Where Are Americans Going?

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- MS -- Coinciding with the recent recession, the travel industry has fallen to all time lows in the last couple of years, as money-conscious Americans have cut back on discretionary spending. According to the Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™), a bi-annual report of hotel prices in major city destinations across the globe, the price of a hotel room rose two percent in the second quarter of 2010, the first such increase since 2007.

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"The economy is just starting to regain its footing, which means now is the ideal time to book travel, while demand is still low and before prices continue to rise," said Victor Owens, vice president, North America at Hotels.com. "We are seeing signs that hoteliers are increasingly optimistic about the state of the market which may indicate an upward trend."

1. Las Vegas, NV. The most popular domestic destination for U.S. travelers, Las Vegas proved a great bargain as well. According to the HPI, the average price per room per night in Las Vegas in the second quarter of 2010 was just $84, an eight percent decrease from the same period in 2009.

2. New York, NY. Though it might be impossible for many people to associate the word "affordable" with New York City, hotel prices in the second quarter of 2010 dipped 14 percent from those in 2009, dipping below $200 to $196 per room per night.

3. Orlando, FL. The home to Disney witnessed a more modest dip in prices between 2009 and 2010, from $88 per room per night to $87, but still remains a bargain for families.

4. Chicago, IL. The Windy City remains a popular locale for U.S. travelers and prices held steady from 2009 to 2010.

5. San Francisco, CA. Few American cities are more beloved than the City By the Bay, which saw prices drop 3 percent in the second quarter of 2010 compared to the same period a year earlier.

6. San Diego, CA. While hotel prices slightly increased in the second quarter of 2010, the $124 per room, per night average remains affordable.

7. Los Angeles, CA. Tourists who took in all the City of Angels has to offer in the second quarter of 2010 spent just $125 per room, per night, a two percent decrease from a year earlier.

8. New Orleans, LA. Perhaps no city has a more unique personality than New Orleans, which saw the price of rooms drop 11 percent in 2010.

9. Atlanta, GA. This fast-growing metropolis remains affordable, with the average cost of a room just $103 per night.

10. Houston, TX. Everything is bigger in Texas except, apparently, the hotel bill. While prices increased slightly in the second quarter of 2010, rooms remained affordable at just $113 per night.

For more information, including unbiased guest reviews on more than 92,000 properties worldwide, visit http://www.Hotels.com.

SOURCE Hotels.com