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The Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is an example of a “next-gen” airport hotel |
INTERNATIONAL. Travellers’ negative perception of airport hotels “needs to shift”, according to a report undertaken by Hilton.
In the report, “˜Travel Trends: The Rise of the Airport Hotel’, the company found that most people use airport hotels either for business or because of missed/inconvenient flights. However, many had no intention of staying at them again, describing them as “boring”, “outdated” and “expensive”.
The majority of business travellers surveyed in five geographic regions (between 56% and 88%) felt that there was a connection between their satisfaction with their hotel stay and their ability to perform their job well.
Some 63% stated that they wanted their hotel to feel like it is their home, with amenities available that will help them to relax or otherwise enjoy their stay. Indeed, 61% agreed that they would “always try to use hotel amenities like bars and spas as a way to relax when traveling for work”.
The report also noted the rise of “blended” travel, in which business guests extend their stay to include a weekend of leisure. This trend has contributed to the interest in airport hotels as leisure destinations.
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The design-driven hotel at Schiphol features a range of facilities and services |
Hilton has begun rolling out more design-driven “next-generation” airport hotels which offer “resort-style amenities” including high-end spas and a range of F&B offerings.
Hilton Worldwide Vice President, Global Brand Management, Full Service Brands Shawn McAteer stated: “This modern approach is tailored for today’s savvy travellers and has increased consumer relevance for business and leisure travellers alike.”
The company reports that when travellers were shown visual representations of such hotels, many-ranging from 92-99% – indicated interest in at least some aspect of the concepts. As many as 87% who had previously indicated they were unlikely to stay at an airport hotel agreed that they were now “likely” to stay at one having seen the new offerings.
Just over 5,500 travellers were surveyed online in the USA, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and China for the report, with approximately 1,000 responses per country, Hilton said. To be eligible participants must have travelled for either business or leisure at least once in the past 12 months and have stayed at a full-service hotel at least twice during that time.
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