Over nine-tenths of UK travellers consider hotel brands to be the least important factor when booking hotel accommodation for business or leisure trips.
In a survey of over 1,600 business and leisure travellers in the UK, commissioned by Utell Hotels and Resorts, 92 per cent said they were not concerned about hotel brands. One in seven (15 per cent) actively preferred to stay in independent hotels, with the trend highest amongst the over 55s (19 per cent).
The president of Utell Hotels and Resorts Peter Fitzgerald said: “The survey demonstrates that UK consumers want originality and choice in their accommodation, as well as flexibility and security in how they book.”
Location was the prime concern for business travellers when choosing accommodation (84 per cent), with hotels offering an easy reservation process also in demand (36 per cent compared to 27 per cent for non-business travellers).
Of those polled, more than half (57 per cent) preferred to book their hotel accommodation online, either directly or via a travel booking website.
The survey also revealed that women were much more concerned about inaccurate product descriptions online, with a third (31 per cent) citing this as a reason for not booking accommodation online, compared to just 19 per cent of men.