Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

It's no secret that New York City and Chicago are two of the most popular destinations in America. As such, the two metropoles dominated booking service HotelTonight's breakdown of the most searched cities for hotels, combining to claim 12 of the 50 United States. 

In addition to being the most searched city in its own state of Illinois, Chicago was the top search for HotelTonight users in Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, New York City was the top search in not only its own state and surrounding states like Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey and Virginia, but also California. 

But the Big Apple and the Windy City aren't alone in their strong last-minute allure.

Boston was the most searched city for accommodations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, while New Orleans claimed the top spot in Louisiana, Arkansas and Kansas.

Florida's big cities are also extremely popular among travelers searching in the Southeast and Midwest. Ft. Lauderdale was the most searched city for hotels in Florida and Alabama, while Orlando was the top choice in Missouri and North Dakota. 

Key West, Pensacola and Tampa Bay were also represented, finishing first in Nebraska, South Dakota and Mississippi, respectively. 

Atlanta, Baltimore and Dallas were the only other cities to claim the title of most searched city for hotels in multiple states. 

Here's a complete breakdown of the data courtesy of HotelTonight (click to enlarge):

Follow @_Pat_Clarke