CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 19, 2007--Hyatt Resorts has debuted six online webisodes of the "Ultimate Adventure Challenge," a unique online reality series featuring the adventures in culture, cuisine, and outdoor activities of five finalist U.S. families. The series can be viewed on www.HyattAdventureChallenge.com where "armchair adventurers" can watch the excitement unfold and experience each of the destinations from home while voting for their favorite family. The challenge culminates on Friday, September 28 when official winners are announced of the contest and sweepstakes - the family with the highest percentage of votes and one at-home viewer selected at random - each of whom will be awarded 50 free nights to use at any Hyatt hotel or resort worldwide.

The filming of the "Ultimate Adventure Challenge" took place in July at three Hyatt Resorts properties including Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa; Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa; and Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino. Five finalist families engaged in destination adventures including a western rodeo at Tamaya, kayaking at Lake Tahoe and surfing in Kauai. The five families were selected in June from a field of 20 semi-finalists at an in-person casting call in Chicago. Semi-finalists were chosen from a field of video submissions received from across the country in April and May.

Adventure travel is on the rise according to the Travel Industry Association's Adventure Travel Report, which reveals 50 percent of Americans experienced an adventure trip in the past five years. Hyatt Resorts offers an array of adventurous activities. Through the challenge, five families were selected to participate in the actual trip while at-home viewers can experience the tasks vicariously through the webisodes now airing online.

Families Report Traveling Farther, Spending More and Taking Shorter Vacations, According to Best Western International Poll. Fido More Popular Than Grandma on Vacation

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 18, 2007--Today's family vacations are shorter yet more elaborate and expensive, involving journeys to farther -- particularly exotic -- locations than what most people remember from their childhood, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive(R) commissioned by Best Western International. In addition, travelers are more likely to include pets in their trips over grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

VACATION 2.0: NOW VERSUS THEN

Eighty-eight percent of U.S. adults who take family vacations indicated that a getaway these days is different from when they were children. More than half (55 percent) claimed that today's vacations are more expensive, while just over two-fifths (42 percent) said they now travel greater distances. The study also found that:

-- 36 percent stay in hotels more now than as a child, with 29 percent of adults who have children under 18 living in their households indicating they are less likely than those without children living with them (39 percent) to stay in hotels more now than they did as a child.

-- While more than a quarter of respondents indicated that today's vacations have become more elaborate than they remember (28 percent) and that they go to more exotic locales than they did as a child (27 percent), 19 percent say vacations have become shorter now than in their youth.

Brand New Site Provides Premiere Platform, Enabling Vacation Home Renters to Share the Real Stories behind Their Holiday Disasters

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 13, 2007--The Foggy Bridge Wine Cruise sets sail on its maiden voyage on September 7, 2007. Held aboard the historic USS Potomac, the cruise caters to connoisseurs of fine wine and dining and will feature wines from many of the best grape-growing regions throughout California. Profits from the cruise will be donated to The Association for the Preservation of the Presidential Yacht Potomac. The cruises depart from Pier E at the San Francisco Ferry Building. Tickets are available at www.foggybridgewinecruise.com .

In the first of a series of cruises, fine wines from the Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Livermore valleys and the Central Coast will be showcased. The wines will be served with foods that accentuate the flavor pairings. The initial cruise schedule is for Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday brunches, which will be held on most weekends between September 7 and November 25. Additional cruises will be scheduled as the demand increases.

"Many people still believe that the finest California wines all come from Napa Valley," says John Kontrabecki, president of Foggy Bridge Wine Cruise. "A big part of what makes California wines so special is the many microclimates and terroir in our state that contribute to such a wide and diversity of wine types."