A new international annual survey on travel accommodation choices by The Rees Hotel Queenstown has attracted both predictable and not-so-predictable results from the Kiwi, foreign leisure and business traveller markets. Hundreds based across the globe from San Mateo to Manhattan divulged what they love - and hate - about a hotel stay plus the increasing importance of sustainable practices.
Despite a boom in the shared economy offering exponentially more accommodation choices, this has not impacted the survey results as much as first assumed. Hotels are still the tried and true favourite, always being the first choice in both leisure and business travel reservations.
Business travellers revealed that 68 percent of them always book hotel rooms, while 80 percent said that they had never used an Airbnb. Over half of the survey respondents said that they would stay for the same length of time in 2018 as they did in 2017 and 30 percent signalled that they’d spend more on hotel rooms this year. The two main reasons given in favour of hotel rooms was that they were the best fit with short stays and best for meeting the needs of solo traveller’s.
Apartments were favoured for extended stays, access to cooking facilities and the extra space. Hotel villas or residences were the best match for those wanting a “home away from home” type getaway. Peer-to-peer platforms like Airbnb were preferred by an overwhelming 64 percent of guests because they offered a cheaper price and a more local experience.
Overall, Service was the main reason why hotels were number one. Other reasons ranged from “enjoying the luxury of not having to make beds” through to “the extra touches like handwritten notes and complimentary gifts.” What frequently made the “worst” list for travellers included; noisy neighbours, uncomfortable beds, no kitchen, extreme air conditioning (either too cold or too hot) and inaccurate portrayals of rooms on booking websites.
The poll also explored views about hotels’ sustainable practices with 65 percent adding that it was “very important”. The top initiatives travellers rated in order of preference were recycling and paperless communications, followed by not laundering towels daily. Other ideas suggested to improve sustainability included; installing solar powered hot water, rooftop gardens with beehives, partitioned rubbish bins and avoiding the use of plastic straws.
The Rees Hotel is already delivering on the sustainability front: having launched its apiary operation on-site last year, built a local wine and food supply channel, gained recognition from the industry for its rubbish recycling practices and for operating one of the few electric car charging stations at New Zealand’s most popular tourist resort.
