Whilst last-minute mobile-hotel bookings continue their steady rise, lastminute.com has shed some light on consumer attitudes to the trend.
The Travelocity-owned, European online travel agency conducted an online survey among 2,000 adults from 30 cities across the UK to understand the wider issues behind last-minute hotel bookings.
Key takeaways from the survey are listed below:
- About 60% of respondents booked hotel and flights on a mobile app or mobile website less than a week before their departure date
- About 20% of respondents booked a hotel on the same day for that very night
- Average price for same day hotel bookings was $109 per night
- About 30% of same-night hotel bookings was made following a night out with friends. Interestingly, 16% of these respondents missed the last public transport home (and hence made a last minute reservation).
- Three in five respondents said they were willing to change plans on a night out to stick with the group, with 13% doing it out of fear that they’ll miss out on a fantastic night elsewhere
- 33% of bookings for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are made between 6 pm and midnight that day
- 23% of same night bookings are for a luxury hotel in the respondents home cities. Among this group of users, 23% said they do so to escape the mess at home.
- The survey also says, users "start romance with an app and end in a hotel room" - 20% of respondents on a date booked a hotel for the night when they felt they might "get lucky"
- 25% of the 41-50 year old respondents on a date said they make last minute reservations to impress their date, as opposed to 5% of 18-24 year old respondents
- 26% of the men were most likely to book a hotel if a date goes well. But, 33% of women book a last minute hotel following a great night out with friends and only 9% booked a last minute hotel on a "good date".
NB: Party image via Shutterstock.