The Chosen One (hotel, that is)

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. April 30, 2009

APRIL 30, 2009 - While 'Green' is becoming a popular topic in every industry, one-third of Canadians don't care if a hotel has an environmental policy while 4% won't stay there unless it does, according to the latest consumer survey on hotels conducted by leading global market research firm Synovate.

Staying at a hotel is an experience for most. It can be good or bad. So what matters? Does a hotel need a spa? Toiletries? (To take?) The latest technology? How do people decide where they will lay their heads? Synovate asked over 6,300 people across 10 countries to find out.

The chosen one (hotel, that is)

With so much choice and a mind-boggling amount of information out there, how does a traveller find the hotel that suits them best? More than half of Canadians (52%) do a little research, find a few comparable choices and select the most suitable one. But 7% simply choose the first ok one that they find.

Sherri Lambert, Synovate's United States-based Senior Vice President for Travel & Leisure research said the proliferation of online information has changed the nature of hotel marketing.

"What an opportunity for hotels! All they have to - and yes, it's easier said than done - is create easy-to-find search ads to pursue this 7% of potential guests... the ones who want to find an 'ok' hotel quickly. They have to get their name in front of these people first.

"But it's not simply search marketing. There's also the 21% of Canadians who research every hotel in the area so they can make a truly informed choice. Thirty-nine percent of respondents from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 31% from Hong Kong also do this. A well-considered and beautifully presented online strategy is a must."

The survey asked people exactly how they research their hotel options. Demonstrating the importance of an impressive online presence, the number one way people assess a hotel is via its website. Forty-four percent of potential Canadian hotel guests use this more than any other research tool.

Browsing through hotel review sites is the second most popular choice (19%) and almost one in ten people will ask colleagues, friends or relatives about hotels. Thirteen percent of Americans will read travel magazines to find out about hotels, more than another other market interviewed, while 22% of them check online hotel review sites.

Lambert said: "Again we see how vital an online presence is for hotels. Some of the larger hotel companies are now employing people to stay on top of important review sites. Even for smaller hotels, it cannot be ignored."

A room with a...PC?

Technology is not only the way many people find their hotels, it can make or break whether a hotel is chosen. Taking work with them, or even enjoying an on-the-road iPod dock, has become increasingly important to more and more people.

Four in ten Canadian respondents agree that a hotel must cater to their technology needs before they book it, including 45% of men and 33% of women.

Lambert added: "We are finding that it is now no longer an added feature to have wireless internet in hotels, but rather it is expected. Travellers, whether for business or leisure, need to be connected. Wi-Fi internet access is becoming a requirement for many guests, as they have fully adopted the freedom Wi-Fi provides in their own homes.

"I think we will also start to see hotel guests relying more on the internet for local city information even after they've checked in. This may even prompt a gradual switch from a 'real live' concierge to an 'internet concierge'. Time will tell."

Experience the suite life

Even the most travel weary road warrior can still get a thrill from a spectacular hotel experience. Of course there is a flip side too and hotels need to rigorously manage the customer experience from start to finish.

An overall 77% of all respondents in Canada agree that a bad hotel experience can ruin an entire trip and almost everyone (96%) claims they will tell others about a bad experience.

But in better news for hoteliers, the same number of people (96%) will tell others about a good experience, sharing the 'inside scoop' with their friends and family.

Rob Myers, Synovate's Managing Director for Canada, says, "Canadians in general are not as demanding about where they stay and if they experience something really bad or really good they want to share it with others. If they have a comment card, surely it will be filled in!"

And what about new experiences? Overall, half of hotel-goers are open to trying a new hotel. Canadians are more adventurous in this than Americans - 50% versus 40%.

Myers explains: "Loyalty programmes lead people to stay in the same hotel chain, especially for business travel where corporate rates are offered, and most people travel more for business than for leisure in North America. You may be up for surprises during your vacation but your hotel is the last thing you want to worry about when you're working, which explains why people were fairly split on this."

Stealing beauty

Some guests arrive at a hotel, dump their bags and make a beeline for the bathroom to check out the nature and breadth of the toiletry samples. It turns out that this is not so unusual - half of all American hotel guests say the toiletries belong to the guests and 'are part of the experience.' In Canada, 34% of survey respondents agreed with this statement.

Generally, Canadians are pretty careful with their toiletry samples as the majority (46%) say they only use what they need during the stay and leave the rest. The survey also found that one in ten people love taking the toiletries home with them but admit they always feel a shade guilty.

Curiosities

• A quarter of all respondents like getting steamy in their hotel... in the spa, that is. They prefer to stay in a hotel with these facilities. Men are just as interested as women in this amenity.

• Seven in ten (73%) of people say they will stay in less expensive hotels given the current economy

• People say the best hotels can be found in North America (37%) and Europe (12%).

About the survey

This survey was conducted online, via telephone and face-to-face in January 2009 with 6,354 travellers across ten markets - Brazil, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States of America (US).

About Synovate

Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 6,700 staff across 62 countries.

For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.