Power to the hoteliers

PING! A press release arrives from JD Power & Associates in California outlining the findings of its 2006 Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

The survey of 12,000 Europeans who stayed in a hotel in the continent between June and September 2006 reveals exactly half made their reservations over the internet, up from 34% in 2005.

And the rise of the direct sell, according JD Power, is taking hold with sites such as Expedia and Hotels.com “ceding market share” to hotel websites.

Apparently guests are now twice as likely to book reservations through a hotel-branded website.

Elsewhere in the report, 70% of hotel guests in Europe prefer a smoke-free environment that “exceeds the boundaries of their room”. This is marginally lower than in the US (79%), but there are clear regional differences across Europe.

The survey says 57% of Spanish tourists want a smoke-free environment, against 76% of Swedes and those from the UK.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution