The Most Important Hotel Amenity
What do the words “hotel amenity” mean to you? A plush bathrobe? A mint on your pillow? A minibar stocked full of mini-bottles of booze with non-mini prices?
Or perhaps you’re a more practical type. Not for you, the easy luxury of terry cloth loungewear and chocolate-adorned pillows. All you need from a hotel is a place to sleep, a way to check your email, and if it’s not too much to ask, a nourishing meal in the morning.
You wouldn’t be alone. The results of a recent survey conducted by Hotels.com suggest that the amenities travelers find most important are far more sensible than sumptuous.
The number one amenity that travelers consider when choosing where to stay? Free wi-fi. Number two, for both business and leisure travelers, is whether the hotel offers a free breakfast. Connectivity and coffee – what more does a person need?
Given the utilitarian preferences of the travelers in this survey, it makes sense that select service hotels are the fastest growing segment of the hospitality industry. Brands like Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn forgo traditional amenities such as room service in favor of the essentials. These hotels are popular with travelers because of their relative affordability, and popular with investors because of their low overhead expenses.
You can read more about which amenities travelers say are most important to them here (who would have known, fresh fruit is tied with coffee as the most desired hotel breakfast item?) and in the infographic below.
