Expedia.com Survey Finds That Nearly Half of Adults Staying With Relatives During the Holidays Would Prefer to Stay in a Hotel....

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For at Least Part of Their Stay

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Expedia.com(R) (NASDAQ:EXPE) , one of the world's leading online travel sites, recently commissioned a holiday travel survey, conducted by Harris Interactive(R), that revealed that some family members may consider abandoning the air mattress in favor of hotel comfort this holiday season. The survey revealed key findings among U.S. adults who typically spend the holidays with their relatives, including:

-- Of the 86 percent of U.S. adults who typically spend the holidays
with their relatives, nearly 39 percent said that having more space,
privacy or time for themselves would make the holidays more
enjoyable.
-- Nearly one in four adults (23 percent) said that the ability to stay
at a hotel rather than with relatives would help make spending the
holidays with relatives more pleasant.
-- Nearly half (47 percent) of people staying overnight with relatives
this holiday season would prefer to stay in a hotel for at least part
of their stay.
-- Hotels may act as a refuge over the holiday season with 40 percent of
U.S. adults responding that staying in a hotel while visiting
relatives would decrease holiday stress.

What about the people actually hosting the holidays? Those who will be hosting relatives ages 21 and older will typically have three adults staying with them. While most (80 percent) enjoy having their relatives stay with them over the holidays, about one in two (49 percent) admit that when their relatives stay in one house for the holidays, it causes a lot of stress. In fact, 36 percent say that they would like their relatives to stay in a hotel for at least part of the time when visiting for the holidays.

During the holidays this year, about one in four (26 percent) U.S. adults plan to stay overnight with relatives for at least some of the time, and nearly two in five (38 percent) will have adult relatives over the age of 21 staying with them overnight. That said, U.S. adults felt that the following could put a damper on the holiday season:

-- Arguing or having stressful moments with relatives (52 percent).
-- Having to take care of all of the little details like cooking,
cleaning, wrapping gifts, etc. (28 percent).
-- Staying in a cramped living space, like sleeping on the couch, floor
or in bunk beds (15 percent).
-- Hosting too many house guests (14 percent).

"There's no doubt that people enjoy getting together with their families and celebrating the holidays," said Kari Swartz, product manager for leisure travel, Expedia.com. "But giving yourself more space and privacy helps to avoid some of the situations that typically cause stress among families over the holiday season. Minimizing stress over the holidays could just be the best present you could give -- and receive -- over this holiday season."

Getting a hotel for all or part of the holiday stay is very easy and affordable at Expedia.com. Some great hotels in top holiday destinations include:

-- New York: Park Central New York Hotel (3 stars). Enjoy a quiet
oasis in the heart of the Big Apple, near Central Park, Times Square
and Carnegie Hall. Prices from $159+ per night.
-- Orlando: Sheraton Vistana Villages (3 1/2 stars). Inspired by the
Mediterranean-style architecture of Palm Beach, this family resort
with a huge pool is less than 2 miles from SeaWorld; Universal and
Disney theme parks are within 7 miles. Prices from $190+ per night.
-- Chicago: Hotel 71 (3 1/2 stars). With contemporary styling and a
location just two blocks from the Loop and other attractions, this
hip riverfront hotel makes a great base for exploring the city.
Prices from $119+ per night.
-- San Francisco: Renaissance Stanford Court (4 stars). Enjoy classic
decor, bay views, and a great location near several cable car lines
at this historic hotel. Guests can walk to Chinatown, just four
blocks away. Prices from $195+ per night.

Travelers can find these hotels and a list of the Top 50 hotel deals for the week at http://www.expedia.com/hoteldeals .

About Expedia.com:

Expedia.com is one of the world's leading online travel sites, with more than 25 million travelers visiting each month to find the trip that's right for them. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/ ) helps customers easily plan and book travel by utilizing the latest technology and the right selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With its Expedia Special Rate(R) Guarantee for hotels, Cruise Price Guarantee Plus, vacation package savings, and more, Expedia.com offers exceptional value to customers around the globe each and every day. Expedia.com travel specialists are available 24 hours a day to help customers with their travels -- before, during, and after each trip. Expedia.com has won the "Brandweek Customer Loyalty Award" for six consecutive years. Expedia.com is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. CST: 2029030-40

About the Survey

Harris Interactive(R) fielded the online survey on behalf of Expedia.com November 21-23, 2005, among a nationwide sample of 2,311 U.S. adults ages 18 and over -- of whom 647 plan to stay overnight with relatives this holiday season and 863 will have relatives ages 21 and older staying overnight with them. The data was weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Sampling error for the samples of those who will stay overnight with relatives and those who will have relatives staying with them is higher and varies. This online sample is not a probability sample.

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