Discount-travel website Hotwire.com ranked Denver the nation’s top bargain destination, according to a survey released Wednesday.
The Hotwire Travel Value Index cited Denver’s low-price accommodations, affordable attractions such as the Denver Zoo and easy access to natural beauty and Rocky Mountain activities as reasons for its top ranking.
“People who go to Hotwire.com are looking for bargains,” said Rich Grant, spokesman for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re always looking for something that will move people to action, and this might lead to a lot of impulse travel to Denver.”
In other tourism news, the overall occupancy rate at metro-area hotels climbed to 64.8 percent last year, up from 63.1 percent in 2004, according to a study released this week by Denver hotel consultant John Montgomery. That’s the highest occupancy rate since 2000, when it hit 68.2 percent.
Average room rates also climbed 7.7 percent, from $87.25 in 2004 to $94 last year.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
