Orbitz Insider Index Highlights Value-Priced Neighborhoods in Most Popular Memorial Day Destinations

CHICAGO, May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation season.  Many Americans are set to hit the roads and pack the airports for their Memorial Day getaways, despite rising prices at the pumps.  The Orbitz Insider Index provides a look at where travelers are headed for the long weekend this year, as well as which nearby neighborhoods or suburbs in those hot spots offer relative bargains for budget-conscious travelers.

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"It's always fun to stay in the middle of a city, but the fact is that some of the best attractions are within a city's neighborhoods or nearby suburbs," said Marita Hudson Thomas, Orbitz Travel Insider.  "For example, in New York you'll find great restaurants and unique shopping downtown rather than in Times Square or Midtown, which typically are the more popular tourist's areas, plus you'll save up to 10% off your hotel costs."

Based on hotel bookings on Orbitz.com, the most popular Memorial Day destination this year is Las Vegas, followed by New York and Chicago.  Many of the usual beach locations also top the list (Honolulu No. 4, San Diego No. 5 and Miami Beach No. 6). Indianapolis cracks the top 10 due to the Indianapolis 500 on May 30.

In these popular locales where rooms can be scarce and prices higher during holiday weekends, there are alternative neighborhoods where less expensive accommodations can be found. For example, staying just across the street from Honolulu's Waikiki Beach instead of directly on the sand can save more than 22 percent on lodging costs. Hotels in Rosemont, IL (near Chicago's O'Hare airport) instead of the heart of The Windy City can save vacationers more than 40 percent during Memorial Day weekend.

Orbitz Editors' Picks: Best Value Destinations for Memorial Day 2011

• With an average daily rate (ADR) of just $77.71, Orlando offers the lowest hotel rates of this year's most popular Memorial Day destinations. Average high temperatures in the upper 80s and lows in the mid-60s make Orlando a perfect spot to soak up the sun, enjoy a visit to a popular theme park and simply relax by a hotel pool. To save even more, book a hotel in nearby Kissimmee, where a 20% savings can be had.
• San Diego offers everything from beautiful weather and gorgeous beaches to a myriad of family friendly attractions including Legoland, Sea World and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. Not only will staying in Mission Valley, less than 10 minutes inland from the sandy beaches of the Pacific, save you more than 30% on hotel rates, but you'll still be centrally located among the most popular attractions and oceanfront activities.  Plus, score up to $150 in instant savings when you book a qualifying San Diego hotel stay for four or more nights by May 31, 2011.(1)
• Honolulu is the place that first introduced surfing to the masses. The city has undergone a renaissance in recent years with great new restaurants, hotels and family attractions right downtown. In addition, most people don't realize that miles of world-famous surfing beaches and pristine North Shore hiking trails are less than an hour's drive up the coast. Book a hotel across from Waikiki Beach and save 22%.

To find great last minute Memorial Day hotel deals visit, www.orbitz.com/hotels.  

(1) Book a qualifying San Diego hotel or package between May 1, 2011 and May 31, 2011 for 4 or more nights for travel between May 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 via Orbitz and instantly receive $75 off your booking through the use of the promotion code ORBITZ75SANDIEGO. Book a qualifying San Diego hotel or package between May 1, 2011 and May 31, 2011 for 5 or more nights for travel between May 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 via Orbitz and instantly receive $150 off your booking through the use of the promotion code ORBITZ150SANDIEGO. Limit one discount per hotel room and one promotion code per booking. Discounts are not redeemable for cash for any reason. Promotion codes are non-transferrable, not for resale, and cannot be combined with other offers. Any attempt at fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted. Orbitz reserves the right to change or limit the promotion in its sole discretion. This promotion code may only be redeemed once. Good only up to the total amount of your purchase (including service fee and taxes) or promotion code amount, whichever is less.

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://corp.orbitz.com/investors. You can sign up to receive email alerts whenever the company posts new information to the website.

SOURCE Orbitz.com