Orbitz lists best beach bargains for summer

With summer temperatures continuing to rise, travelers in the know are looking for a beach where they can cool off. And they’re in luck this year, according to Orbitz.com, as affordable beach getaways are readily available, and can be found on the Orbitz Insider Index.

“Although high gas prices are driving airfares up, hotels are looking to lure travelers by offering big savings,” noted Heather Leisman, the senior director of merchandising at Orbitz. “In fact, the hotel rates at some of our most popular beach destinations have actually dropped in price since last year.”

To help travelers find the best available summer beach deals, Orbitz Insiders conducted a search through the Orbitz BeachFinder, an interactive online tool that locates beach holiday destinations based on specific criteria.

The Index compares year-on-year averages of the daily rates for hotels at popular beaches in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Mexico. It highlights the top five destinations for each month, listing the best hotel deals available, whether your vacation plans are for June, July, or August.

The Caribbean boasts sunny skies and a pleasant climate year-round, so the summer months can be a great time to visit as enjoy excellent savings. In June of this year, hotel rates in Barbados are 24 per cent lower than in the same month last year.

Vacationers that are thinking of staying closer to home might consider domestic destinations such as Virginia Beach or Florida, as both are offering very reasonable hotel rates, with significant drops in price from last year.

www.orbitz.com