TripAdvisor Survey Reveals Wi-Fi is Tops in U.S. While Turndown Service is Thing of the Past
54% of Travelers Have Canceled Reservations Because They Found Better Amenities Elsewhere
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its first-ever 360 degree survey, which reveals U.S. lodging trends according to those who know them best: travelers and hospitality business owners and managers. Surveys of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers and more than 600 U.S. hotel representatives shows that Wi-Fi Internet access and breakfast included with booking are king, while a turndown service offers very little value.
Of the travelers surveyed, 54 percent said they have canceled a lodging reservation because they found better amenities at a different property.
Top 5 Most Important Amenities to U.S. Travelers
(Scale: Somewhat Important – Extremely Important)
The following chart shows the Top 5 most important amenities according to U.S. travelers who most often book hotels. Additionally, respondents representing hotels gauged how important these same amenities are to travelers. Their answers are displayed below:
Top 5 Least Important Amenities to U.S. Travelers
(Scale: Not At All Important – Not Very Important)
The following chart shows the Top 5 least important amenities according to U.S. travelers who most often book hotels when they travel. Additionally, respondents representing hotels gauged how important these same amenities are to travelers. Their answers are displayed below:
Does it Pay to Have Wi-Fi Internet Access?
- 88% of travelers expect Wi-Fi Internet access to be free of charge in all lodging types
- 41% of travelers have never paid for Wi-Fi Internet access
- 65% said they have used free Wi-Fi Internet in an accommodation's lobby or common areas to avoid paying for in-room access
According to the survey, 93 percent of accommodations report offering some form of free Wi-Fi Internet access to their guests.
"While accommodations generally appear to be in sync with most traveler amenity preferences, our first-ever 360 degree survey reveals that there are a number of opportunities for lodging businesses to shift the focus from some services to others to capture travelers' attention," said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. "For example, offering complimentary or discounted tickets, recommendations or even a shuttle service to local attractions or a nearby airport may help tip the balance in a property's favor, especially when you consider that more than half of travelers say they've canceled a reservation because they found better amenities elsewhere."
Methodology
The travelers' version of the TripAdvisor 360 degree survey was conducted from Sept. 29 – Oct. 3, 2011 and was sent by email to a panel of U.S. travelers, resulting in 1,248 completed responses. The accommodations' version of the survey was conducted from Oct. 13-31, 2011 and was sent by email to a random sample of U.S. accommodation owners and managers. This survey generated 622 completed responses.
