rooms are going for 10 and 20 times their usual cost. Residents in high-rises and favelas are offering up their homes at rates often exceeding $1,000 per night. An official booking portal for attendees includes a love motel that costs $6,660, for a 15-night minimum stay."

Chico Harlan, Marina Dias and Nilson Cortinhas report for the Washington Post September 10, 2025.

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"Brazil Invited the World to the Amazon. It’s Become a Big Headache." (New York Times)