UK smartphone hotel bookings overtake desktop, SHR finds

Brits are now making more hotel bookings on mobile devices than desktops, according to a new research by SHR, a global specialist technology and service provider to the hotel sector. The hotel technology specialist found that mobile bookings have overtaken desktop for UK staycations for the first time, with more than half of bookings (51.3%) made on a smartphone device over the last year – a 6.1% increase from the previous year. It stated that this shows how consumers are becoming far “more comfortable” booking travel on mobile devices, thanks to the volume of information and seamless booking experience now available on all platforms. Desktop bookings actually decreased by 3.8%, now accounting for only 46.5% of bookings. Tablet bookings also plummeted by 33.4%, making up just 2.2% of domestic UK hotel reservations. Last year, domestic mobile and desktop hotel bookings were nearly equal, with mobile at 48.3% and desktop slightly ahead at 48.4%. However, the research also highlighted that mobile bookings are still not as profitable for hoteliers as desktop bookings. Looking at revenue generated from mobile, desktop and tablet hotel bookings over the last year, desktop bookings accounted for 50.1% of revenue, while mobile bookings trailed behind at 47.3%. Tablet bookings made up the final 2.5% of revenue. While this indicates that UK travellers are likely to spend more when using a desktop to book UK stays, this is changing. Despite claiming the lion’s share of revenue over the last year, revenue generated by desktop bookings has actually decreased by 3.6% year-on-year, whereas mobile booking revenue is up by 6.6%. Revenue generated by tablet bookings significantly dropped by 29.1%. Looking at the rest of the world, SHR found that international travellers booking UK hotels still largely prefer to use desktop – with 80% of UK hotel reservations made on desktop by American travellers. Travellers from Australia, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, and Switzerland all showed a strong preference for desktop when booking a hotel in the UK. Steve Collins, VP of Digital Marketing at SHR, said: "Our data shows that more than half of UK staycation bookings are now made on smartphones, indicating a growing trust and reliance on mobile devices for travel planning. This trend can be attributed to several factors. We are shifting towards a digitally-native generation that feels comfortable, or even prefers, to use their mobiles to book. “At the same time, online travel agencies have significantly improved the usability and accessibility of their mobile platforms, making it easier than ever to book. As this trend continues, it will be essential for the hotel industry to optimise their mobile platforms to capture and maximise this growing market."