"This dramatic increase is in great part due to the variety of vacation information consumers have found on our website," Kane said. "We saw a steady increase in the numbers of hits on our page from March on -- the period when people typically begin to think about their vacations." More than 8.5 million hits have been recorded on the Days Inn website through July 31st, an increase of 200% over the same period last year. Kane and Days Inn marketing executives see this as a trend since 1997 saw nearly 6 million hits to the official website, an increase of 551% over the same period in 1996.

With more than 1,800 hotels around the globe, Days Inn is the world's largest franchised hotel company, and its website, www.daysinn.com, allows visitors to search for any Days Inn by country and book their reservations instantly. Visitors can also obtain detailed information about a specific Days Inn hotel anywhere in the world. The site lists each hotel's Sunburst Rating which is part of the unique Days Inn quality evaluation system, the lodging industry's first published quality assurance ratings.

For business travelers, the site also contains information about the Days Inn Work Zone rooms which are designed with special amenities, including dataports, 24-hour access to the Front Desk fax machines and copiers, in-room microwaves and coffee makers, and a host of other convenient items. The site also offers news about Days Inn's latest discounts, deals, and promotions which can help consumers get the most value for their money at all Days Inns.

"Clearly consumers have discovered how easily they can find information, whether general or specific, about all of our hotels and how quickly they can book their reservations right on the net," Kane said, adding that he anticipates heavy utilization of the Days Inn site for bookings before the Labor Day weekend.

The chain was founded by Cecil B. Day in 1970 with the opening of the first Days Inn hotel in Savannah Beach, GA. At the heart of the growth is the original commitment to value begun by Mr. Day: quality lodging at a fair price. 

Days Inns of America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD). Days Inns has over 1,800 properties and more than 160,000 rooms. In addition to the United States, Days Inn hotels are located in Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and South Africa. There are future plans for hotels in Argentina, Colombia, Malaysia, Paraguay, Thailand, Uruguay, Namibia, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Just recently Days Inns signed an agreement for the development of hotels in Russia, Prague, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.