Holiday Hosts Also Fill Roles of Hotel Employees for Visiting Friends and
Family
DALLAS, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- While most Americans heading
home for the holidays won't be expected to do the household chores while
bunking with relatives or friends, they may still be longing for the
pampering and perks of a hotel. In fact, according to the recent
hotels.com(R) Hospitality@Home survey, the majority of U.S. adults (63
percent) miss the amenities provided by hotels when they stay with
relatives or friends during the holiday season.
The survey also suggests that the pressure of playing host to a house
full of overnight guests can put many Americans on edge. According to the
poll, 81 percent of U.S. adults say they feel like a hotel employee when
hosting guests for the holidays.
"The holiday season can be particularly hectic for people traveling or
hosting a crowd," said Scott Booker, chief hotel expert for hotels.com.
"Travelers who book a hotel room can ease the stress for both parties: they
can enjoy the comfort and peacefulness of a private room, while allowing
their families to enjoy the holidays without the burden of round-the-clock
hosting duties."
Missing Out on Amenities
Most Missed Amenities
* Personal care products, such as soap, shampoo and moisturizer
(10 percent)
* Internet access (10 percent)
* Room service (9 percent)
* Entertainment, such as movies and video game systems (8 percent)
* Fitness center (8 percent)
* Laundry service (4 percent)
* Bathrobe and slippers (3 percent)
* Mini bar (2 percent)
* Safe (2 percent)
While personal care products and Internet access were among the most
missed hotel amenities for those staying with friends and family during the
holidays, the survey found that younger adults tend to miss hotel amenities
more than older adults.
In fact, 72 percent of 18- to 44-year-olds long for hotel amenities
when staying with friends and family, compared with 56 percent of those 45
and over. Certain amenities also appealed more to the younger traveler:
* Breaking a Sweat. Ten percent of 18- to 44-year-olds said they miss
the availability of a fitness center when staying with relatives over
the holidays, while only 6 percent of U.S. adults ages 45 and over
miss having a fitness center.
* Playing Into the Night. In-room entertainment, such as movies and
video game systems, also were more popular with the younger crowd.
The survey found that 10 percent of 18- to 44-year-olds would miss
these amenities, compared with 5 percent of those ages 45 and over.
And while many people may think women prefer the extra pampering, the
survey found that men (67 percent) are more likely to miss hotel amenities
than women (59 percent).
From Maid to Bellman: Playing Innkeeper
The survey also revealed that many holiday hosts feel like temporary
innkeepers. The most common hotel jobs that respondents say they fulfill
when hosting guests are:
* Chef (62 percent) * Concierge (35 percent)
* Maid (56 percent) * Bellman (26 percent)
* Waiter (52 percent) * Doorman (24 percent)
However, the survey found differences between women and men. For
example, 63 percent of women said they feel like the maid when hosting
holiday guests, compared with just 49 percent of men. But men (30 percent)
are more likely than women (22 percent) to feel like the bellman.
Payback Time?
From shuttling guests to and from the airport to preparing their guest
rooms to serving up their dinners, it's no doubt that some holiday hosts
feel they could give real hotels a run for their money during the holidays.
In fact, the survey found that U.S. adults believe their "hotel-like" guest
accommodations at home are worth about $130 per night on average.
And it seems like famous Southern hospitality commands a premium.
According to the survey, Southerners believe their "hotel rooms" at home
are worth $177 per night on average. But deals could be had at homes
throughout the Midwest, where residents said their hotel-like
accommodations were worth slightly less than $100.
U.S. adults (by geographic region) say on average how much they believe
a hotel room at their home is worth:
* South: $177
* Northeast: $109
* West: $107
* Midwest: $98
NOTE: Percentages may not add up to 100 due to weighting factors or
multiple responses.
Survey Methodology
This telephone survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of
hotels.com among 1,072 adults (aged 18 and over) within the United States
between Sept. 8 and 10, 2006. Figures for age, sex, geographic region,
education, household income, and race/ethnicity were weighted where
necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the
population. With a pure probability sample of 1,072, one could say with a
95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of
+/- 3 percentage points. However, that does not take other sources of error
into account. Entire survey results are available upon request by calling
Lacey Hautzinger at (214) 303-6002.
About hotels.com
hotels.com(R) is a leading provider of lodging worldwide, offering
reservation services through its own web sites (including hotels.com and
others), its interactive affiliate network (https://www.IAN.com ) and its
toll-free call centers (1-800-2-HOTELS). hotels.com gives travelers one of
the widest selections of lodging accommodations from traditional hotels to
vacation rentals at more than 70,000 properties worldwide. hotels.com is an
operating company of Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).
hotels.com, the hotels.com logo and the Benny the Bellman logo are
either registered trademarks or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other
countries of hotels.com, LP, a subsidiary of hotels.com. Other logos or
products and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their
respective owners
SOURCE hotels.com
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.hotels.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050415/LAFRU1LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/915548.html /
CONTACT:
Maureen Carrig of hotels.com,
+1-425-679-7511, or mcarrig@hotels.com
|
