Hotels.com report that men pay the price for mini breaks

Hotels.com, the world's most visited online accommodation website*, has surveyed over 1000 members of match.com, the UK's most popular online dating site, revealing that four out of five women (84%) expect their partner to pay the full cost of their first mini break away, even though 73% of women still expected to decide when and where they go.

The survey found that the average man is left with a bill of £351 for a romantic away-break while women almost equal that, spending £322 buying underwear, make up and new outfits to look the part.

Hotels.com also revealed that, when planning their first trip away, 32% of men are fearful of running out of things to say to their date while 18% of women are concerned about their partner seeing them first thing in the morning.

Other key findings that were revealed by the survey included that most new couples wait two to three months before going on their first mini break, but one in ten men said they would whisk their date away after just a couple of weeks of dating if they saw long term potential in the relationship. Men are also the most romantic of the sexes, with almost two thirds (60%) believing the most important aspect of planning a mini break was finding a romantic hotel compared to less than half of women (49%), who are more concerned with the facilities on offer such as the availability of a good restaurant or spa.

Alison Couper, Director of Communications for Hotels.com, said "It is interesting to see that men are expected to pay for first mini breaks while women spend the money on looking good. Cash conscious men who want to save a few precious pounds should look to sites like Hotels.com, where savings of up to 40% on romantic hotels around the UK and further afield, such as New York hotels and LA hotels, can often be found."

Kate Taylor, relationship expert at match.com, said: "It could be said that the first mini break is the make or break of a new relationship. It's often the first time couples have spent 48 hours in each other's company - seeing each other first thing in the morning and compromising on what side of the bed each other sleeps on at night - so it's not surprising that women want things to be perfect. Women love to be involved in planning the trip, as it helps them prepare the most stunning outfits and boast about the momentous occasion to all their friends. For women, a lot of the fun is in the anticipation and planning the extra little details."

Notes to editors:
*Hotels.com is the world’s most visited hotels bookings site and the global hotels specialist, according to comScore Media Metrix (Jan-Dec 2007).

About Hotels.com
Hotels.com is the world’s most visited hotels bookings site* and the global hotels specialist. Operating in all major markets with dedicated staff, Hotels.com offers 80,000 quality hotels worldwide, including Orlando hotels and Miami hotels. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com also has one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its users, plus user-contributed reviews of its properties. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multi-lingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.

PR Contact:
Cordy Griffiths
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Hotels.com
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020 7019 2268
www.hotels.co.uk