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‘Half of hotel bookings made online’
Almost half of hotel guests are booking online – with hotel branded websites gaining share from general travel sites.
The level of online booking has increased from 34% in 2005, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.
The study, based on responses from more than 12,000 guests who stayed in European hotels this summer, shows that independent websites such Expedia and Hotels.com are continuously ceding market share to hotel brand sites. Hotel guests are twice as likely to book reservations through a hotel brand website, the study claims.
Linda Hirneise, executive director of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates said: “Making reservations online has increased in importance as far as convenience for customers in Europe.
“We’ve witnessed very similar findings in the North American hotel market, where the rate of booking online has increased consistently since 2003.”
Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, Dorint Hotels and Resorts and Tulip Inns each rank highest in guest satisfaction across four hotel segments, the study found.
Meanwhile, the poll found that nearly 70% of hotel guests in Europe prefer a smoke-free environment that exceeds the boundaries of their room – slightly less than those in North America (79%). The desire for a smoke-free environment ranges from 57% of guests from Spain, to a high of 76% of guests from the UK and Sweden.
Among 37 possible amenities and services, complimentary breakfast is the single most important amenity for hotel guests in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden. In the UK, complimentary breakfast follows the coffee/tea maker as the most important amenity.
High-speed internet access is also considered a “must have” for European hotel guests.
But high-speed internet may not prove sufficient in the future, as guests within the upper upscale, upscale and mid-scale full service segments also consider wireless internet access a “must have” the study says.
The study measured and ranked 45 hotel brands in four segments, including upper upscale, upscale, mid-scale full service and economy. While guest satisfaction of luxury hotels is measured in the study, there is no official hotel ranking in the segment due to an insufficient sample size.
Report by Phil Davies
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