Hotwire Reveals Canadian Hotel Rate Report for May 2012

Slightly Weaker Travel Demand in Several Popular Canadian Cities Prompts Great Deals for Leisure Travellers

SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, 2012 /CNW/ - Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today announced the results of the May 2012 Hotwire® Canadian Hotel Rate Report, which features the top five cities in Canada where hotel rates have dropped the most. When combined with Hotwire's already discounted prices, the Hotel Rate Report helps guide customers to the destinations that can maximize their travel dollars.

Topping the list for the second consecutive month, Kingston came in with a seven percent price drop. Renowned as the fresh-water capital of North America, Kingston is a gateway for cruising the famous Thousand Islands, and is home to Canada's largest continually running farmer's market in Springer Market Square.

Winnipeg jumps from fifth on the list to second this month with a four percent price drop, followed by Banff, Edmonton and Toronto. Both Banff and Edmonton maintain their holds on the fourth and fifth ranked spots, however prices in Banff will likely rise as summer and peak season approach. Toronto rounds out the top five with a one percent price drop. Typically in its peak season, Toronto hasn't received as much group business travel as usual, forcing hoteliers to drop prices to lure more leisure travellers, particularly on the weekends.

When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for May 2012 include:

Rank	Hotel Market	Price Drop	Example of a Current Hotwire Deal, CAD$/Night
1	Kingston, ON	-7%	3-star	$99
2	Winnipeg, MN	-4%	3.5-star	$97
3	Banff, AL	-2%	3-star	$85
4	Edmonton, AL	-1%	3.5-star	$103
5	Toronto, ON	-1%	4-star	$99

"Most of the cities on this month's list are suffering from weaker demand than last year – particularly from the U.S. – and as a result, hotels still have many rooms they need to fill," said Pierre-Etienne Chartier, vice president, operations, of the Hotwire Group. "This combination of factors is leading hotels to drop their prices, which means travellers can score great rooms for under $100 a night in popular cities like Toronto, Banff and Kingston."

Hotwire is able to find great deals because it works with hotels, airlines and car rental companies to fill unsold inventory. This means customers can find incredibly low deals on Hotwire, especially in cities like those on the Hotel Rate Report where prices are unseasonably low.

About the Hotwire Hotel Rate Report

The Hotwire Hotel Rate Report will run results during the first 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 chart 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. Hotwire is an award-winning website and operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2053390-50. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com. Hotwire sites operates in 8 countries worldwide: www.hotwire.com, www.hotwire.com/uk, www.hotwire.com/ie, www.hotwire.com/au, www.hotwire.com/nz, www.hotwire.com/se, www.hotwire.com/no and www.hotwire.com/dk. In addition to Hotwire, The Hotwire Group of websites includes: www.hotwire.com, www.travel-ticker.com, www.carrentals.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. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved. CST# 2053390-40.

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