In late July, the American Hotel & Lodging Association published the results of its 2006 survey of housing. This survey was the largest of its kind and this year, 9300 properties were investigated in more than 100 areas of the hotel. The survey was considered the most comprehensive identification of industry trends.
There were a lot of rumors about the hotel and the trends that have affected them. The expert travelers in recent years have led to the rooms to improve services to include voice mail, internet access and flat screen TV. Hoteliers are spending more than $ 5 billion dollars in improvements this year.
The AH & LA members can view the survey in its entirety, but for more information, read the press release on its website. Here are some highlights of the survey :
The percentage of hotels with cable or satellite TV in the room has grown steadily since 1990, from 69 percent to 99 percent in 2006.
Voice mail continues to become an equipment in hotel rooms. Eighty-six percent of all hotels now offer voice mail, up from 72 percent in 2004. All hotels in the luxury chain scale indicated that offer voice mail.
Fifty percent of respondents offered the properties of high-speed Internet in 2004, which increased to 89 percent in 2006.
Wireless Internet access is probably the fastest growing in-room amenity. The number of hotels that offer this service more than doubled in the past two years. In 2006, 82 percent of all hotels offer this service compared to 35 percent in 2004.
Sixty-nine percent of all hotels indicated that the bed had improved in their rooms last year.
Bath products branded amenity turned out to be a popular item for all hotels. Eighty-five percent of all hotel amenities noted that offer branded products in the bathrooms.
Ninety-eight percent of respondents indicated that in 2006 the use of Internet to get a reservation, which was up 89 percent in 2004.
Despite these improvements make it easier for us to be in contact with the cable while traveling for business or pleasure, some people believe that hotels are losing their "human touch". U.S. Today we did a study on what has been lost as we make these great advances in the services. What is missing today? Wake up calls from a real person, postcards and stationary in the room, and windows that actually open are just some of the "personal" elements of the demise of the hotels.
Give your clients the technological advances needed to keep in touch, but keep some of those small personal touches. This could put you ahead of your competition.
