Open door on Kiwis’ attitudes to hotel stays

Nearly 20 per cent of Kiwis have admitted to booking into a hotel room with a one-night stand in mind

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Expedia®poll opens the door on Kiwis’ attitudes and opinions towards hotel stays

Auckland, 30 September 2008 – Nearly 20 per cent of Kiwis have admitted to booking into a hotel room with a one-night stand in mind, according to a poll conducted recently by Expedia.co.nz™, which is operated by Expedia Inc., the world’s leading online travel company.

The poll, which explored the opinions and attitudes of over 5,500 New Zealanders towards staying in hotels, also revealed that cleanliness of the room was of uppermost importance when staying in a hotel (45 per cent), followed by the hotel’s location (21 per cent). While 92 per cent of respondents love taking home the complimentary soaps and shampoos from the bathroom, overall, New Zealanders proved themselves to be an honest crowd with less than three per cent taking the bathrobes or towels.

Rude and unhelpful hotel staff topped the list of gripes Kiwis have about hotels (23 per cent), ahead of other pet peeves including: noise (22 per cent), uncomfortable beds (20 per cent) and hidden costs appearing on the bill (19 per cent).

Arthur Hoffman, Managing Director Expedia Asia Pacific, says: “Overwhelmingly the poll revealed that New Zealanders value good hospitality and cleanliness when staying in a hotel. New Zealanders’ cyber-savviness is impressive, indicated by an overwhelming 58 per cent of people noting online research, including user reviews and hotel ratings, as the most significant source of information when booking accommodation,” Hoffman said.

The poll also revealed that Kiwis take time researching their hotel options, with nearly half of those polled (43 per cent) booking their accommodation between one and three months in advance of their trip.

Just five per cent of people are influenced by their travel agent’s suggestions when booking a hotel, compared to 32 per cent who follow recommendations from family and friends.

Kiwis ranked Auckland as the city with the nation’s best hotels (38 per cent), followed by Queenstown (25 per cent), Wellington (21 per cent) and Christchurch, which gained the unenviable reputation of having the country’s worst hotels attracting just 16 per cent of the vote.

Other key findings include:
• B&Bs are the least popular form of accommodation for Kiwis, with only four per cent highlighting them as the preferred place to stay
• Room features such as cable TV, air conditioning and broadband is a priority for only 10 per cent of people
• Only one per cent of people are concerned about the tidiness of hotel staff’s attire.

For excellent travel deals and a great travel experience visit www.expedia.co.nz.

ENDS

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