Forget Flowers & Candy: Orbitz Insider Index Reveals 'Romantic Getaway' Most Desired Valentine's Gift

CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbitz (www.orbitz.com) today released a special edition of the Insider Index which takes a look at romantic vacations and popular Valentine's Day destinations according to booking patterns on Orbitz.com and a survey of site users.

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Survey Says: Trips are Tops

Taking a vacation with your sweetheart is the most preferred Valentine's Day gift, though few have ever given or received such a romantic getaway for the holiday. According to the survey of Orbitz.com customers, nearly half of the respondents said a travel retreat with their sweetheart would be their favorite way to celebrate, but 85 percent of them have never actually given or received a trip for Valentine's Day.

In addition, "a bungalow on a remote beach" is the most preferred type of romantic vacation (55 percent respondents preferred), beating out a wine country B&B (17 percent), an upscale boutique hotel in the city (14 percent) and a ski chalet in the mountains (5 percent).

Other highlights:

• San Francisco narrowly beat Miami as the sexiest city in America, with New York coming in third
• "Ambience and decor" were the most important factors in choosing a hotel for a romantic tryst (35 percent), followed by location/neighborhood (24 percent), the view and "special attention by staff" (20 percent).

"A surprise getaway is a crowd-pleasing Valentine gift for your sweetheart, but often people think it's too time-consuming or expensive to give the gift of travel," said Orbitz Senior Editor Jeanenne Tornatore. "But with our Orbitz Packages Matrix Display, people can see many flight and hotel options, as well as the potential savings to be had by booking items together instead of separately."

Most Popularly Booked Destinations for 2011

In addition to polling site users, Orbitz also looked at the most popularly booked destinations for Valentine's Day travelers this year vs. last year. Highlights include:

• Las Vegas holds strong in the number-one slot again this year thanks to the ongoing budget-friendly deals in Sin City.
• Cancun and Chicago move up the list to number three and five, respectively.
• A colder winter in the contiguous U.S. may explain Oahu breaking through the top 10 this year.

Orbitz Editors' Top Picks for Romance

Orbitz editors also highlighted five of their own favorite picks this Valentine's Day and where the savings can be found in each destination as part of Orbitz Winter Sale.

• San Francisco, Calif. – Sweethearts seeking urban romance can enjoy a stroll along the famed Fisherman's Wharf, fine dining in the city's Michelin-star restaurants or a romantic sunset overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors can find great deals at hotels like the Hotel Carlton, where couples can enjoy 30 percent off a two-night stay.
• Las Vegas, Nev. – Sin City is the perfect getaway for those on the hunt for a Valentine this year. From the hottest restaurants and nightclubs to world-class entertainment and even wedding chapels, Las Vegas has something for everyone this Valentine's Day. Visitors can find deals upward of 40 percent off at top hotels like the Palms Casino Resort and Treasure Island - TI.
• Savannah, Ga. – Whether it is sipping sweet tea at a sweeping sidewalk cafe or taking in a historic house tour, Savannah is the epitome of southern romance. Savannah's Inn at Ellis Square located in Savannah's Historic Riverfront District is also part of Orbitz Winter Sale with up to 30 percent off.
• Nashville, Tenn. – It is hard to discount the romance of swaying to a country love song with your sweetheart in Nashville. Music is a way of life in this city so a visit to the Grand Ole Opry and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra is a must for sweethearts visiting this savvy southern city. Plus, 30 percent savings at hotels like the newly renovated Country Inn & Suites by Carlson will make the stay even sweeter.
• Fort Myers/Naples, Fla. – Historic Old Naples on the waterfront is a great place for romantics to indulge in seafood brought in fresh from the boats right before diner's very eyes. And the pristine sandy beaches don't hurt either.  Book flight and hotel together at properties like Inn on Fifth Avenue and save 20 percent off as part of the Orbitz Winter Sale so the savings can go towards designer shopping at the Waterside Shops in Naples – nothing says "I love you" like a gift from Tiffany's.

Even though Valentine's Day is just around the corner, there are plenty more sweet deals to be had. With many couples postponing their Valentine's Day travel to take advantage of the upcoming President's Day weekend, Orbitz Winter Sale might just be the ticket to save upwards of 30 percent on a getaway package. For more details on Orbitz Winter Sale, visit www.orbitz.com/sales.

About Orbitz.com

Orbitz.com (www.orbitz.com) is a leading online travel company that enables travelers to search for and book a broad array of travel products, including airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages.  Since launching its Web site to the general public in June 2001, Orbitz.com has become one of the largest online travel sites in the world and has led the industry with innovations including Flight Price Assurance, Hotel Price Assurance and Total Price hotel search results. On Orbitz.com consumers can search more than 80,000 suppliers worldwide including airlines, hotels and car rental companies.  Orbitz.com is owned by Orbitz Worldwide.  Stay connected to Orbitz.com with sale alerts, exclusive promotions and engaging conversations by following Orbitz on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orbitz), Twitter (www.twitter.com/orbitz) and the Orbitz Travel Blog (www.orbitz.com/blog).

About Orbitz Worldwide

Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that uses innovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research, plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns a portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com), RatesToGo (www.ratestogo.com) and the Away Network (www.away.com).  Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Worldwide Distribution (http://corp.orbitz.com/partnerships/distribution) delivers private label travel solutions to a broad range of partners including many of the world's largest airlines, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed corporate travel solutions for corporations. For more information on partnership opportunities with Orbitz Worldwide, visit corp.orbitz.com.  Orbitz Worldwide uses its Investor Relations website to make information available to its investors and the public at http://www.orbitz-ir.com. You can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the company posts new information to the website.

SOURCE Orbitz.com