Miami and Milwaukee Also Join Top 10 U.S. Cities Offering the Greatest Overall Value to Visitors
SAN FRANCISCO, March 10 /PRNewswire/ — Hotwire(R), a leading discount travel site, today announced the results of its third annual Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index study, naming Phoenix as the top 2008 destination for value minded travelers. This honor, bestowed by Hotwire(R), showcases the top 10 cities where savvy travelers across the country can find the best value and entertainment options as they plan their next vacation.
Building upon its deep expertise in saving money on travel, the Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index is based on a statistical model that evaluates 50 U.S. markets for consumer vacation value. The discount prices found on Hotwire.com(TM) are compared to published prices to help to determine which places offer the lowest rates and greatest discounts to travelers.
The Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index ranks the 50 U.S. markets across three categories:
— Discounts on air, rental car, and hotel (25 percent of overall score)
— Low prices on air, rental car, and hotel (50 percent of overall score)
— Affordable entertainment, overall appeal and choice of accommodations
(25 percent of overall score)
“With spring break and warmer weather on the horizon, travelers are pulling out the calendars to figure out where to go to score the best vacation deals. The Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index can help identify the best destinations to stretch vacation dollars,” said Clem Bason, vice president of merchandising and travel expert at Hotwire.com.
2008 Travel Value Index Cities Cater to Travelers with Wide-Ranging Interests
According to the Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index, the top ten U.S. places for value vacations this year include (2007 rankings in parentheses, where applicable):
1. Phoenix 6. Los Angeles (7)
2. Dallas-Fort Worth (2) 7. Washington D.C. (10)
3. Orlando (4) 8. Kansas City (5)
4. Denver (6) 9. Miami
5. Atlanta (1) 10. Milwaukee
“As the city to beat on this year’s list, Phoenix offers consumers a plethora of savings,” said Bason. “In addition to low prices on world-class hotels and resorts, Phoenix also offers consistently warm weather, outdoor adventures like Camelback Mountain and breath-taking golf courses, as well as affordable tour options such as Old Town Scottsdale and Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter residence.”
The Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index features affordable top destinations for everyone. Spring Breakers can spend their dollars wisely while sunbathing in Miami, stargazing in Los Angeles and snowboarding near Denver. Art and architecture lovers can marvel at the world class collection in the Santiago Calatrava designed Milwaukee Art Museum. Barbecue lovers can hop on over to Dallas to enjoy several churrascaria steakhouse meals with all of the extra money they have saved on travel. And, families interested in saving money while seeking enjoyment, can visit Orlando, the theme park capital of the world, which is sure to bring smiles to everyone’s face.
Hotwire Delivers Top Destinations at Low Prices
If saving money is the top priority for any trip, Hotwire.com is the place to go. By working with top travel brands to fill unsold rooms, seats and cars, Hotwire offers deep discounts on travel that aren’t available anywhere else. In fact, travelers can save up to 60 percent off published hotel rates on Hotwire.com.
Below are examples of hotels recently booked on Hotwire.com for March stays in the top ten Travel Value Index cities:*
— $89 / night 4-star hotel, Atlanta — Downtown
— $64 / night 4-star hotel, Dallas, Downtown — Turtle Creek
— $84 / night 4-star hotel, Denver — Greater Downtown Denver
— $79 / night 4-star hotel, Washington D.C., — The White House,
Capitol Hill
— $72 / night 4-star hotel, Orlando — SeaWorld
— $100 / night 4-star hotel, Los Angeles — Downtown
— $102 / night 3.5-star hotel, Miami – South Beach
— $69 / night 4-star hotel, Kansas City, MO — Downtown
— $79 / night 3.5-star hotel, Phoenix — Central Phoenix
— $76 / night 4-star hotel, Milwaukee — Downtown
*Hotel rates shown are based on actual bookings made on Hotwire.com from February 1 to March 3, 2008 for stays March 6 – April 1, 2008. Hotel rates shown do not include applicable tax recovery charges and fees. However, total cost, including all applicable tax recovery charges and fees, is shown before bookings are made on Hotwire.com. All bookings are non-changeable and nonrefundable. Rates subject to availability. Because rates change all the time, Hotwire(R) customers are encouraged to check rates for themselves. For more information about the Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index, visit http://www.hotwire.com/destination/travel-value-index2.jsp.
About Hotwire
Hotwire.com(TM) is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire(R) negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction Study(SM) recognized Hotwire for ranking “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Independent Travel Web Sites, Two Years in a Row.” Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) . CST: 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com/.
Hotwire, Hotwire.com and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. (C) 2008 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: Hotwire.com
