Hotel Prices Paid in Canada up Five Per Cent

• Global hotel prices paid by travellers worldwide rose by just 1% during first half 2015, according to latest Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com
• Prices paid overall not back to pre-economic crisis levels, representing great value for travellers, but three regions set new records for spending
• Canada reported a 5% increase in hotel prices paid

TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2015 /CNW/ - For the first time, hotel prices paid in three world regions have overtaken their pre-financial crisis levels of 2008/2009, with North America, the Caribbean and Latin America setting new records, although the overall global rise is up just 1% in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014 according to the latest Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) from Hotels.com™. More travellers¹, higher consumer spending in key areas and strong currency fluctuations have all contributed to this result. According to Hotels.com, Canadian hotels reported one of the strongest rebounds with a 5% increase in prices paid to an average of $166 per night amongst all travellers, both international and domestic.

The HPI is a regular report of hotel prices in major destinations across the world, tracking the movement in prices that people actually paid* for their accommodation and providing valuable insight into the reasons behind these changes. The data is drawn from bookings made on the hundreds of thousands of hotels on the Hotels.com websites worldwide.

Looking at the top 50 most popular Canadian cities for domestic travel, the biggest increases in pricing, upwards of 10 per cent, were found in western cities: Golden, BC; Vancouver, BC  and Banff, AB. The largest reported decrease was in Canada's largest oil producing city, Fort McMurray, AB. Down 18 per cent year-over-year, the city's economy has experienced its share of hardship since oil prices plummeted in 2014.² 

10 Most Popular Domestic Cities for Canadian Travellers

City	Province	What Travellers Paid in 2015	What Travellers Paid in 2014	Change in Prices Paid
1.     Toronto	ON	$157	$152	3%
2.     Montreal	QC	$170	$168	1%
3.     Vancouver	BC	$174	$157	11%
4.     Edmonton	AB	$139	$144	-3%
5.     Calgary	AB	$160	$166	-3%
6.     Ottawa	ON	$154	$149	3%
7.     Niagara Falls	ON	$155	$144	7%
8.     Quebec	QC	$152	$151	1%
9.     Winnipeg	MB	$139	$140	-1%
10.   Victoria	BC	$159	$148	7%

Within the 50 most popular international destinations, Canadian travellers to Shanghai experienced the highest increase in average prices paid for accommodation at 28 per cent more in the first half of 2015. This was followed by U.S. cities, Los Angeles and Nashville, at 21 and 20 per cent. On the other end of the spectrum, travellers found deals in exotic locales like Bali and Florence, paying an average of 18 per cent less in 2015.

10 Most Popular International Cities for Canadian Travellers

City	Country	What Travellers Paid in 2015	What Travellers Paid in 2014	Change in Prices Paid
1.     New York	United States	$282	$267	6%
2.     Las Vegas	United States	$137	$126	8%
3.     London	United Kingdom	$262	$257	2%
4.     Paris	France	$217	$239	-9%
5.     Orlando	United States	$131	$118	11%
6.     Rome	Italy	$176	$198	-11%
7.     San Francisco	United States	$265	$236	12%
8.     Chicago	United States	$214	$186	15%
9.     Los Angeles	United States	$219	$182	21%
10.   Seattle	United States	$211	$182	16%

Please visit www.hotel-price-index.com for more information and to view reports in additional currencies.  Follow the conversation and get more HPI pricing insights on Twitter at #HotelExperts.

*Average prices paid per night inclusive of taxes and fees.

About Hotels.com
Hotels.com, L.P. operates Hotels.com (also known in Canada as Hotels.ca), a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2015 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice, Hotel Price Index, HPI and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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1}http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2015-07-08/international-tourist-arrivals-4-first-four-months-2015
² http://business.financialpost.com/news/energy/new-reality-sets-in-at-fort-mcmurray-that-this-downturn-is-different

SOURCE Hotels.com

Image with caption: "Hotel prices paid by Canadian travellers in Vancouver rose 11 per cent in first half of 2015 (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150902_C3699_PHOTO_EN_488687.jpg

Media Contact: Lauren Wasley, energiPR for Hotels.com, Phone: [phone] x 19, Email: [email protected], Twitter: @energiPR; Taylor L. Cole, APR, Hotels.com North America, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected], Twitter: @TravelwithTLC