Price Of A Hotel Room Bottoms Out

By Hotels.com, PRNE
Sunday, September 12, 2010

Average Global Hotel Room Cost Rises 2% in Q2 2010

LONDON, September 13, 2010 - The average price of a hotel room around the world rose 2% in the second
quarter of 2010 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to the
Hotels.com(R) Hotel Price Index(TM) (HPI(R)).

This was the first time that the average hotel room price rose
year-on-year after seven consecutive quarters of price falls.

However, prices had fallen so low during 2009 that despite the modest
increase, the average price of a room is still lower now than it was in 2004.

While prices in all regions were either flat or down year-on-year in the
first three months of 2010, by Q2 the average price had risen 1% in Europe
and the Caribbean, 3% in the Americas and had stabilised in Asia.

However, despite staying flat year-on-year, the average price of a hotel
room in Asia was 17% higher in Q2 2010 than when the Hotel Price Index was
started in 2004. This is in contrast to every other region of the world where
the average room price has remained very close to the 2004 level.

David Roche, President of Hotels.com, comments: "Hotel pricing trends, up
to the end of Q2 of 2010, confirm that stabilization has indeed been under
way in the hotel industry, and that there are hints of a recovery. Hotel
prices appear to have hit the bottom in the first half of 2010, and have
lately trended up 2% against the prior year, the first time prices have risen
since 2007.

If indeed we're seeing the beginning of a true recovery, it is an uneven
recovery, and one starting from a low base. Prices remain at levels not seen
since 2004 in much of the developed world - the Asia-Pacific region is the
only one to show any significant growth."

The Hotels.com HPI tracks the real prices paid per hotel room (rather
than advertised rates) for 91,500 hotels across 15,750 locations around the
world. The latest HPI looks at prices in Q2 2010 compared to those in Q2
2009.

    For a full copy of the HPI report (live from 15:01 hrs BST 13
                        September 2010) go to:

                               GBP or EUR report:
             www.hotels.com/press/hotel-price-index.html

                    USD report: hotels.mediaroom.com/

    Alternatively, email press@hotels.co.uk or call:

    Cordy Griffiths on +44-20-7019-2268
    Kate Hopcraft on +44-20-7019-2165

About Hotels.com

As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets,
Hotels.com offers more than 120,000 hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments
worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel,
Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel
contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its
customers, plus there are 1.8m reviews from users who have actually stayed in
the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking.
Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine
in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the
multilingual call centres.

Hotels.com, Hotel Price Index, HPI and the Hotels.com Wake Up Happy logo
are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP, in the U.S.
and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned
herein may be the property of their respective owners. (c) 2002-2010
Hotels.com, LP. All rights reserved. CST # 2083949-50

Cordy Griffiths on +44-20-7019-2268 or Kate Hopcraft on +44-20-7019-2165

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