More than 4,000 nights were booked during the 48-hour sale where top hotels offered stay for cheap.

The unprecedented 50 percent off sale began at 12.01 a.m. on June 1 and finished at 11.59 p.m. on June 2. Results are still being tabulated by the Department of Tourism.

Organisers hoped the sale would bring more visitors to the Island in light of falling tourism numbers.

The Department of Tourism, joined forces with Bermuda Hotel Association (BHA) and Bermuda Alliance for Tourism (BAT) to offer the sale, with rooms as cheap as $175.

The participating hotels included Surf Side Beach Club, Grotto Bay Beach Resort, Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Fairmont Southampton, Royal Palms Hotel, Newstead Belmont Hills, 9 Beaches, Coco Reef, The Reefs and Cambridge Beaches.

The sale was for hotel stay from June 1 until October 31 excluding blackout dates with a two-night stay required at some hotels and four nights at others.

BHA president JP Martens was pleased with the results of the sale.

"This promotion generated business that we need as we navigate global financial challenges. The partnership between the BHA and BDOT made this promotion a success and proves we are all working together to drive business."

Tourism director Billy Griffiths said: "This promotion demonstrates our continued commitment to support the efforts of our partners.

"The 'Compliments of Bermuda' promotion, which ran between November 2008 to March 2009, and most recently the Fairmont 99-hour sale promotion are examples of how we are all working together to generate business for the Island."

The Fairmont 99-hour sale sold 14,000 room nights — or 4,000 bookings — in just 99 hours.

Rooms were priced at $99 and the Department of Tourism helped with sales and marketing.

Tourism Minister Premier Ewart Brown was also happy with the success and said: "This is another example of Government and the hotel sector working together to produce real results.

"There has been dramatic evidence over the past month or so that affordable hotel rates stimulate record responses from the marketplace."

The sale was advertised on Tourism's website resulting in an increase of 73 percent in site traffic. Promotion included a banner and landing page.

It was also added to the department's Twitter account where four travel journalists picked it up and twittered about it.

Additional advertising included a Google-paid keyword search campaign and display ads on Facebook. Expedia also produced 745 nights over two days, which was a 400 percent increase from the same time last year.

BAT chairman Jon Crellin said: "The sales and marketing efforts of the BDOT and its team helped to yield fantastic results for this promotion.

"The partnership between BDOT and the Bermuda Hotel Association members on these initiatives has proven to be a formula for success."