The Refinishing Touch Blog

Last week we announced our findings of the major influences over travelers' hotel bookings. As our business and client base covers the entire continental United States (and beyond), we wanted to get a feel for how the current economic climate is influencing buying habits across more than one state, and so polled hotel visitors on both sides of the country, namely LA and NYC.

What did we find? Well, on each coast cost was the single largest influence. Respondents in NYC and in LA agreed that room rate was the largest single factor that they took into consideration - for both vacation visitors and those on business. It's no surprise to hear that hotels need to lower costs to attract visitors, and easy to sympathize with the challenge of lowering prices in a downturn.

Here at The Refinishing Touch we know cost is a driving factor, because we see it from the other side. The breadth of hospitality businesses we deal with from boutique hotels, global chains and casinos, to luxury resorts, each face the challenge of cost-conscious consumers, and seek solutions to protect their bottom line.

In our research, cost was followed by location- something that can't be changed by any owner or General Manager. But other factors, such as amenities and initiatives in place, just like cost, are barriers that need to be overcome. The bottom line is that consumers need to be given a good price to stay in accommodation that gives them a great experience.

This is a subject that has crept up in conversation several times this week alone from owners and managers we know in the industry: How do you compete to provide the best guest rooms, reception areas, customer service and overall customer experience in a downturn?

The need to succeed in order to survive, and to compete on price to succeed.

The two seem diametrically opposed. But they're not. In the next week, we're going to be blogging, talking to the press, and explaining our thoughts on this key subject: there are trends to be bucked, and we have a wealth of ideas and experience to share.

Labels: Hospitality, hotel, survey