BDRC Continental reveals results of global hotel guest survey

Specialist hotel research consultancy BDRC Continental has launched the 2013 Global Hotel Guest Survey programme. The survey is based on nationally representative samples of British business and leisure hotel guests and has been conducted annually since 1982. It reveals significant changes to the structure of the market, hotel guest behaviour and the hierarchy of hotel brands operating in Britain. The key highlights are as follows: A summer jam-packed with major events helped make 2012 an excellent year for the domestic British short break market, with demand soaring by eight million room nights to 43 million. By contrast, the report highlights a depressed business transient and residential conference market, with demand contracting by five million room nights to 53 million. The combined impact of a strong domestic leisure market and a weaker business market was a slight contraction in total domestic room nights to 106 million. Hilton remains the market-leading brand on a composite measure of brand performance, but Whitbread’s budget brand Premier Inn continues its rapid progress and moves into second place, also becoming the most widely used brand for business stays. BDRC Continental’s award for ‘Most Improved Brand’ performance goes to Accor’s mid-market brand, Mercure, which has seen significant increases in consumer awareness since its recent expansion in Britain. InterContinental and Hyatt are, respectively, the number one brands for their own guests’ ratings on the ‘likelihood to recommend’ measure, for business and leisure. A key theme of the report is the coming of age of mobile technology and social media as channels for interaction between guests and hotels. Eighty two per cent of British business travellers own a mobile device that gives them internet access. Improvements in functionality, as well as the increase in adoption, are leading to much more widespread use of mobile technology to search for hotels, review facilities, and making or changing bookings. Eighty three per cent of British business travellers now engage with social media. Free WiFi in the hotel is the number one functional product/service priority for business guests. Commenting on the British Hotel Guest Survey results, Matt Costin, director at BDRC Continental, said: “This year’s report highlights the dynamism of the hotel sector; significant shifts in the structure of market demand; fluctuations in the overall hierarchy of brand performance; and improving technology which is changing consumer behaviour. As ever, it is vital for senior decision makers to understand the business implications of these changes and to put the voice of the customer at the heart of their strategic decision-making.” The 2013 British Hotel Guest Survey by BDRC Continental, was conducted amongst 1,000 business travellers and 1,000 leisure travellers, representative of the hotel-staying British population. Equivalent surveys are conducted by BDRC Continental in 35 of the world’s most significant hotel markets, across 5 continents. For further details go to www.bdrc.continental.com Image: Premier Inn, Leamington Spa