First read is on us.

Subscribe today to keep up with the latest travel industry news.

Survey: Hotel Location Is the Splurge-Worthy Vacation Decision


Skift Take

Travelers look for deals when it comes to flight, but are ready to splurge when it comes to their hotel experience highlighting habits that both industries can take advantage of.

Hotels are in a prime position to capture a large proportion of travelers' vacation spend.

Travelers pass a large amount of their time there, eat there when possible, and often book services or tours through the hotel.

It's not surprising then that it's also where traveler look to splurge.

According to Expedia's new survey of 11,165 people across five continents, travelers view “hotel in a desired location” as the most splurge-worthy expense with 39 percent citing it as the optimal expense.

Six of the seven top splurges include hotel features from room with a view (29 percent) to on-site spas (16 percent).

When it comes to flight perks, travelers are more willing to pay for a direct flight over a connecting trip, but only 7 percent of travelers are willing to pay for a first or business class seat.

The following chart shows which perks travelers are most willing to dig deep into their pockets to afford.

Feature % Willing to Splurge
Hotel in Desired Location 39
Direct vs. Connecting Flight 34
Room with View 29
Hotel with Pool 28
Hotel with Exceptional Service 18
Hotel with Room Service/Restaurant 17
Hotel with Spa 16
First Class Flight 7

Searching for Deals

Travelers also look to hotel options when seeking out a deal.

According to the Expedia survey, the majority, or 87 percent, of global travelers say they actively search for deals when booking a vacation.

Half, or 49 percent, of travelers search for flight deals, but a slightly lower proportion of travelers search for all-inclusive hotels with meal plans (37 percent) or hotels with meals included (33 percent).

Up Next

Hotels

How Data Quality Issues Impact Global Hospitality Operations

There are wide discrepancies in data quality for hotel transactions across global regions, with the largest occurring in Asia-Pacific. Because hotels and agencies need to harness data quality to thrive, they must take a more nuanced regional approach to monitoring potential issues.
Sponsored
Online Travel

What Travel Brands Should Know About China's RedNote

As overseas travel rebounds and Chinese consumers increasingly seek out genuine travel tips and personalized recommendations, brands looking to engage this influential audience must understand what makes RedNote a powerful tool for modern travel marketing.