Hotwire Reveals Canadian Hotel Rate Report for February 2012

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, today announced the results of its February 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 destinations that can maximize their travel dollars so they can take more trips.

After a three month absence, Kingston takes first place this month with a 14 percent price drop. The city was a strong value destination in fall 2011, but dropped off the list as prices began recovering. Nestled in the bed of Lake Ontario, Kingston is known for its heritage, winter activities and yearlong sightseeing tours by foot, cruise or trolley. It's a great destination for families and offers a host of winter outdoor activities including skiing, snowboarding and ice-skating. Kingston is also known for its annual "FebFest," a community celebration around its love of winter sports.

For the third consecutive month, Montreal appears on the list in second place with a seven percent price drop. The big city of the east is currently experiencing colder than normal temperatures, resulting in demand tailing off to this beautiful city and prompting hotels to drop prices. So, if you're willing to put an extra layer on, now is a great opportunity to experience all Montreal has to offer, including its various multi-cultural festivals, art museums, zip-lining tours, shopping and foodie tours at a fantastic price.

Victoria, Banff and Calgary round out the top five this month. The cold is also affecting demand in both Banff and Calgary. Banff, which is a popular ski destination for neighboring cities, is lowering prices to try and get skiers on their slopes. Victoria on the other hand is having a normal winter, but is experiencing their slowest season in years, prompting hotels to have to offer killer deals to peak traveller's interest.

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

"With a winter that's causing prices to fall lower than usual in some very popular destinations, now is a great time to take advantage of great deals to experience some top cities on a small budget," said Pierre-Etienne Chartier, Vice President, Operations of the Hotwire Group. "As the weather warms up, prices are bound to increase, but travellers will always be able to find deeply discounted rates with Hotwire.com."

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.

Contact:
Andrew Reynolds
Atomic PR
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SOURCE Hotwire.com