Latest research from the Independent Hotel Show, in partnership with travel deals company Travelzoo, reveals that UK adults rate UK hotels number one for service compared to hotels across Europe. Hotels in Spain and Italy are ranked second and third. Hotels in France fared worst, and were rated lowest for customer service.
The survey of over 1000 UK adults also highlighted how important good service is as a redeeming factor when other attributes of a hotel fall short. Nine out of ten respondents said good service could rectify their impression of a “bad hotel” and is the top reason why two-thirds of customers would rebook.
Good hotel service also has huge positive word-of-mouth potential, with 40% of respondents saying it would make them recommend a hotel to friends and family, second only to the cleanliness of a hotel and 50% more important than the hotel’s restaurant.
Attitudes to service
- Boutique and luxury hotels are the preferred hotel of choice of 42% of respondents, followed by chain hotels (29%) and budget hotels (10%)
- British service is viewed as “formal and polite” by 35% of respondents and “warm and generous” by 18%
- London and Scotland are ranked as the two regions offering the best customer service within the luxury and budget hotel sectors
- Respondents are nearly three times more likely to rate hotel service as “amazing” outside the UK
- Respondents’ biggest bugbears regarding hotel service are “surly or condescending staff” (38%), “not following up on requests” (21%) and “struggling to get staff’s attention” (15%)
- A “friendly, can-do attitude” is viewed by 60% of respondents as the most important quality for customer-facing staff
- 9 out of 10 respondents agree with the statement “a bad hotel can be improved with good service”
How service relates to recommendation and rebooking
- “Cleanliness” is ranked as the highest attribute when it comes to recommending a hotel to friends and family (60%), followed by “good service and friendly hotel staff” (42%) and “location” (31%).
- “Personable, helpful and attentive staff” is ranked highest as one of the main drivers to encourage a repeat hotel booking (66%), followed by a “special offer or promotion” (62%), a “great breakfast” (45%), “convenience” (36%), “a good hotel restaurant” (31%) and the hotel’s “design and décor” (23%)
Service and review sites
- Encouragingly, guests are six times more likely to post a positive review of a hotel than a negative one
With service a core element of successful hotel delivery, the Independent Hotel Show (20-21 October, Olympia), targeted at the independent and boutique hotelier, will be exploring attitudes and trends towards good service during the 2-day event. The Future of Service seminar session that will take place at the show’s Business Theatre on 20 October will focus on the changing needs and expectations of the modern guest. Chaired by Peter Hancock, Chief Executive of Pride of Britain Hotels, the session will also feature key predictions from research and advisory firm Stylus, along with comment from key hotel professionals, including Robert Nadler of Nadler Hotels, Neil Leo of Ace Hotel and Paula McMinn of The Savoy.
Miranda Martin, Event Manager at the Independent Hotel Show says:
“We are thrilled that the UK has been ranked best for hotel service in Europe. The thousands of visitors to the Independent Hotel Show run the most revered luxury and boutique hotels in the country and these results are testament to the outstanding service that makes them such desirable, unique and popular destinations.”
For more information about The Independent Hotel Show click here
For more information about Travelzoo click here
htm sponsor hotel information at H&C News
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