Last-minute trips? Hotel guests booking only days in advance as COVID-19 pandemic continues, Hyatt CEO says
If you're looking to book a last-minute hotel stay during the COVID-19 pandemic, you're not alone. A majority of Hyatt customers have been booking stays only several days in advance.
In the U.S., more than 65% of full-service hotel bookings and more than 75% of budget hotel bookings were made only four days in advance during the month of June, CEO Mark Hoplamazian said on the company's second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. He referred to it as the shortest transient (referring to a quick hotel stay) booking window the company has ever seen.
Leisure travelers have been the strongest driver of occupancy increases around the world for Hyatt over the past 13 weeks. A common refrain from the industry amid the coronavirus pandemic has been that leisure travel, especially where guests can drive to destinations instead of fly, would pick up quicker than other sectors, including business and event travel.
