New York Tops December Hotel Searches

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

USA Today: Where are travelers most searching for hotels this December? New York tops the list, according to Kayak.com's analysis of two years of hotel-search data.

The Big Apple, after all, does a fantastic job of decking itself out for the holidays. And each year, tourists from the Tri-State area - and around the world - flock to the city to soak up the atmosphere.

Last week, workers were busy hanging gigantic snowflakes from wires high above Fifth Avenue. Visitors also love to photograph the spectacular Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, which will be lit this year on Nov. 30, and take in other festive sights - including hotels adorned with decorations.

So what about the four other cities that made Kayak.com's Top 5 list? They're all warm-weather destinations.

It makes you wonder if Northeast residents rushed to book December trips after the freak, Oct. 29 snowstorm pounded the region and left millions without power for days.

The full Top 5 from Kayak:

·         New York
·         Las Vegas
·         Orlando
·         Cancun
·         Miami

The Top 5 cities that experienced the biggest increases in hotel search volume for December travel on a year-over-year basis:

·         Miami
·         San Francisco
·         New Orleans
·         Fort Lauderdale
·         New York

On the flip side, Kayak.com also looked at cities that fell out of favor this year compared to 2010.

Deal seekers may want to scan this list of Top 8 cities where hotel search volume decreased the most on a year-over-year basis because they could have better luck in these destinations finding hotel bargains in December:

·         Barcelona
·         Los Angeles
·         San Diego
·         Boston
·         Nassau, Bahamas
·         Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
·         San Juan, Puerto Rico
·         Chicago