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THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL RESEARCH SITE OFFERS EASY-TO-NAVIGATE PAGES FOR THOUSANDS OF HOTELS, RESORTS & VILLAS OF ALL SIZES, FIRST-HAND CUSTOMER REVIEWS

DALLAS, TX - WhereToStay.com is celebrated by many as the most comprehensive travel research web site available to consumers looking for information about worldwide destinations and travel options. Centered around its "Know Before You Go" philosophy, WhereToStay.com offers both in-depth information about thousands of places to stay as well as candid traveler reviews, useful advice and helpful tips from people who experienced these destinations and accommodations first-hand.

"We are passionate about helping consumers make the best possible travel decisions by providing them with information about all types and aspects of a property - whether it be within a hotel's descriptions and photos or through our traveler review sections," said Thom Dunaway, founder and president of WhereToStay.com.

10 YEARS STRONG OFFERING 'WORD OF MOUSE'

Founded in 1995, WhereToStay.com began as a Caribbean travel guide, with its mission to help travelers easily navigate through accurate yet concise information about hotels, resorts and villas of all sizes.

While celebrating 10 years of offering "good sand advice" about places to stay in the Caribbean, WhereToStay.com now extends the opportunity for properties worldwide to become members and be featured on the web site as a low-cost, yet highly-visible marketing option. This option is not only ideal for medium-to-large properties, but also helps put smaller venues (such as villas, condos and Bed & Breakfasts) on the web that can't afford expensive advertising campaigns.

As a Platinum or Gold member, properties can post hotel information, photos, promotions and contact information to help generate commission-free reservations (all referrals go directly to the property for booking). To help members keep track of people who have "clicked" their information pages within the web site, WhereToStay.com utilizes a dynamic database to track all of the page views, reservation requests and links to a specific property's URL - numbers that Platinum and Gold member hotel properties can access at any time. In addition, monthly reports are sent to member properties so they can see the value of being featured on WhereToStay.com.

In an effort to create the most comprehensive global list of places to stay, WhereToStay.com does not limit its accommodations listings strictly to Platinum and Gold members. Hotels around the world are invited and encouraged to be included on the web site with a Silver Membership that allows a hotel to post photos and limited property information free-of-charge.

In addition to featuring value-added marketing to hotels, condos, Bed & Breakfasts and resorts, WhereToStay.com also offers villa owners two membership levels - Platinum and Gold - where owners can post photos, descriptions, full contact information and more.

EASY-TO-NAVIGATE

WhereToStay.com offers visitors comprehensive information in a very user-friendly format, beginning with its homepage featuring the following easy-to-navigate sections:

Where Would You Like to Stay?

If a viewer has an idea of what type of accommodations they are looking for - or has a specific property in mind - they can navigate through the following options: Hotel or Resorts; Luxury Villa Rentals; On Board a Cruise; and By Destination. By typing in a few key words, the site will instantly bring up a wealth of information about that particular interest.

On-line Destination Guides

In an effort to cater to those who have an idea or know the destination that they are interested in visiting, WhereToStay.com's Destination Guides offer a wide array of information. Viewers can select a specific region from a user-friendly map and then choose from: Hotels and Resorts, Villas, Discounted Hotel Rates, Travel Talk or Downloadable PDF Destination Brochures (viewers will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open pdf files.) These sections provide information about destination-specific accommodations, activities, travel tips, traveler reviews and more.

Things To Do

For those vacation-seekers who have no idea where they want to go, but do know what they want to do when they get there, WhereToStay.com features a section which breaks down by popular traveler activities and then lists resorts that cater to these specific interests. Currently, the following categories are being offered: All-Inclusive, Bone Fishing, Budget Travelers, Business Travel, Deep-Sea Fishing, Eco-Tourism, Family, Golfers, Great Beaches, Great Cuisine, Groups, Honeymoon, Private Island, Sailing, Scuba Diving, Small/Intimate, Snorkeling, Solo Travelers, Spa Vacations, and Weekend Getaways.

Traveler Reviews Section

As the first travel web site to feature traveler reviews, WhereToStay.com redefined the industry giving travelers a voice and hotels impartial feedback. The traveler review star-rating system points readers in the right direction, with unbiased and verifiable travel accounts. Reviews are closely monitored and tracked by an editing staff to ensure legitimacy and accountability.

For those interested in beginning their journey by looking through traveler reviews, they can navigate through the following methods: Recent Additions, Most Reviewed Properties and Pick by Location.

As an added feature, wherever a property is listed in any part of the WhereToStay.com web site, an option to read reviews is always available with a click of the mouse.

Best Rates 110% Guaranteed

While visitors have the option to book directly though member hotels as they navigate through that property's information, WhereToStay.com does offer consumers a one-stop shop for select hotel and travel reservations at exceptional savings through its "Hot Rate Hotels." These deals - which are noted with a special "SAVE" or "HOT" icon next to the property listing - were created as a "thank you" to WhereToStay.com's visitors and guarantees the best prices available on-line. The Best Rate Guarantee applies to discount rates at over 20,000 global properties which WhereToStay.com is able to negotiate with hotels and hotel suppliers based on its bulk purchasing capabilities.

As part of the Best Rate Guarantee, if a consumer finds a lower rate on another web site for the same room, at the same hotel, on the same dates, within 24 hours of making a booking with WhereToStay.com, they guarantee to match it PLUS pay the consumer 10% of the difference in price.

Hotel Direct Deals

Providing additional incentives to encourage those seeking a vacation getaway to log-on to WhereToStay.com, this section presents a variety of featured deals at various member hotels offering the opportunity to check availability and book direct with the hotel on-line.

WhereToStay.com Newsletter

Those who visit the web site are invited to join the WhereToStay.com e-mail list and get the latest news, specials and promotions delivered directly to their desktops.

Best Of...

Each month, WhereToStay.com features a hotel that they feel truly stands out as exceptional. For each of these articles, a WhereToStay.com staff member personally visits the property and writes a first-hand review and features unique photos from their visit. A list of past "Best of'sÉ" can be found at: http://www.wheretostay.com/bestof/index.html?list=1.

My Suitcase

WhereToStay.com offers a personal suitcase where viewers can "pack" their favorite properties that will remain there until they personally delete them. For ease and convenience, on each property page there is a button that lets viewers "Add" that property to their suitcase. At any time, a viewer can click "My Suitcase" at the top of the page to see what has been packed. In addition to being a storage of "favorites," a person can contact several hotels at once to request information by clicking on their personal suitcase list.

NAVIGATION AIDS

For those travelers who know what they are looking for in terms of destinations and accommodations, there are various clickable tabs across the top of the WhereToStay.com homepage that will lead directly to a specific section of the web site. These include: Regions (to search for accommodations by region), Hotels & Resorts, Villas and Cruises. This feature is to aid in navigation, offering another way to help travelers get to where they want to go in the easiest way possible.

TRAVEL FORUMS

Another clickable tab found on the homepage is Travel Forums (also referred to as "Travel Talk" in other sections of the site). By clicking on this tab, viewers can participate in on-line discussions ranging in topics. Users can also post a new thread about a specific question that they may have, post a reply to a current topic listed, or just sit back and review what others are sharing. It is an ideal opportunity for asking questions, sharing information or even making friends with other people sharing similar interests. There are currently more than 1,000 registered users, however Anonymous Users (those who opt not to have an "official" user name) are constantly browsing and posting in the forums as well.

FRESH UPDATES

WhereToStay.com is always enhancing the site by adding new properties and traveler reviews. Those planning to travel are encouraged to visit WhereToStay.com before their journey and following their trip to write a review that could help others prepare to visit that same place.

WhereToStay.com is a member of IATAN (International Airlines Travel Agent Network) and CHA (Caribbean Hotel Association). WhereToStay.com is also a member of BBBOnLine.

For more information, contact WhereToStay.com at 9330 LBJ Freeway, Suite 900, Dallas, Texas 75243; phone: (214) 350-6220, ext. 9104 or (800) 869 8017, ext. 9104; fax: (214) 350-6615. Send e-mail to: villas@WhereToStay.com or visit www.WhereToStay.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
WhereToStay.com
Andrew Macafee, (214) 350-6220 x9104