SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The results of the October 2013 Canadian Hotel Rate Report, which features the top five cities in Canada where hotel rates have dropped the mos, were announced today.
“Ontario and Quebec are the hot spots to visit this October, with the two provinces making up the entirety of this month’s Rate Report while boasting some of Canada’s most popular destinations,” said Pierre-Etienne Chartier, vice president of the Hotwire Group. “With such exceptional price drops, there’s no better time to visit these cities, which offer a wide variety of events and some of the best weather of the year.”
When compared to the same time last year, the top five hotel price reductions for October 2013 include:
Rank
Hotel Market
Price Drop
Example of a Current Hotwire Deal, CAD$/ Night
1
Kingston, ON
-10%
3-star
$96/night
2
Ottawa, ON
-9%
4-star
$125/night
3
Montreal, QC
-8%
4-star
$135/night
4
Quebec City, QC
-7%
3-star
$99/night
5
Toronto, ON
-4%
3.5-star
$90/night
Kingston tops the list for the first time since May 2012, with hotels dropping prices by 10 percent. Avoiding winter temperatures is always a good strategy, so fall is a great time to visit and enjoy the milder weather and beautiful costal views of the St. Lawrence and Cataraqui Rivers, which flow into Lake Ontario. Since Halloween also lands in this month, those looking for a good scare can visit the famous Fort Henry, which is converted into a haunted maze called “Fort Fright” from late September through November 2.
Second on the list is Ottawa, which has risen two spots since the last Rate Report in July and offers a price drop of nine percent. Visitors to the Canadian capital should stop by the lovely Gatineau Park, where there are frequent tours of the picturesque Gatineau hills. During October, the park is especially lovely for a nice hike. Best of all, it’s only a short drive from the heart of Ottawa.
The last three cities on this month’s Rate Report—Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto—are all in shoulder season this month. These destinations are between peak and low seasons, so there are fewer crowds and great hotel deals to attract leisure travellers. But even though the summer rush has died down in these locales, there are still lots of events, especially Halloween festivities, to make them even more fun and exciting. For example, visitors to Montreal will find price drops of eight percent over last year and can use their extra savings to attend the “Magic of Lanterns” festival at the famous Montreal Botanical Garden. Featuring hundreds of handmade Chinese lanterns, the event draws crowds from all over the country, and runs through early November.
Quebec City, which places fourth on this month’s list, offers more Halloween fun at the wide-open Plains of Abraham area within The Battlefields Park. This event is more family-friendly though, with activities and scavenger hunts in addition to a haunted house. And in Toronto, number five on the list, visitors can attend the Toronto Zombie Walk, where hundreds of locals and guests dress up as the undead and parade in the streets of Toronto.
