Leisure travelers and vacationers mostly try to minimize the cost of lodging, which is quite understandable especially during a time of economic decline such as we have now. Most people are focused on the sights and the itinerary, rather than the hotels and other types of accommodation where they will rest up for the night in. Let's take a look at some of the trends for hotel preferences when it comes to leisure travelers.
The first main trend is that people seem to be leaning more towards staying in independent hotels compared to the bigger branded hotels that are, conversely, more expensive even if they have more in terms of accommodations and luxury. The main reason for this is perhaps the inherent character and unique flavor afforded by independent carriers, compared to the standard fare of their branded counterparts.
The Ypartnership/Yankelovich 2009 National Travel Monitor found that 20 percent of respondents preferred independent establishments, a figure up from 16 percent in the 2008 survey. Still, the cut is clear-80 percent of respondents still prefer the hotels that are affiliated with larger companies or associated with bigger hotel chains.
Peter C. Yesawich, the chairman and CEO of Ypartnership, attributes this trend to two main factors. "First, a growing number of consumers appear more interested in the novelty and/or special character many independent operators have scripted into their properties," he said. "Second, the quest for better value, now defined in terms of a more attractive price, appears to be motivating many leisure travelers to evaluate independent alternatives."
Indeed, independent hotels offer the kind of "attractive price" that potential guests nowadays are looking for. With the financial crunch, many people and even some of the most hardcore leisure travelers are considering the payoff of paying more when one could get quality accommodations for considerably less.
Additionally, respondents to the survey were more inclined to choose limited-service hotels and resorts rather than go to full-service hotels with restaurants. That shift is also indicative of the importance many people started giving to their respective travel budgets.
While the trends point to a bigger patronage of independent hotels, the fact is that bigger chain-affiliated establishments still have many things going their way. When you consider reputation, proven quality, and reliability, then it's still natural for people to choose those. That's why the National Travel Monitor survey shows that preference for such hotels are down a mere 4 percent.
With the deep impact of the global economic downturn, should be noted that the budget-conscious traveler is becoming more aware than ever of the need to put a high priority on the price tag when choosing the hotel he or she will end up staying in. It should be noted, though, that there's no compromise for the kind of service bigger hotel chains can offer, which is why business is still relatively doing well for those kinds of hotels.
Still, it is perhaps safe to expect a subtle continuation of the trends above in the coming quarters, however, as people continue to put their budget first in an economic landscape that is slow to recover.