Bargain-hunting clients and a further explosion in all-inclusive will be the two defining hotel trends for 2010, as consumers demand more than ever for their budget.
Despite reports that the UK is officially moving out of recession, the British love-affair with holiday bargains shows no sign of waning. Last year, the hotel industry responded to this deal-obsessed environment by adding value and not slashing prices – and this is set to continue for 2010.
Lowcostbeds.com commercial director Patricia Rossello-Palmer said: “Many hotels don’t want to play the pricing game so will offer free transfers or upgrades – but competition is increasing, so this year they will better value than ever before.”
If you witnessed a boom in clients opting for all-inclusive last year, there’s more to come. Operators and bed banks report unprecedented demand for the all-inclusive option for 2010, especially in the non-eurozones of Turkey and Egypt. TUI UK head of product Alex Loftus said hoteliers are rethinking their offering to suit the new market.
“A lot of hotels are changing their facilities to adapt to what the consumer wants. For example, Protur Hotels in Majorca is marketing itself as a complex of five hotels (rather than separate properties) to show off its range of facilities.”
As more properties jump on the all-inclusive bandwagon, experts are concerned the market in destinations such as Turkey will become flooded with poor quality all-inclusives.
“We only work with hotels that have certain facilities and a certain number of restaurants,” added Loftus.
All-inclusive is also a winner when it comes to long haul. Kuoni is reporting strong sales for four-star hotels in Maldives.
“The demand for all-inclusive has been phenomenal,” said head of late trading Tamara Diethelm. “We had a lot of success with five-star resorts in the Maldives last year, but this year four-star pricing is very strong.”
The demand for good deals has not diminished clients’ very high expectations on service and quality.
Fairmont executive direc-tor for travel industry sales for EMEA Paul Ryan said: “Everybody’s looking for a deal and shopping around to find the best price they can get. At the same time, our customers are still expecting a high level of service so we’ve been spending a lot on staff training and maintaining service levels.”
In such a competitive market, hotels are trying to set themselves apart from the masses. The boutique hotel trend plays on, but some new hotels are moving away from sleek minimalism to more homely surroundings. The newly opened Dean Street Townhouse in London exemplifies this, choosing
traditional decor with retro touches.
Green travel is still a concern for customers and eco-luxury resorts are on the rise. Kuoni is featuring the Soneva Kiri by Six Senses in Thailand, which has a carbon-neutral villa as a forerunner to its new zero emissions brand – Evalutions by Six Senses – to launch this year.
According to responsibletravel.com, desire for authentic experiences will be greater than ever this year. Founder Justin Francis said he had witnessed an increase in travellers wanting back-to-nature holidays, from staying in a stone cottage directly on the sand in Los Cabos, Mexico to a self-catering eco-barn
in Yorkshire.
Hotels are also continuing to move into emerging destinations, such as the hills outside the city of Hangzhou, China where Banyan Tree opened 72 waterfront suites in November, soon to be followed by a new Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou.
Commentary
CommentaryFrom Hotels and Resorts Issue guest editor Butch Stewart
This analysis supports our own research. The all-inclusive concept still offers excellent value for money and, despite misconceptions, can offer a luxury product.
But with so many hotels jumping on the all-inclusive bandwagon, agents must ensure they are booking with trusted brands to ensure clients are not
disappointed in resort.