How to fill out your ESTA application without a hotel reservation yet?

If you’re a European citizen, you must apply for an ESTA travel authorization. Submit your application at least 72 hours before your flight to the United States. Read my full article on the ESTA electronic travel authorization and my guide to filling out the ESTA form.
One question often trips up travelers who haven’t booked a hotel yet: how do you enter your “point of contact in the United States” and your “address in the United States” when you don’t have a hotel yet? Don’t worry—here are two solutions:

1/ Enter “Unknown”

• The simplest approach is to type “Unknown” in the contact name, address, and phone number fields. You can still enter the city where you’ll be staying and the state.
• For the “Address in the United States” section, check the box that says “Same as the point of contact information above.”
• What happens when you arrive? At immigration or the automated kiosks, an officer may ask you to provide your address and show your hotel reservation. The immigration officer will then update your file. This is standard procedure and won’t cause any issues.

2/ Wait until you’ve booked your hotel

• The more thorough option is to wait until you’ve booked your hotel. Since you need to submit your ESTA at least 72 hours before your flight, you’ll likely book your hotel a month or a few weeks before departure anyway.
• This approach gives you a complete application file and is the better choice. That said, both methods are accepted.