That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Have you asked them?

Thankfully we have! Our partners at Expedia and eZee Technosys conducted a survey asking travellers what they are looking for when it comes to booking accommodation for a vacation. From the results, they have determined the top three traveller insights. For an accommodation provider such as yourself, understanding these traveller preferences and catering for them will drive more revenue to your property and empower you to increase the success of your business. Let’s find out these top three insights and what they actually mean:

1. TRAVELLERS WANT TO STAY LONGER

Just because your guests have only booked to stay for a week, or three nights, or however long - doesn’t mean that’s how long they want to stay with you! With the right incentive, guests could easily be encouraged to book an extra night. Here are the top reasons guests are more likely to book an extra night:

• A discount
• Free breakfast
• Upgraded room
• Drink or food vouchers
• Attending an event or experience unique to the location

Could you use any or all of those incentives to encourage your guests to stay a little longer? Losing a few dollars in giving away a free meal, or moving them to a nicer room that might otherwise be vacant, could pay off for you if it means they spend a lot more overall by staying an extra night or two. 

Another way to encourage guests to stay longer is by allowing them to book further in advance - even over a year before their stay! This will encourage repeat custom - getting guests to book for “the same time next year” and get them to plan ahead, which may mean they can organise more time away from home or work. 

The longer your guests stay, the more money they are going to spend - increasing your revenue!

2. TRAVELLERS WANT FLEXIBILITY

Particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, travellers are looking for flexibility in their bookings - travel restrictions, lockdowns and even guests getting sick themselves mean that travel plans are subject to change and at times quite quickly. 

During the pandemic many properties have significantly relaxed their cancellation policies, some even eliminating cancellation fees entirely to align with guests’ changing expectations. 

As many as one in three guests filter accommodation searches by refundable cancellation policies - meaning when these guests are looking for somewhere to stay, they will only see properties on their screen that offer those properties - they won’t consider staying anywhere else!

Could you offer a flexible or even a refundable cancellation policy? While it might on the surface seem risky considering the current volatile travel environment, it will actually give guests peace of mind and confidence that should anything untoward happen to them, changing their accommodation will be the least of their worries. Offering that flexibility to guests also means you will be more likely to keep the booking rather than having it cancelled outright - maintaining your revenue. 

If your property does offer a flexible and/or refundable cancellation property, make sure you advertise it and let your prospective guests know! It could be the difference between a guest booking with you or booking with one of your competitors across the road. 

3. TRAVELLERS WANT TO ENVISION THEIR STAY