Home or Away? Where Canadians Save on Accommodation

• Average hotel prices paid per night for domestic travellers was $149, and $171 for international stays
• Fort McMurray, AB, experienced the largest drop in prices paid, down 18 per cent year-over-year
• New Brunswick was the only eastern province to have cities in the most affordable list including Saint-Basile and Miramichi

TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2015 /CNW/ - You'd be hard pressed to find someone who has explored the entire country. With almost 10 million square kilometers of land, Canada is the second largest country in the world. Doing so would be more than a passion project, it's a full-time job. But we've got good news for those aspiring to see the local sights… domestic travel is more cost-effective.

According to the latest Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) from Hotels.com™, the average price paid* for domestic hotel stays per night was $149 in the first half of 2015, more than twenty dollars less than the average price paid for international stays ($171).

Saving money on travel plans is like having whipped cream and a cherry on a sundae, so we're rounding up the sweetest deals in Canada for travellers looking to explore the Great White North.

Most Affordable Canadian Cites for Hotel Accommodation

Cities in British Columbia dominated the top spots offering tremendous value for travellers seeking to explore the west coast. For travellers looking for a quiet break, the small town of Quesnel is surrounded by beautiful wilderness making it a relaxing destination for outdoor activities from hiking to fishing or canoeing. It is perhaps best known for its gold pan and as home to the world's longest wooden truss walking bridge.

Average prices paid per night by Canadian travellers in the first half of 2015
Rank	City	Province	H1 2015 Price
1	Quesnel	BC	$                 102
2	Napanee	ON	$                 106
3-	Midland	ON	$                 107
3-	Langley	BC	$                 107
3-	Headingley	MB	$                 107
4-	Parry Sound	ON	$                 109
4-	Aldergrove	BC	$                 109
4-	Merritt	BC	$                 109
5-	Cambridge	ON	$                 110
5-	Saint-Basile	NB	$                 110
5-	Abbotsford	BC	$                 110
6	Chatham	ON	$                 111
7-	Miramichi	NB	$                 112
7-	Lethbridge	AB	$                 112
8	Kamloops	BC	$                 113
9-	Brockville	ON	$                 115
9-	North Bay	ON	$                 115
10-	Trenton	ON	$                 116
10-	Brooks	AB	$                 116

Canadian Cities which Experienced the Largest Drops in Prices Paid

Although these cities aren't necessarily the most affordable, they offered the best value as they experienced the largest drop in average prices paid per night in the first half of 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014. Fort McMurray had the largest decrease in prices paid at 18 per cent, dropping the average paid per night by almost $40. One of the largest oil production hubs in Canada, the city's economy has been hit hard by the oil slump affecting business sectors.¹

Average prices paid per night by Canadian travellers in the first half of 2015
Rank	City	Province	H1 Price 2015	H1 Price 2014	% change
1	Fort McMurray	AB	$                 183	$                 221	-18%
2	Dawson Creek	BC	$                 144	$                 168	-14%
3	Harrison Hot Springs	BC	$                 148	$                 170	-13%
4	Fort Saskatchewan	AB	$                 136	$                 154	-12%
5-	Revelstoke	BC	$                 144	$                 160	-10%
5-	Brooks	AB	$                 116	$                 128	-10%
6-	L'Ancienne-Lorette	QC	$                 117	$                 129	-9%
6-	St. John's	NL	$                 169	$                 187	-9%
6-	Lloydminster	AB	$                 142	$                 157	-9%
6-	Yellowknife	NT	$                 158	$                 173	-9%
6-	Summerland	BC	$                 191	$                 209	-9%
7	Regina	SK	$                 139	$                 151	-8%
8-	Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu	QC	$                 130	$                 140	-7%
8-	Matane	QC	$                 120	$                 129	-7%
8-	Val-D'Or	QC	$                 154	$                 165	-7%
9-	Sherbrooke	QC	$                 138	$                 147	-6%
9-	Sooke	BC	$                 190	$                 201	-6%
9-	Lake Louise	AB	$                 250	$                 266	-6%
10	Cornwall	PE	$                 130	$                 137	-5%

The HPI is a regular report of hotel prices in major destinations across the world, tracking the movement in prices that people actually paid* for their accommodation and providing valuable insight into the reasons behind these changes. The data is drawn from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of hotels on the Hotels.com websites worldwide.

Please visit http://hpi.hotels.com/ for more information and to view reports in additional currencies.  Follow the conversation and get more HPI pricing insights on Twitter at #HotelExperts.

*All prices in Canadian currency. Average prices paid per night inclusive of taxes and fees from January 1 – June 30, 2015 or January 1 – June 30, 2014.

About Hotels.com
Hotels.com, L.P. operates Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca), a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2015 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice, Hotel Price Index, HPI and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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1} http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/housing/oil-slump-hits-fort-mcmurrays-housing-market/article25814458/

SOURCE Hotels.com

Image with caption: "Travellers took in the scenic wilderness views in Harrison Hot Springs for 13% less per night in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014. (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151022_C4264_PHOTO_EN_526511.jpg

Media Contact: Lauren Wasley, energiPR for Hotels.com, Phone: [phone] x 19, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @energiPR; Taylor L. Cole, APR, Hotels.com North America, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], Twitter: @TravelwithTLC