Hotwire.com Reveals Top 10 Most Popular Spots to Ring in the New Year - and Celebrates with One-Day-Only Sale

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As the countdown to the New Year begins, two in five Americans (41 percent) plan to ring in 2011 away from home, according to a recent survey* by leading discount travel site Hotwire.com®.  And many of those travelers are looking to celebrate in some of the most exciting cities, both within and outside of our nation's borders.

Chicago, Las Vegas and Toronto top the list as the most popular destinations for New Year's Eve.  As surprising as it may be to some to see beautiful Toronto near the top, it may be even more surprising to see perennial favorite New York City at number seven.  Either way, it's not hard to see why watching fireworks over Navy Pier while celebrating the New Year in the great capital of the Midwest is number one.

The top 10 destinations for New Year's Eve 2010, according to hotel bookings on Hotwire.com, include the following:

1. Chicago, Illinois                
2. Las Vegas, Nevada                        
3. Toronto, Ontario, Canada                            
4. Atlanta, Georgia                              
5. Los Angeles, California                  
6. Orlando, Florida                              
7. New York, New York                            
8. Washington, D.C.                
9. San Francisco, California                              
10. Boston, Massachusetts                                

"New Year's Eve booking trends on Hotwire reflect where the deals are this year," said Clem Bason, President of the Hotwire® Group.  "New York City traditionally experiences tighter room availability and higher prices around New Year's Eve.  However, some of the year's best deals are consistently found in cities like Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  The great values on hotels in these cities led to higher rankings on our top-ten list this year."

In addition, Hotwire is giving travelers another reason to pop the bubbly early for this New Year's Eve and beyond.  In celebration of their recent 10-year anniversary, Hotwire will be offering a 24-hour promotion where customers can save an extra 10 percent off all Hotwire Hot Rate® hotels and rental cars.  With such big savings, travelers can stretch their dollars to celebrate the New Year's holiday in style, no matter where they go.  To score the extra discount, customers simply need go to www.hotwire.com/anniversary and they'll automatically get access to the reduced rates on hotel and car rental searches for trips well beyond just New Year's Eve.  This promotion is only available for one day only on Wednesday, December 15, from 12:01 a.m. PST to 11:59 p.m. PST.

"2010 marked our 10th year in business and we want to celebrate with our customers by helping everyone ring in the New Year in style and on budget," added Clem Bason.  "An extra 10 percent off our already-discounted Hot Rates for hotel and car bookings throughout December 15th will only add to the fun and excitement as we welcome the New Year."

Below are examples of hotel rates recently booked on Hotwire for stays during New Year's Eve weekend**:

By working with hotels, airlines and car rental companies to help fill unsold inventory, Hotwire is able to offer even bigger discounts – up to 50 percent off published prices.  Since its founding in 2000, Hotwire has paved the way in online discount travel with its no bidding, no hassle, no games approach.

*The Traveler Intentions Survey was conducted from November 17 until December 1, 2010, online among Hotwire/Travel Ticker® users, with 1,779 completed responses.  More information on the survey is available upon request.

**Hotel rates shown are based on actual bookings made on Hotwire.com from November 13 - December 11, 2010, for stays between December 30, 2010 - January 2, 2011.

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, Hotwire.com, Hot Rates, Travel Ticker and the Hotwire logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.  Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.  © 2010 Hotwire, Inc.  All rights reserved. CST# 2053390-40.

SOURCE Hotwire.com