Register to get 3 free articles
Register to unlock the article and receive our free newsletter. Join 26,000 other hotel leaders and stay in the know.
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
A boom in the number of tourists visiting the UK from the Far East has driven demand for regional and luxury hotels.
The latest data from Expedia Group, for the first quarter of 2016, showed triple-digit growth in all types of Far East demand – not just for four and five star hotels – strengthening the region’s position as the leading driver of growing demand.
Travellers from Hong Kong showed the largest year-on-year increase for luxury hotel stays, up more than 70%, while demand for four and five star hotels from South Koreans rose by more than 50%.
The next largest increase came from Singapore, with an increase of more than 40%, while luxury-seeking travellers from China and Japan both rose by 20%.
Compared with the same period last year London saw an almost 20% rise in luxury stays where elsewhere, there was as a 50% increase in Liverpool, almost 40% more in Edinburgh and a 30% increase in Birmingham.
Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and the East and West Midlands, all recorded year-on-year increases of between 20% and 25%.
The data found the average daily rate (ADR) for luxury hotel rooms in Britain is around £120, compared with £60 for a budget stay. In London, ADR for luxury hotels was around £140 a night for the first three months of the year.
The booking window for four and five star hotels was also found to be significantly longer at between 20 and 25 days, compared with budget stays which stood at around nine days.
Orla Lee, director of market management for the UK and Ireland, said: “International business is especially important for high-end hotels as these travellers are more inclined to upgrade to a higher room category, stay longer and spend more in the hotel on F&B and spa, for example.”
