Annual Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) names Geneva as the most expensive city for a Club Sandwich, while UK comes eighth 

Geneva has taken over from Paris as the most expensive city in the world in which to order a Club Sandwich, at an average of £19.96, according to research released today by Hotels.com. Using the classic hotel staple of a chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich as a barometer of affordability, the Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) offers holidaymakers an indication of the cost of living associated with their destination of choice.

The CSI average price is calculated from the real prices paid by guests for a Club Sandwich in 30 hotels in the capital or an important tourist city of each country surveyed, across five, four and three star categories.  In total, 840 hotels globally were canvassed.

Now in its second year, the Index reflects not only changes in the actual price of a Club Sandwich across the globe but also the effect of currency fluctuations.  Travellers will be pleased to note that, on the whole, prices are falling: the Genevan average of £19.96, although higher than any other destination, is also lower than last year’s most expensive, which was £20.43 in Paris.

In the Swiss city, prices for the ‘Club’ ranged from £34.33 in one five-star hotel to a more reasonable £9.27 in a three-star establishment.  Gastronomic hub and last year’s chart topper, Paris, this year slipped to number two with a new average of £17.99, followed by Oslo, which held on to the third spot with £17.51.

In the UK the average Club Sandwich came in at £13.53, with prices ranging from £26 to £6, putting Britain eighth on the table.

New Delhi remained the cheapest destination to buy a Club Sandwich, with an average of just £5.97, although several other holiday favourites also appeared under the £10 threshold, including Madrid (£9.68), Rio de Janeiro (£9.44) and Bangkok (£7.74).

Alison Couper from Hotels.com said: “The Club Sandwich, available on hotel menus across the globe, is the perfect spending barometer, helping tourists factor into their travel plans the everyday cost of simple items such as food and drink.  The price changes when comparing 2013 to 2012 hide a complex story of factors from changes in the local price of basic food items through to currency fluctuations.  The beauty of the CSI is that we are able to offer travellers a simple price comparison to show how far their money may stretch in each country.”

The Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) 2013:

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Editors Notes

The Club Sandwich Index ‘average Club Sandwich price’ has been worked out as the average price of 30 Club Sandwiches as sold in 30 hotels in the Capital City of each country measured. The prices were taken from 10 Five Star, 10 Four Star, and 10 Three Star hotels from each city. In total 840 prices of a Club Sandwich were measured across 840 hotels, in 28 countries. Local currency was converted to GBP, exchange rate correct as of 25^th April 2013 and compared to the exchange rate of 25^th April 2012.

Brentford experiences search increases of 227% on Hotels.com as Luton, Kettering and Harlow complete the list of up-and-coming UK summer destinations

As Britain prepares for the summer holidays, the UK destination with the greatest year on year search increases is Brentford, according to the latest Hotels.com Hotlist.

The unlikely West London tourist hotspot tops this slightly unusual list of the destinations which have experienced the greatest year on year rise in searches over the past month, featuring six traditionally ‘unglamorous’ towns. Behind Brentford, which saw a 227% increase on last year, is Luton (147%), Harlow (116%), Kettering (111%), Hounslow (106%) and Burton on Trent (101%).

Top UK destinations from the Hotels.com May Hotlist:

May Hotlist Destination % increase in searched for May 2013 vs. May 2012
1 Brentford 227%
2 Luton 147%
3 Harlow 116%
4 Kettering 111%
5 Hounslow 106%
6 Burton on Trent 101%

Brentford is home to the M4 flyover as well as Brentford Football Club’s home ground Griffin Park. In 2004 Luton topped the list in the book ‘Crap Towns: The 50 Worst Places To Live In The UK’.

The post war town of Harlow has an impressive collection of sculptures including a number by acclaimed artist Henry Moore. Hounslow has a number of fine period houses including Chiswick House (considered to be the finest surviving example of Palladian architecture in Britain) and Boston Manor House (built in 1623).

Laura Watts of Hotels.com said, “Our May Hotlist is definitely revealing some different destinations to the norm, with a significant rise in searches for places you maybe wouldn’t usually associate with taking a holiday. Though the ‘staycation’ trend has taken hold in recent years as Brits make the most of what’s on their doorstep, this is still a surprising development. However, perhaps it’s time that these underappreciated towns get the attention they deserve.”

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For more information please call:
Jennifer Murdoch or Thomas Antoniw at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it

Kate Hopcraft or Laura Watts at Hotels.com: khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165/ lwatts@expedia.com, 020 7019 2761

Searches to Vegas have increased by 159%* following the release of the Hangover III

While the Hangover III may have drawn a less-than-enthusiastic response from film critics, the last installment of the trilogy has proved a hit with fans, with Hotels.com recording recent search increases of 159% to Vegas following the film’s release, as people seek to celebrate the last wild adventure of the ‘Wolf Pack’.

The film, which knocked blockbuster Fast and Furious 6 off the UK Box Office top spot and grossed £5.9 million in it’s opening weekend, has proved as popular as ever with its fans; so much so that it is influencing their travel plans and inspiring Britons to head to Vegas.

Las Vegas is a great destination for Britons seeking five star luxury on a budget. Data from the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index reveals that the average price of a five star hotel in Vegas in 2012 was £146, the cheapest of any of America’s major cities.

Laura Watts from Hotels.com said, “The third and final installment of the Hangover trilogy has not only taken the box office by storm here in the UK, but has also created a surge of interest in Las Vegas as a holiday destination. The escapades of the ‘Wolf Pack’ seem to be encouraging Britons to travel and experience their own wild adventures in one of the world’s most notorious party cities!”

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* Search increase figures based on 28th – 31st May 2012 compared to 27th – 30th May 2013
For more information please contact:
Tom Antoniw or Jennifer Murdoch at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165 / Laura Watts, lwatts@expedia.com 020 7019 2761