Just back from your summer vacation, but feel ready for another one? According to Hotwire.com®, a leading discount travel site, consumers can get the best bang for their travel dollars during the off-peak shoulder season when travel demand typically declines and the travel industry is trying to fill empty rooms, flights and cars. Shoulder season runs from September through November, between the peak summer season and winter holidays, when the weather is still good and travelers can score real bargains.
“Shoulder season is a great time to beat the crowds and high rates at many popular destinations,” says Clem Bason, vice president and travel expert at Hotwire®, a leading discount travel site. “There’s no need for travelers to spend half their vacation waiting in line, and pay high season rates. Traveling during shoulder season is a relaxing and great way to stretch your vacation dollars. Take a getaway this Fall before prices start rising towards the holidays.”
For consumers wanting to book a shoulder season escape, Bason offers the following tips:
- Enjoy warm weather destinations. Resort destinations, especially those focused on families, generally see slower demand just after the summer season. Great deals can be found in Orlando, Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean. Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Phoenix can also be good.
- Try mid-sized cities. The biggest cities will be hosting conventions and it may be harder to score a deal when business travelers are in town. But mid-sized gems like Dallas, Orlando and Denver have a lot to offer. Check out the Hotwire Travel Value Index for a list of some mid-sized cities that are a great value year-round.
- Check out markets with an excess of new hotels. Cities like Washington DC, Las Vegas and San Diego are expected to remain inexpensive for the remainder of 2008. Fewer conventions are planned in these markets during the coming months and there are empty rooms to fill in many of the new hotels.
- Hit the road. After Labor Day, car rental rates typically fall because companies have excess summer inventory to unload. In fact, car rental rates on Hotwire.com are as low as $13.95 a day.
Below are examples of hotel deals available on Hotwire during the shoulder season:
$79 per night - 4-star beachfront resort hotel, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
$89 per night - 4-star beachfront, resort-style condo, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
$94 per night - 3.5-star hotel, Miami - Central South Beach
$64 per night - 4-star resort, North Scottsdale
$66 per night - 4-star hotel, North Fort Lauderdale
$86 per night - 3.5-star resort, Bahamas - Nassau and Paradise Island
$64 per night - 4-star hotel, Las Vegas near Strip East
$69 per night – 4 star hotel, Orlando
About Hotwire.com
Hotwire.com® is a leading discount travel site with low rates on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. Launched in 2000, Hotwire® negotiates deep discounts from its travel suppliers to help travelers book unsold airline seats, hotel rooms and rental cars. J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Independent Travel Web Site Satisfaction StudySM recognized Hotwire for ranking “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Independent Travel Web Sites, Two Years in a Row.” Hotwire is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE). CST: 2053390-40. NST: 20003-0209. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".