Forget Trick or Treating; Get Your Kicks With a Spooky Trip This Halloween

Get a scare by visiting one of these three haunted Canadian destinations

TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Horror movies do so well because a lot of us enjoy a good scare. But this October Hotels.com® wants you to get off the couch and experience the real thing. Using the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) the company's hotel experts found out which of Canada's most popular cities are known for the unnatural being...natural?! From haunted hotels to creepy local attractions, you've got all the details to plan the perfect Halloween-inspired trip.

"Halloween is a time to let your inhibitions go and what better way to do so than by booking a haunted trip," says Jennifer Drew, director market management, Expedia® Lodging Partner Services group. "It's easy to make it all about the kids, but this way adults can treat themselves too while doing something unforgettable."

The HPI is a biannual report that looks at hotel prices in cities all around the world. The data is based on bookings made through the Hotels.com website and the prices listed are the actual prices paid by Canadians - not advertised rates. This most recent edition of the report compares the first six months of 2012 with the same period in 2011

Canada's Top Haunted Destinations

Toronto: The #1 Destination for Canadians ($141/night - average price paid)

Hotel: The Fairmont Royal York is a famous landmark hotel known for its guests that never check out. Guests have reported hearing the sounds of children at night and the eighth floor is said to be haunted by a man in a purple jacket.

Attraction: There are many ghostly reports at historic Fort York, including a female spirit who walks around the officers' quarters and a red-coated guard who has been sighted in the barracks. From October 23-27 visitors can also take part in the Fort York After Dark Lantern Tours to tour the grounds at night, hear the ghost stories and learn about the history.

Attraction: Old City Hall is said to be haunted by the last two people sentenced to death in its third floor courtroom. Judges working on the third floor have since reported feeling a tug at the back of their gowns when walking the halls and some have claimed to hear the noises of past prisoners coming from the cellars.

Attraction: The Exhibition Place is known for its action-packed attractions and Screemers is no exception. Since 1993, for the last two weeks of October, Canada's #1 indoor scream park has been terrifying its visitors. The park includes six haunted houses and carnival rides including the 'Freak Out'.

Vancouver: The #3 Destination for Canadians ($144/night - average price paid)

Hotel: Apparently ghosts really like the Fairmont chain, as the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is another haunted hotel - but this time by a lady in red. Her name was Jennie Pearl Cox and she was a regular at the hotel before passing in a fatal car crash. Since then, reports of ghostly activity have included random elevator stops on floor 14 where a lady dressed in red (presumably Cox) comes out and floats down the hallway.

Attraction: If you're looking for another spooky place to check out, visit the Vogue Theatre, which is believed to be inhabited by two ghosts. One has been said to open doors in the dressing room and the other appears, dressed in a tuxedo, in the seating area.

Attraction: Get schooled in ghouls and take a drive down University Boulevard at University of British Columbia (UBC) which is said to be haunted by a woman killed in the 1960s. Many reports have been filed by young men who have come across a woman who handed over a piece of paper with the library's address, before jumping in the rear seat of the car and disappearing.

Ottawa: The #5 Destination for Canadians ($147/night - average price paid)

Hotel: Politics aren't the only things that can get scary in this city. Ottawa is also home to some pretty spooky attractions including the HI-Ottawa Jail. An operational jail for 100 years, it has since been converted to a hostel. Reports from those who have stayed over include hearing sounds of crying at night, clothes being scattered around and unlocked doors locking shut.

Hotel: For a slightly mellower overnight experience, book a visit at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. Visitors and staff have reported sightings of a ghost who resembles Charles Melville Hays. Hays was the businessman who commissioned the hotel, left to Europe to purchase furniture and never made it home after drowning with the Titanic.

Attraction: Make sure to also check out a haunted house such as Chills for CHEO. Hosted by the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), this seasonal event includes a 3,000 square foot haunted house designed to scare any, and all, visitors.

So what are you waiting for? Get your adrenaline pumping and explore some paranormal activity in one of these spooky destinations. Just remember your camera because, like diamonds, those terrified photos can last forever.

About Hotels.com^®
Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca) is a leading online accommodation booking brand. Through its global network of websites, Hotels.com, LP connects travellers with almost 155,000 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, LP benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, obtaining the best rates for its customers, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. There are more than 7 million Guest Reviews on the websites from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking. Through Hotels.com, LP's industry-leading loyalty program Welcome Rewards^TM, customers can earn a free night for every 10 nights stayed at more than 85,000 hotels. Under its Price Match Guarantee, if a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com, LP will refund the difference. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centers. 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 www.hotel-price-index.com. Follow Hotels.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hotelsdotcomca, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/hotelsdotcomca and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/hotelsdotcom. Hotels.com, LP 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, Hotel Price Index, HPI, 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. CST # 2083949-50

Image with caption: "Experience seasonally-appropriate thrills and chills all across Canada (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20121016_C7145_PHOTO_EN_19349.jpg

SOURCE: Hotels.com

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