Eavesdrop on Travelers' Dreams as Labor Day Approaches

DALLAS, Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer, when the marketing team at Hotels.com® asked consumers to submit their dreams at www.sleepdreamwin.com for a chance to stay at a dream hotel of their choice, they expected to receive a few bizarre stories.  But now, with thousands of submissions received and one week left in the promotion, what has been submitted thus far could be used as a thesis about dreams in a post financial crisis world written by a graduate of psychology student at NYU.  What's on the minds of aspiring travelers as they sleep?  The top responses broke out like this:

Take Me Away  31%
Stories about escaping topped the list of dreams.  But they were not all about going someplace great for a vacation.  There were also dreams of taking a motorcycle trip to nowhere, getting away from a wedding planning nightmare, and escaping a hot day in the sun covered in syrup.

Animals Are in Our Subconscious   21%
Beyond dreams about travel destinations, dreams involving animals were the second most popular.  There were people skydiving with fish, fighting kangaroos with coconuts, seeing a rainbow of puppies, carrying a never-ending basket of kittens, and a host of other animal scenarios.

Famous People Aren't That Special  17%
Our brains seem to like bringing famous people down to our level.  That might explain why there were so many submissions of people interacting with politicians and movie stars.  Like enjoying a peanut butter sandwich with the president, or blogging with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or taking a fishing class taught by Chuck Norris. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib1DXGP8oaM

Food Comes to Life at Night   13%
You might expect people to dream about eating indulgent food.  And there were quite a few dreams submitted with people enjoying an endless amount of chocolate and other decadent food items.  But more commonly were dreams about food coming to life, then interacting with people -- such as being chased by a chicken burrito through the streets of Los Angeles, or talking to cucumbers in the field about the use of organic fertilizer.

Feelings of Inadequacy  11%
Not necessarily inadequacy in the bedroom, but rather the shortcomings people have that are brought to life while dreaming in the bedroom.  Things like living up the high standards set by Oprah, understanding complicated math, or speaking French while in France. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws6YCUqnKig

From now until August 30th, participants can share dreams on www.SleepDreamWin.com to be entered to win a stay at a dreamy hotel of their choice. Ten winners will each receive two free hotel nights, up to $250 each. In addition, Hotels.com will select five user-submitted dreams to be brought to life by a zany group of improvisation actors for the world to see in videos on www.SleepDreamWin.com. Participants whose dreams are selected for reenactment on the site will also be upgraded to Welcome Rewards Gold status, granting them access to exclusive deals and early access to promotions on Hotels.com.

The benefits of being a Welcome Rewards member are beyond dreamy, as you can earn rewards while you sleep. For every 10 hotel stays, members earn a free* night that can be redeemed at more than 85,000 partner hotels, with no restrictions or blackout dates.

* The average daily rate of the ten nights stayed represents the maximum value of the free night. Travelers are responsible for paying taxes and fees.  Your free night is good at any Welcome Rewards eligible property. The maximum value of your free night is the average daily rate of your ten (10) nights. Your free night does not include taxes and fees.

+ Price match guarantee on hotel bookings. If you find a lower price on exactly the same stay elsewhere, we'll match it or let you cancel your booking without a penalty.  Terms and conditions apply.

Sleep. Dream. Win. Terms and Conditions

Welcome Rewards Terms and Conditions

Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation booking brand. Through the Expedia, Inc. global network of websites, Hotels.com, LP connects travelers with approximately 220,000 properties around the world, 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. 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^®, 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. Travelers 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 www.facebook.com/Hotels.comUS, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hotelsdotcom 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, 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. © 2013 Hotels.com, LP. All rights reserved. CST # 2083949-50

Contact:
John McCauley – Brokaw for Hotels.com
Brokaw Inc.
Phone: (440) 263-3964
Email: [email protected]

Amy Chang – Finn Partners for Hotels.com
Phone: (212) 715-1667
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @finnpartners

Video with caption: "Our brains seem to like bringing famous people down to our level. That might explain why there were so many submissions of people interacting with politicians and movie stars. Like enjoying a peanut butter sandwich with the president, or blogging with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or taking a fishing class taught by Chuck Norris." Video available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib1DXGP8oaM

Video with caption: "Not necessarily inadequacy in the bedroom, but rather the shortcomings people have that are brought to life while dreaming in the bedroom.  Things like living up the high standards set by Oprah, understanding complicated math, or speaking French while in France." Video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws6YCUqnKig

Image with caption: "Hotels.com is asking consumers to submit their dreams for a chance to win a dream hotel getaway. An improv group from Chicago is acting out select dreams, like this performance of "Queen of the Office," posted on www.SleepDreamWin.com." Image available at: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130828/MM71130

SOURCE Hotels.com