How to Get Luxe Hotel Accommodation for Less

• Choose amenities most of interest to you to go down a star and save
• More two-and three-star value for Canadians across the globe

TORONTO, April 5, 2016 /CNW/ - For travellers with five-star tastes, but only three-star budgets, the latest Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) from Hotels.com™reveals many reasonable options for Canadians looking for mid-scale hotel rooms at home or abroad.

Travelling within Canada has never looked so good.

According to the HPI, the prices Canadians paid* for two-and three-star rated hotels rooms in all popular domestic cities in 2015 were under $150 and $200 per night respectively. The best value in Canada is Edmonton, which recorded an average of $140 a night for a three-star hotel. Winnipeg was not far behind at $143. Even Banff, which reported the most expensive average in the country, was not much more at $188.

"It's always good to do a little research before making a final choice of hotel or destination as it can really help in stretching your travel budget," said Josh Belkin, Vice President & General Manager, North America for Hotels.com brand. "Upgrading your stay may not cost as much as you think; alternatively, going down a star could save quite a bit in some cases, especially if the amenities provided by that extra star are not vital to your stay."

For Canadians shooting for four-and five-star stays in this country, there is great value to be had for the discerning traveller. Compared to popular cities in the U.S. and Mexico, Canadian destinations offered good value at the five-star level with Vancouver leading the way at an average of $391 per night followed by Toronto at $482.

Think dream trips like Asia and Europe are totally out of reach?

Exploring these destinations and glamorous cities across various star-options is now doable for Canadians travelling abroad. Three-star hotel rooms across big European destinations including London, Paris, Rome and Venice were all under $200, according to the HPI, as were popular U.S. cities such as San Diego, San Francisco and Orlando.

For those looking for real value while travelling abroad, two-star rooms in Bali and Bangkok both came in at a mere $33 a night, with Phuket slightly higher at $43. On the luxury side, the lowest five-star averages were recorded in Berlin for $203 with Istanbul at $205 and Bangkok at $208 which is cheaper than some three-star hotels in Canada.

What goes into a star rating?

Each country has its own rating system and, in some cases such as the U.K., more than one. This means that travellers should be aware of a possible disparity of standards and facilities when booking rooms with the same star ratings in different countries.

Checking out guests reviews is another way of judging the standard of a hotel. Hotels.com has more than 20 million verified guest reviews from people who have actually stayed in the hotels and their opinions can really help you make up your mind as to whether you have found the perfect spot.

Average hotel room prices per night paid by Canadian travellers by star rating in selected cities in 2015

City	Country	**	***	****	*****
Bangkok	Thailand	$33	$54	$108	$208
Bali	Indonesia	$33	$55	$124	$350
Banff, AB	Canada	$170	$188	$333	n/a
Berlin	Germany	$93	$114	$152	$203
London	United Kingdom	$149	$197	$289	$547
Los Angeles, CA	USA	$148	$230	$351	$691
Prague	Czech Republic	$57	$96	$132	$233
Riviera Maya	Mexico	$86	$159	$399	$774
Toronto, ON	Canada	$111	$151	$220	$482
Vancouver, BC	Canada	$124	$167	$249	$391
Winnipeg, MB	Canada	$122	$143	$180	n/a

Top ten destinations with the best-value five-star hotels per night for Canadian travellers in 2015

City	Country	2015 Price
Berlin	Germany	$203
Istanbul	Turkey	$205
Bangkok	Thailand	$208
Lisbon	Portugal	$231
Prague	Czech Republic	$233
Phuket	Thailand	$255
Madrid	Spain	$266
Las Vegas, NV	USA	$291
Shanghai	China	$297
Seoul	South Korea	$297

About the HPI

The HPI is a biannual report that looks at hotel prices in cities all around the world. The data is based on bookings made through the Hotels.com website and the prices listed are the actual prices paid* by Canadians - not advertised rates.

Please visit hpi.hotels.com for more information and to view reports in additional currencies.

*Average prices paid per night including 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 favourites 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.

© 2016 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. CST # 2083949-50

SOURCE Hotels.com

Image with caption: "Experience the beauty and excitement of Bangkok, Thailand. (CNW Group/Hotels.com)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160405_C7397_PHOTO_EN_657555.jpg

Press Contacts: Somya Anand, energiPR for Hotels.com in Canada, Phone: [phone] x 19, Email: [email protected]; Emily Zazado, Hotels.com brand in Canada, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]