It’s a new era in hospitality, and hotels and resorts operating in a COVID-19 world will need to reevaluate the way they conduct business in order to survive. SevenRooms’ latest report, entitled ‘Beyond the Booking: Meeting & Exceeding Hotel Guest Expectations’—based upon a recent poll of U.S. adults, weighted so as to represent the nation’s population—revealed that almost half of Americans (46 percent) would still be open to booking hotel stays under the right circumstances.
The study sought to gauge COVID-era consumer sentiment toward travel on various levels, examining how guests’ attitudes, preferences and expectations have shifted in light of the ongoing pandemic. In the report, SevenRooms’ CEO and co-founder, Joel Montaniel, posited that, “As we move forward, operators should look to embrace technology and the data that powers it, more than ever before.”
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The insights gleaned from this kind of consumer data can help hotels deliver the hospitality experiences that Americans today are after and encourage repeat business. Below, we’ve outlined some of the study’s most notable findings.
Why Book?
Americans planning to book a hotel stay in the current climate would most likely do so for one of four reasons:
- An upcoming vacation or out-of-town trip: 36 percent
- Celebration of a life event: 25 percent
- Work/Business trip: 21 percent
- Staycation: 21 percent
In addition, 20 percent of respondents said they’d book a hotel stay if they were to receive a deal or promotion to enjoy hotel dining or entertainment offering, proving that incentives still play a part in getting guests to book, particularly amid uncertain circumstances.
Health & Safety
Obviously, amid a global health crisis, U.S. travelers are prioritizing health and safety considerations above all else. Thirty-four percent of those polled said that they more inclined to book at hotels that are operating with reduced guest capacity to allow for adequate social distancing.
The SevenRooms data also showed that guests are only willing to book at hotels offering:
- Pre-stay communications related to health and safety measures: 41 percent
- Health screenings for guests upon arrival: 30 percent
- Contactless technology tools: 20 percent
Even after checking in, Americans will be keeping an eye on the health and safety measures implemented on-property. The health and safety procedures that they observe after their arrival (or the lack thereof) can absolutely be deal-breakers, even to the degree that below-par protections would cause guests to end their stay early or vow never to return to a specific hotel. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said that they wouldn’t hesitate to cut their stay short and depart early if the hotel’s staff or servers look or sound ill.
Other deal-breakers for hotel or resort guests include:
- Hotel is too crowded and does not enforce social distancing: 63 percent
- Hotel staff and servers are not required to wear masks: 63 percent
- Hotel guests look and/or sound ill: 58 percent
- Hotel guests are not required to wear masks: 55 percent
F&B Scene
The restaurant industry has managed to adapt reasonably well in order to meet the health and safety conditions of the new pandemic era, and it’s evident that consumers’ demand for dining out has not diminished in the current climate. This is also true for hotels’ food and beverage venues, and it appears that guests continue to look forward to memorable, personalized dining and drinking experiences as part of their stay.
SevenRooms compared this year’s finding with those from its original ‘Checking in for Hotel F&B’ study from 2019 and found that F&B perks, while not as much as in pre-COVID times, still rank as highly desirable among U.S. hotel guests. In fact, 59 percent of Americans want to make a reservation at a hotel restaurant in advance of their stay.
- 34 percent of guests say a complimentary breakfast is the top item they look for when considering a hotel’s dining amenities (compared with 65 percent in 2019).
- 46 percent of those who said their hotel choice is likely to be influenced by its F&B amenities said that a complimentary drink or meal provided upon arrival would influence their decision to book one hotel over another (compared with 51 percent in 2019).
- 25 percent indicated that multiple types of dining options being present at a hotel is among its most important dining amenities (compared with 41 percent in 2019).
Amenities:
Even with social distancing and mask-wearing in the mix, U.S. travelers also proved that they still want to take advantage of the hotel amenities that make a stay special, but also want to be able to access them safely through advance reservation systems. Among those interested in booking hotel amenities in advance, the most popular choices were:
- Lounge at the pool: 42
- Visit the spa/sauna: 37
- Swim at the pool: 36
- Use gym/fitness equipment: 28
- Sit at the hotel bar: 22
- Gamble at gaming tables: 18
Personalization:
Operators should note that today’s reservations technology not only serves to make guests feel more at ease, but can also provide valuable insight into their individual preferences. That information can be used to provide the types of personalized touches that build customer loyalty and drive repeat business.
Among those respondents who said that they’d be more likely to stay at a specific hotel property because of its F&B offerings and other amenities:
- 25 percent said that receiving a personalized offer to book again would influence them to book at one hotel over another.
- 34 percent indicated that earned loyalty rewards for a hotels’ restaurants and bars would convince them to book at a particular property.
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November 21, 2020 at 08:11PM
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What's Driving US Hotel Stays and How Have Guest Expectations Changed? - TravelPulse
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