A good, and possibly free, WiFi connection and air conditioning are the services most valued by tourists when booking a hotel, according to the Trabber Review. Their study focused on services the tourists see as the most important.
With a rating of 9.07 and 8.62 out of 10 (which would indicate 'essential') the review concludes that when customers book and pay for hotels online, this is the information that practically all of them look for on the Internet.
The second set of options that are also important to tourists includes the option of leaving the hotel a bit later (known as 'Late Check-out'), the number and quality of the amenities, or the availability of parking place. Breakfast included, hairdryer, TV or a pool turn out to be quite fairly valued services as well (rated between 5 and 7 out of 10).
Daily newspaper room service, safety deposit box, or loyalty programmes are features which, though valued, are not important to the average tourist. In addition, laundry, the option to bring pets, or a gym are usually not decisive for the average tourist.
"That does not mean, however, that these are not very important options for certain market segments. Tourists with pets are not a majority, but of course for them this is a key provision," explained Oscar Frias, co-founder and director of Trabber.es.
However there are very important trends that are already popular. Wi Fi is replacing TV as a source of entertainment, and more and more guests are asking for later check-out or departures.
"All this is consistent with the consumption pattern. It is absurd for tourists who spend a sightseeing weekend in a city to be evicted at 12 am on Sunday," the review noted.
"We believe the hotel chain that offers the option of leaving a little later, at least on Sundays, at 14:00 or 15:00h, for example, would get many more customers, especially in Spain, given our meal times," Frias stated.
For example, chains like the Hilton and others which already offer their customers loyalty programmes, could add the option of extending their stay until 1:00 or 2:00 pm without any additional charge.
The review also looks at the services that customers would be willing to pay for, and 'Late Check-out' comes third, with an average level of willingness to pay. Tourists are usually more willing to pay for airport shuttle service or parking. In the fifth place there would be the customer’s willingness to pay for WiFi, although "in the medium term free WiFi will be the norm in all hotels."