Late night nosh central in post-pandemic travel shift
New research underlines just how much the pandemic has changed Australian travellers’ attitudes
Conducted over an 18-month period, both globally and within Australia, key findings resulting from an IHG Hotels & Resorts voco Hotels’ survey have revealed just what consumers returning to travel really want from their hotel experience.
And the results are both what would be expected while at the same time a little surprising.
Overall, the global data shows travellers are ready to reconnect post-pandemic, with six out of 10 (59 percent) craving connection while Australian data shows 67 percent noted the hotel’s focus on sustainability was taken into account when choosing accommodation.
One surprise important preference for travellers was having constant access to food late night comfort food top of the wish list.
IHG Managing Director of Australasia & Pacific, Matthew Tripolone said as Australia’s borders reopen and pandemic restrictions lift throughout the country, travel-starved internationals and Aussies will be looking to travel more, both domestically and internationally.
“The voco Hotels research shows we need to keep on top of what our guests want, as travel priorities from every country have changed. We’ll continue to value the insights we gain from our existing and potential guests as we work towards offering personalised and friendly service across our Australian destinations,” Mr Tripolone said.
Top insights include:
Craving more connection
Two in five (41 percent) agree that following the COVID-19 pandemic, they are craving connection, interaction, and/or conversation more during their travels, compared to pre-pandemic, however some of the nation (6 percent) strongly disagreed. Interestingly, this was almost one third lower than the global results, which showed six in 10 (59 percent) global respondents were craving connection, interaction, and/or conversation with others more during their travels, compared to pre-pandemic.
Sustainability is a key priority to book
Most Australians (67 percent) think sustainability is important when choosing a hotel, with one quarter stating it as very important. Key things travellers would like to see include hotels using glass instead of plastic (68 percent), less food waste (63 percent), less single use plastic (60 percent), less unnecessary washing (46 percent) and options for lowering water usage (43 percent).
Convenient food service
When asked what is on Australians’ wish list from a hotel, most requested late-night comfort food (34 percent), in-room afternoon tea or happy hour delivered directly to their room (34 percent) and personalised welcome packages (33 percent).
This showed Aussies have slightly more of a focus on good food than the rest of the world, which ranked bathroom amenities as their second priority. When asked about food preferences in hotels, most Australians wanted longer food service hours (44 percent), more buffet / help yourself options (42 percent), and a variety of cuisines on offer (39 percent).
As a result of the global survey data, in 2022 voco Hotels will roll out a ‘turn up’ service across select markets responding to insights to offer localised initiatives and offerings to give travellers more of what they really want from a hotel experience.
The new concept is a playful twist on the typical ‘turn down’ service and designed to ‘turn up’ voco Hotels’ hosted service style at select hotels around the world. Building upon the brand’s philosophy of distinctive, hosted service where all staff members are dedicated to anticipating guest needs throughout their stay, the enhanced service offerings will further deliver unexpected, bookable offerings to guests.
“Travel has changed, and consumers’ expectations have too. With nearly half of travellers stating they want to be valued as an individual, a one-size-fits-all approach to hotel service no longer resonates with travellers,” Mr Tripalone said.
“And while service is one of the most important elements that makes voco Hotels so unique, we’re also known for doing things a little bit differently. So rather than turning down beds, we’re turning up our hosted service to enhance our guest’s stays that meet the needs of today’s travellers.
“Breaking the mould of traditional hotels, voco Hotels combines familiar comforts with unexpected touches to create a stay that is reliable, yet different. The result is an unstuffy, laid-back hotel experience that is full of charm, personality, and individualised spirit.”
Mike Parker-Brown is a UK-trained and qualified journalist and an award-winning travel communicator with more than 30 years experience.
Since 2002, Mike has worked as a freelance writer and PR consultant providing his services to major organisations in Australia and internationally in the tourism, aviation, hospitality, recruitment and export marketing sectors.
