Our hotel expert recap of lodging and travel industry news this week suggests that consumers want more in terms of hotel amenities. They also expect to travel more in 2012 and this bodes well for those hotels to attract them with more value. At the top of their wish list are “Free Wi-Fi and Breakfast!” As it concerns a renewed confidence by consumers wanting to travel more: “According to Travelocity’s annual “Traveler Confidence Report,” a majority of consumers (53 percent) plan to travel more in 2012 than they did in 2011 despite a lack of confidence in the economy. This data represents an 18 percent increase versus 2011.” Read more here on what this OTA (online travel agent) and hotel expert on Internet booking reservations has to say about where consumers will spend their travel budgets. On the subject of hotel amenities, Trip Advisor just published the “Top 5 Most and Least Important Amenities that USA travelers want.” In its hospitality, hotel and travel news as part of their hotel management advice they said: “Surveys of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers and more than 600 U.S. hotel representatives show that Wi-Fi Internet access and breakfast included with booking are king, while a turn-down service offers very little value.” Of course, completing the guest experience with little things should go hand in hand with amenities. A hotel motel management company and its staff should remember that “Hoteliers can reach out to guests through small yet thoughtful acts that enhance their hotel experience, writes Roberta Nedry of Hospitality Excellence. Are you an owner or operator or working with a hotel expert to upgrade your hotel amenities? If so, how much will the above surveys factor in your decision on what to add?
