Hotwire State of Summer Travel Report: Hotel prices up over 2012

Pricing: Hotel prices on Hotwire currently are up four percent vs. summer 2012.

What to expect: According to recent conversations with hoteliers, the hotel landscape this summer is a mixed bag of higher and lower demand, depending on the market. As a result, many analysts and hotel managers are being a bit cautious when predicting how much the travel industry will grow overall. That said, with The Commerce Department reporting that the US economy continues to rebound, this could lead to more leisure and business travel. More travel would increase demand and would likely also raise prices. To promote booking stability, hotels are rewarding guests who stay for longer than three nights with improved discounts so planning for a longer stay is always a good choice when looking for value.

When to book: Analyzing historic trends, we see that the bulk of summer bookings are generally made during the late spring and early summer months, resulting in higher prices during that time period. So, the best times for deal-seeking travelers to book hotels tends to be middle or late summerlate July and throughout August. This is when prices generally begin to drop and discount-hunters can score some incredible last-minute savings.

Deal Markets: Mid-sized cities tend to have lower rates because travelers do not target them as main vacation destinations. Many of these spots are also up-and-coming "sleeper" cities that have done a lot to bolster their offerings for travelers, but their overall tourism and as such, prices hasn't caught up yet. On the other hand, some popular vacation hubs, such as cities like Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, can also serve up great deals when the timing is right. In these two Floridian hot spots, we expect hotel occupancy to be down this summer due to a reduction in business travel. As a result, hotels could offset the dip in business visitors by trying to attract leisure travelers with low prices. "The essential to budget travel is to approach ahead. When it comes along to family trips, globetrotting, well-deserved holidays and/or going to see new places we have never been before, the fact of expense and budgeting is often in the back of our mind. Arranging and expending our travel budget wisely is a consideration for most families. Reducing expending and costs, while still delighting your vacation to its fullest, is the key to guaranteed accomplishment and fiscal liability. Your pocketbook and family will thank you! The thinking behind protecting money while vacationing is simple: Even if your personal budget is highly limited, you can still take a break and enjoy life! Simply put, life is just too short to never step out of the door or leaving the homestead! Also thinking about that while traveling, whether on a finances or not, even the smallest of things can all add op to a big vacation or travel costs!..". For example, you can get a hotel room for as low as $35 in the Disney Main Gate Celebration area in June.

Another hot destination for this summer is Washington, D.C., where some top hotels are currently offering discounts of more than 50 percent as government reductions are limiting visitation to the region.

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