Australians have become last minute bookers of event holidays.

Sydney, March 20, 2015 – HotelClub, the online hotel booking community owned by leading online travel company Orbitz Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: OWW), has revealed that Australians are increasingly leaving their accommodation bookings to the last minute.

 

Booking data shows that. HotelClub saw bookings for New Year’s Eve almost double in the last 2 days before the event and saw a flurry of activity in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. Similar booking trends have been seen over the last two years and are expected to occur in the lead up to the Easter break.

 

“Travellers who leave their bookings to the last minute, will often find that the more luxurious hotels are booked out,” said Joana Barros, Senior Director of Brand and Consumer Marketing at HotelClub. The majority of hotels booked in the last few days tend to be 3-4 star, whereas 5 star hotels are often booked further in advance.  “As the hotel availability declines, we see travellers start to widen their search criteria.” said Barros.

 

Some tips to get the best hotel rate this Easter:

 

1)       Start with stars.

Search for your hotel according to your star rating preference – you may find a hotel within your budget at a higher star rating than you expected.

 

2)       Spoil yourself.

To make your holiday a little more luxurious, book on a website that offers extras during your stay. HotelClub offers members free room upgrades, free breakfasts and WiFi as well as late check outs at over 5,000 of our hotels.

 

3)       Get in first.

Pay for your next hotel booking quickly.. Visa Checkout allows you to check out online, on any device, in just a few clicks. Register once then pay with just a username and password, without having to fill out lengthy online fields.“Visa is already the preferred payment method on the HotelClub website. With Visa Checkout we’re making it even easier for travellers to secure their preferred hotel,” said Greg Storey, Head of Visa Checkout for Visa in Asia Pacific.

 

4)      Learn from those in the know.

If you’re tossing up between two hotels, or don’t quite know where to start, there is a wealth of hotel reviews online to help make your decision. You’ll find travel tips by the HotelClub community on the HotelClub site and blog.

 

5)       Plan ahead.

Public holidays don’t change each year, so plan ahead!

 

6)      Grab a bargain.

However if you are leaving it to the last minute this Easter, while you may encounter less availability, you may also be able to take advantage of last minute specials.

 

- ENDS - 

About HotelClub

HotelClub is operated by Australian registered HotelClub Pty Ltd, part of Orbitz Worldwide Inc (NSYE: OWW).  HotelClub is a global online accommodation community for travellers in the know. Our members receive Club Benefits every time they make a hotel booking, including free extras when they stay, up to 7% back on their bookings and exclusive deals on hotels. With accommodation choices in 7,400 cities across 141 countries worldwide, there’s a hotel to suit every traveller’s needs. Membership is free and services are available in 35 currencies and 17 languages.

 

About Orbitz Worldwide

Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW) is a leading global online travel company using technology to transform the way consumers around the world plan and purchase travel.  Orbitz Worldwide operates the consumer travel planning sites Orbitz (www.orbitz.com), ebookers (www.ebookers.com), HotelClub (www.hotelclub.com) and CheapTickets (www.cheaptickets.com).  Also within the Orbitz Worldwide family, Orbitz Partner Network (www.orbitz.com/OPN) delivers private label travel technology solutions to a broad range of partners including some of the world`s largest airlines and travel agencies, and Orbitz for Business (www.orbitzforbusiness.com) delivers managed travel solutions for companies of all sizes.  Orbitz Worldwide makes investor relations information available at investors.orbitz.com.