Attention Cat Lovers: You're Not The Most Desirable Travel Partners

Hotels.com uncovers our likes, dislikes and wants when travelling with company this summer

TORONTO, July 19, 2012 /CNW/ - Do you find it hard to get friends, or even family, to travel with you? If so, read on. If you've ever wondered what differentiates the good travel companions from the bad, you're in luck because Hotels.com® asked its Canadian email subscribers, including those in Quebec, what they look for in their travel mates and the results make for a good read.

"Travelling should be enjoyable, so it's important to choose your travel partners wisely as the wrong person can easily spoil that experience," says Taylor L. Cole, director public relations and social media, North America at Hotels.com. "It's not uncommon to hear of these 'nightmare' vacations, so we wanted to find out what people looked for in their travel 'plus one'."

The Big Three - The top characteristics Canadians MOST look for in a travel companion:

1. Sense of humour
2. Trustworthiness
3. Similar lifestyle values

These things shouldn't be too hard to find, right? Interestingly having "good hair" wasn't a sought after quality, coming in last for respondents... guess looks don't matter after all!

Not So Hot - The top three characteristics Canadians LEAST look for in a travel companion:

1. A smoker
2. Selfish nature
3. A love of cats

Listen, just because Fluffy thinks you're great, doesn't mean the rest of us have to. If you fall into any of these categories, we recommend you refer back to the list above.

It's a Dream... But we wish it was real
The number one person to share a hotel room with was Canadian heartthrob, Ryan Gosling. Not surprisingly the highest number of votes for Ryan were from women under 30.

I'd Rather be Alone
Pop singer Lady Gaga didn't fare quite as well in the survey, and was voted as the least favourable celebrity to share a hotel room with. Seems the tolerance for this artistic superstar also goes down as we age with the most votes coming in from respondents aged 40-plus.

One Night in...
Pizza, pasta, meatballs and vino. When it comes to food and drink, Italy knows how to please. So it makes sense that Rome came in as the number one destination respondents would visit if they had a free hotel stay. Coming in second place was Barcelona, and, keeping with the European pattern, Paris finished third. To earn free hotel stays, sign up for the Hotels.com® loyalty program, Welcome Rewards™, which gives members a free hotel night after booking and staying 10 nights. Even better, members have more than 65,000 properties to choose from, with no blackout dates.

We're sure that when planning your next trip you'll be picking your companions carefully. So, for great hotel deals check out the current Summer Sale or log onto Facebook and check out our new deals app to get customized deals based on your travel interests and friends' favourite destinations.

Editors Note: Quebec-specific results, while similar to those of English Canada, are available upon request.

About Hotels.com®

Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca) is a leading online accommodation booking website with more than 150,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favourites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, negotiating the best rates for its customers, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. There are more than 6.5 million guest reviews on the site from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking. Through its industry-leading loyalty program Welcome Rewards™, customers can earn a free night for every 10 nights stayed at more than 65,000 hotels. Under its Price Match Guarantee, if a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will refund the difference. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded at www.hotels.com/deals/mobile_app/  enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals. Hotels.com publishes an award-winning twice-yearly review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™, which is now produced in 31 individual country editions, with North American data available at http://www.hotel-price-index.com. Follow Hotels.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hotelsdotcomca, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/hotelsdotcomcaand on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/hotelsdotcom. Hotels.com is part of Expedia, Inc., the largest online travel company in the world with an extensive portfolio that includes some of the world's best-known brands.

Hotels.com, Finding You The Perfect Place, Welcome Rewards and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2012 Hotels.com, LP. All rights reserved

Image with caption: "Rome took top honours, beating the City of Light, as the number one destination to spend a free night (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120719_C9280_PHOTO_EN_16314.jpg

For further information:

Press contacts: 

Lauren Wasley
energi PR for hotels.com
Phone: [phone] ext. 19
Email: [e-mail]

Taylor L. Cole, APR
hotels.com North America
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]