Understanding Which Hotel Attributes Prompt Travelers to Book

Review data has a significant impact on travelers’ booking decisions. In fact, 95% of travelers read reviews, according to a recent TrustYou study. But what hotel attributes mentioned within reviews actually prompt a traveler to book?

We’ve worked in conjunction with Donna Quadri-Felitti, Director of the School of Hospitality Management at Pennsylvania State University to understand just that. Using heat-mapping technology, we analyzed key factors like cleanliness, service, WiFi, etc. to see which attributes have the biggest impact on travelers’ booking decisions. The study is available for free download here.

Findings show the complexity of the booking process. To be within a traveler’s consideration set, hotels must provide basics like cleanliness and comfort, which are the self-reported most important factors in determining where to stay. However, when presented review “snippets” or excerpts within a booking scenario, travelers often choose a hotel based on other factors relevant to the context in which they are traveling, such as great WiFi for business trips or wonderful rooms when planning a romantic getaway.

The report includes:

• The nine most important hotel attributes broken out for leisure travelers and business travelers (i.e., service, amenities, food, etc.)
• Details on traveler desires across six different leisure experiences and two different business travel scenarios.
• What family travelers and couples want most when choosing a hotel

By understanding these triggers, hotels can focus efforts to improve, optimize marketing, and leverage review content to best cater to its audience and ultimately increase bookings.

Full details on what attributes prompt a traveler to book in each context are available in the free report here.