Last year the millionth room was booked in August, according to Peter Strebel, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Cendant's hotel group.

"Our hotel brand Web sites are now faster and easier to navigate, and consumers are responding," he said. "With the launch of our guaranteed best available rate program, we expect bookings through our brand Web sites to increase even more."

The guaranteed best available rate program, effective June 17, promises to provide online customers with the lowest rates available anywhere on the Internet for Days Inn, Super 8, Travelodge, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Villager, Wingate Inn and AmeriHost Inn hotels in the United States and Canada and Ramada hotels in the United States.

Under the guarantee, customers who find lower published rates through any other online travel site can request an equivalent rate plus an additional 10 percent discount. The bonus discount is granted if Cendant confirms that an equivalent or lower rate is not available on its brand sites.

Cendant's hotel Web sites are http://www.daysinn.com , http://www.super8.com , http://www.ramada.com , http://www.travelodge.com , http://www.howardjohnson.com , http://www.knightsinn.com , http://www.villager.com , http://www.wingateinns.com and http://www.amerihostinn.com .

The hotel group of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD), based in Parsippany, N.J., is the world's largest lodging franchisor with 6,599 open hotels representing 547,706 rooms on five continents. All hotels are individually owned and operated under franchise agreements with Cendant subsidiaries.