DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vacationing Americans 25 and older* expect to spend $84 billion on hotels this summer, with the average traveler booking slightly more than seven nights over the season, according to a new survey released today by Room Key, the only hotel meta search engine built by hoteliers.
Not surprisingly, nearly three-quarters (72%) said the price will drive their hotel decision, but location (66%) and hotel amenities (58%) will also play a big role. The hotel brand (43%) and the ability to earn and use loyalty points and rewards (31%) are two more important factors that will influence hotel choice, according to the survey.
“Value reigns supreme in the search for hotels this summer, even as the economy improves,” said Chief Marketing Officer Stephany Verstraete. “But today’s savvy traveler is looking beyond room rate to perks like complimentary WiFi or free breakfast, the ability to earn loyalty points and more. With hospitality at our core and the backing of the world’s leading hotel brands, as we celebrate our one-year anniversary today, Room Key stands ready to help summer travelers find the best value for their spend.”
Among those Americans planning to stay in a hotel for leisure between May and August, their expected average spend on hotels is $1,134, which translates to an estimated national spend of $84 billion on hotel rooms for the busy summer travel season.
Slight Uptick in Nights Away, Spend this Summer
Seven out of ten travelers (71%) plan to spend about the same per night as last summer for a hotel room and 16% plan to spend more. Last year, 45% shelled out between $100 and $200 per night, while 40% paid less than $100. Americans plan to spend slightly more than a week (7.33 nights) in hotels this summer for vacation, with 28% planning to spend more nights than last summer.
Make Room for Amenities
When asked about their favorite part of staying in a hotel while on vacation, 68% said the amenities. Having a professional make the bed and tidy the room (housekeeping) rates second at 14%.
But there are certain types of hotel rooms that no amount of amenities would enhance: 45% of respondents said they would pass on a room by the elevator; 43% give the cold shoulder to rooms neighboring the ice machine; 28% avoid spots near the restaurant or bar; and, 26% rate the first floor low in location preferences.
Mapping out Travel Plans
Most of those surveyed don’t trust travel planning to anyone but themselves. Roughly three-quarters (77%) say they are set to be the primary travel planner for summer adventures, and only 15% will let their spouse or significant other do the planning – and this is true regardless of gender. But if they need to leave the planning to others, 49% of respondents said they would trust their spouse or significant other and 11% would turn to their friends. A small group simply will not give up control – 15% percent would rather have no one else do the planning.
“Taking it Easy” Tops Summer Travel Plans
Relaxation topped trip goals for the coming summer season, with 59% of respondents saying they plan to take it easy at a beach, on an island or at a spa. Big city sight-seeing that includes shopping came in second at 39%, followed by family or school reunions (38%), gambling in hot spots like Las Vegas or Atlantic City (32%), and natural park exploration (28%) at favorites such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. More than half (56%) will be taking a spouse or significant other, 42% will travel with immediate family, including spouses and kids, and 26% will be enjoying their vacation with friends.
But when it comes to traveling during the summer’s national holidays, the majority are set to skip the sights and stick to home: more than half (55%) said they’ll stay put during summer holiday weekends; 32% plan to travel for the Fourth of July, 22% for Memorial Day and 22% for Labor Day weekend.
For more information on Room Key or to book your summer hotel stay, visit www.Roomkey.com.
About Room Key℠
With hospitality in its DNA and a singular focus on hotels, Room Key understands what today’s traveler needs in a hotel search and book experience: value, trust and ease-of-use. Through its proprietary search algorithms, customized site experience and offering the hotels’ lowest rates guaranteed, Room key enables consumers to compare the full value equation each hotel offers and book directly with their hotel of choice. The Room Key experience provides consumers the peace of mind their reservation and preferences will be secure, the ability to earn coveted loyalty points and the confidence they will be treated like a valued hotel guest. Room Key was founded in 2012 by six of the world’s leading hotel companies – Choice Hotels International (NYSE: CHH), Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H), InterContinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) and Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), or their respective affiliates. Learn more about Room Key at roomkey.com; facebook.com/roomkey; @Roomkeytravels on Instagram.
*About the Survey
The Room Key survey was conducted online by 360 Market Reach, an independent Marketing Research firm (www.360marketreach.com) between March 20 and 29, 2013. For this research, 1,001 interviews were fielded among nationally representative American travelers ages 25 years and older who had traveled two (2) or more nights in the past six months and are planning to travel this summer to get responses based on their leisure travel experiences and travel preferences. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is +/- 3.1%.