Hotels.com HPI Reports Hotels in Battleground States Offers Best Value

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DALLAS, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- With midterm elections right around the corner, can you guess which states offer the best hotel rates for political party supporters? The latest Hotels.com®  Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®) reports battleground states* offer the best value on average in hotel room rates earlier this year versus blue** and red states*** in the same period year-over-year. The average price paid per room per night in the second quarter of this year was under $97 in battleground states.

Americans pay on average $114 per room, per night when traveling in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2010. While battleground states offer the best value with on average more cheap hotel options, travelers heading to blue states, states that traditionally vote for the Democratic Party, pay an average of $117 a night based on Q2 2010 bookings. Red states, states that heavily favor the GOP, offer an average of $100 per hotel room, per night.

Traditionally a blue state, New York boasts the highest average price paid hotel room - $193 a night in the second quarter of 2010. The cheapest hotel rooms in the U.S. are in the GOP favored state of Kansas; rooms went for $84 per night early this year.

"Hotels.com bi-annual Hotel Price Index offers some insight on which states give the best value for hotel rooms, particularly for Americans who may want to travel to show their support for their political party," says Taylor Cole, APR, director of public relations for Hotels.com. "Travelers are saving because average room rates are still as low as 2004 levels while receiving additional savings with great deals such as our $99 or less promotion."

Average Room Rates for Battleground States

Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are four of several states where both political parties are battling it out for control during the 2010 midterm elections. Average room nights of these states are as follows according to Hotels.com latest HPI:

Politicians' Home States

Travelers looking to visit Hawaii, where President Obama grew up, can find hotel rooms earlier this year for $132 per night. Chicago, the city that the President still calls home, offered an average of $137 per room night in Q2 2010. Recommended by 87% of past guests, travelers can find rooms at the four-star Allerton Hotel in Chi-town starting at $132 a night. While those looking to visit the White House in Washington, D.C., will need to spend a little more as rooms go for $195 on average per night.

Sarah Palin and her home state have gained popularity over the last year. Alaska saw a 3% increase year-over-year where travelers paid $125 in Q2 2010 instead of $121 paid last year in the same quarter. Palin fans must dig a little deeper in their pockets to visit capital city Juneau, where she worked as governor. Average price paid per room in Q2 2010 was $129 instead of $123 in the same quarter of last year – up 5% year-over-year. Fans can save a little in Palin's hometown of Wasilla where rooms are starting at $127 at the Hatcher Pass Bed & Breakfast.

For more information on Hotels.com HPI go to www.hotel-price-index.com

Note – The classification of battleground, blue, and red states was determined by average margins of victory in the past five presidential elections.

*States where both Democratic and Republican candidates did not receive a majority vote –CO, FL, OH, WV, MO, NV, and AR

**States where Democratic candidates received the majority vote – MA, RI, NY, HI, VT, MD, IL, CT, CA, DE, ME, NJ, WA, MI, MN, OR, PA, NM, WI, IA, NH

***States where Republican candidates received the majority vote – UT, ID, WY, NE, AK, OK, KS, ND, AL, TX, MS, SD, SC, MT, KY, IN, GA, NC, TN, AZ, LA, VA

About the HPI

The Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®) is a regular survey of hotel prices in major city destinations across the world. The HPI is based on bookings made on hotels.com and prices shown are those actually paid by customers (rather than advertised rates) in the first half (and particularly Q2) of 2010.

Now in its seventh year, the HPI is respected as the definitive report on hotel prices paid around the world and increasingly used as a reference tool by media, analysts, tourism bodies and academics.

About Hotels.com

Hotels.com® is a leading provider of hotel rooms worldwide, offering more than 85,000 properties in over 60 countries from national chain hotels and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts. Hotels.com is the smarter way to book travel by offering  welcomerewards®, an industry leading loyalty rewards program; the real opinions of other travelers captured in over 1.5 million Guest Reviews and; a Price Match Guarantee, so that those booking with Hotels.com can be assured they are getting the best deal, either online or by speaking directly to a travel expert at 1-800-2-HOTELS 24 hours a day. For more information, please visit hotels.com. Hotels.com is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE). Please visit the Hotels.com Travel Smart Blog for consumer and business travel information. Follow us on Twitter via www.twitter.com/hotelsdotcom, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hotelsdotcom and take a VirtualVacation at www.virtualvacay.com. Detailed Hotel Price Index data is available at: http://www.hotel-price-index.com, Hotels.com, A Smarter Way to Book™.

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