Hotels.com -- U.S. Hotel Prices Drop 17%

According to hotels.com

U.S. Hotel Prices Drop 17%

The latest hotels.com Hotel Price Index(TM), the average price of a hotel room in the U.S. fell 17 percent in the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. During Q1 and Q2 of 2009, the average cost of a nightly hotel room was $115, down from $139 the year before.

"This is by far the most significant change in prices we've seen since we created the Hotel Price Index. Americans' travel dollars have never gone farther than in 2009," said David Roche, President of hotels.com.

U.S. is not alone in regards to the fall in room rates as hotel rooms in Europe were down 16 percent, rates in North America and Asia both declining 17 percent, and hotel prices in Latin America fell 18 percent for the first half of the year.

Other notable findings in regards to U.S. destinations include:

Las Vegas overtook New York City as the favorite domestic destination for U.S. travelers in the first half of 2009, with room rates in the city just $82 a night on average. Destinations rounding out the top five U.S. favorites included New York City, Orlando, Chicago and San Francisco.

Las Vegas and New York City both experienced the nation's greatest drop in room rates with each destination down 30 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

Among the states, New York was the most expensive destination, followed by Hawaii, Massachusetts and Wyoming, whose ski tourism helped boost hotel prices in the state. The nation's least expensive states in the first half of 2009 included Nevada, with room rates just $77 on average, Idaho and Kansas.

For international travelers visiting the United States, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco were the top destinations in Q1 and Q2 2009.