Hotwire Hotel Rate Report for October 2010

SAN FRANCISCO, October 26, 2010 - Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today announced the results of the October 2010 Hotwire® Hotel Rate Report. The report features the top five cities in North America where hotel rates have dropped the most and the top five cities where rates have experienced the biggest price increase. While one report guides customers to the destinations that will maximize their travel dollars, the other helps inform travelers where using Hotwire to save money will be even more essential.

Top Five Price Drops:

Omaha, Nebraska, and Richmond, Virginia, both top the list this month as these cities continue to face a decline in group and business travel, which has resulted in a decrease in hotel rates. Besides great deals, travelers to Omaha can find one of the premier zoos in the world, the Henry Doorly Zoo. In addition, they can explore the famous Old Market district, a historic neighborhood of unique shops, boutiques, pubs, restaurants and entertainment. Visitors to Richmond can take advantage of the expanded and reopened Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with more than 40 acres of spectacular gardens, and the Library of Virginia, which features an original copy of the Bill of Rights.

Last month's number one, Calgary, continues to make the list in the number four spot.  The city is still suffering from slow business traffic and as colder months approach, the number of visitors is decreasing even more than last year. Las Vegas hangs onto the list at the number five spot.  New inventory has come on board creating even more competition in an already competitive market.

When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for October 2010 include:
 

Rank	Hotel Market	Price Drops	Example of a Current Hotwire Deal	US$/Night
1	Omaha, NB	-8%	3-star	$68
2	Richmond, VA	-8%	4-star	$85
3	Sacramento, CA	-4%	3-star	$63
4	Calgary, AB	-3%	3-star	$107
5	Las Vegas, NV	-2%	4-star	$72

Top Five Price Increases:

This month, San Francisco and New Orleans swap the one and two spots.  San Francisco's price increases continue to be primarily driven by recovery in business group travel, and a strong return in convention business. Rates in the city are also lifted by a steady flow of leisure travelers.

New Orleans is seeing a huge boost over last year across the board. The convention calendar is filling and attendance is up.  In addition, the oil spill business is maintaining a nice base for some hotels, allowing hoteliers to increase their rates without losing occupancy.

Miami sits firmly in the number three spot for the second month in a row. The city is seeing a strong increase in both business and leisure demand. As temperatures in much of the country cool, the weather is still pleasant in Florida, driving travelers to its many beaches. Additionally, convention business is almost back to normal and there are several large scale events taking place this month and next. We expect prices to remain high and that most South Beach hotels will be filled to capacity every weekend this month.

When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price increases for October 2010 include:
 

Rank	Hotel Market	Price Increases	Example of a Current Hotwire Deal	US$/Night
1	San Francisco, CA	23%	3-star	$100
2	New Orleans, LA	22%	4-star	$90
3	Miami, FL	21%	4-star	$86
4	Niagara Falls, NA	17%	3-star	$94
5	Honolulu, HI	16%	3-star	$88

"As the weather cools down, deals in many mid-size, leisure cities heat up," said Clem Bason, President of the Hotwire Group. "The slower 'shoulder' season is a great time to take advantage of lower prices and smaller crowds and explore these often overlooked destinations."

Over 1.8 million hotel rooms go unsold across North America every night. Hotwire is able to deliver great deals across all types of markets because it works with hotels, airlines, and car rental companies to fill unsold inventory.

About the Hotwire Hotel Rate Report
The Hotwire Hotel Rate Report will run results during the second week of each month. Results are calculated by looking at Hotwire stay dates for select regions in the current month, and comparing prices in the current month against Hotwire prices in the same month in the prior year. Prices are compared within the same star rating categories for consistency, and the percent change in price for each region is generated as an overall average of the changes in those categories. The prices in the charts above are examples for a particular star rating category within that market, and actual prices may be higher or lower than the example that is provided.

About Hotwire
Hotwire.com is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Independent Travel Web Sites, Three Years in a Row." Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com/.
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