TripAdvisor hotel survey reveals the good, the bad and the ugly

September 09, 2008 | Hospitality Industry

When asked what makes a hotel great, 30 percent of respondents said location is the most important factor, while 29 percent cited comfortable beds, and 24 percent said hotel staff/great service. When asked what ruins a hotel stay, 54 percent said unclean rooms, 14 percent cited noisy hotel guests and 11 percent pointed to poor hotel staff/service.

TripAdvisor announced the results of its hotel survey of more than 2,200 travellers worldwide. Ninety-two percent of respondents said they are planning to stay at a hotel or B&B in the next 12 months. Nineteen percent will stay at a hotel or B&B more than 10 times in the coming year, and 45 percent will stay between 2-4 times in the next 12 months.

The Good
When asked what makes a hotel great, 30 percent of respondents said location is the most important factor, while 29 percent cited comfortable beds, and 24 percent said hotel staff/great service. When asked what makes a hotel bed comfortable, 64 percent said it’s the mattress, 11 percent noted the linens, and another 11 percent said it’s the pillows.

The Bad
When asked what ruins a hotel stay, 54 percent said unclean rooms, 14 percent cited noisy hotel guests and 11 percent pointed to poor hotel staff/service.

The Ugly
Sixty-eight percent of travellers have experienced a dirty carpet at a hotel, 64 percent have dealt with non-working appliances, and 59 percent have waited as their room was not ready at check-in. Thirty-eight percent of travellers think the dirtiest part of a hotel is the carpet, 37 percent speculate it’s the bedspread, 11 percent believe it’s the television remote and another 11 percent think it’s the bathroom.

Bothered about Bedbugs
Eighty percent of travellers said they are concerned about bed bugs when visiting a hotel. Eight percent of travellers surveyed said they have experienced bed bugs at a hotel.

Honest and Truthful?
Seventy-eight percent of travellers said hotels are often “as advertised,” 17 percent said they are rarely as advertised. Sixty-six percent of travellers said B&Bs are “as advertised,” 20 percent said they are rarely so.

“Your hotel experience can make or break your vacation and we’ve found that travellers don’t ask for much. Cleanliness is the top travel requirement among TripAdvisor members and that doesn’t seem like too much to ask.” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor.