NEWTON, Mass., Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP), the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its first-ever 360 degree survey, which reveals U.S. lodging trends according to those who know them best: travelers and hospitality business owners and managers. Surveys of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers and more than 600 U.S. hotel representatives shows that Wi-Fi Internet access and breakfast included with booking are king, while a turndown service offers very little value.

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Of the travelers surveyed, 54 percent said they have canceled a lodging reservation because they found better amenities at a different property.

Top 5 Most Important Amenities to U.S. Travelers

(Scale: Somewhat Important - Extremely Important)

The following chart shows the Top 5 most important amenities according to U.S. travelers who most often book hotels. Additionally, respondents representing hotels gauged how important these same amenities are to travelers. Their answers are displayed below:

         Most Important Hotel Amenities Travelers Who Most Hotel Owners /Managers
                                   often Book Hotels
                                   -----------------
      1. Wi-Fi Internet Access                                    85%              99%
      2. Breakfast Included with Booking                          78%              79%
      3. Guest Loyalty Points                                     72%              55%
      4. Restaurant                                               71%              70%
      5.  Shuttle Service to Local Attractions/
          Airport                                                 66%              41%
     ---  -------------------------------------                  ---              ---

Top 5 Least Important Amenities to U.S. Travelers

(Scale: Not At All Important - Not Very Important)

The following chart shows the Top 5 least important amenities according to U.S. travelers who most often book hotels when they travel. Additionally, respondents representing hotels gauged how important these same amenities are to travelers. Their answers are displayed below:

         Least Important Hotel Amenities Travelers Who Most Hotel Owners /Managers
                                    often Book Hotels
                                    -----------------
      1. Turndown Service                                    87%                    83%
      2. Pets Allowed                                        85%                    38%
      3. Spa                                                 79%                    75%
      4. Tours/Excursions/Activities                         76%                    65%
      5. Room Service                                        72%                    49%
     --- ------------                                       ---                    ---

Does it Pay to Have Wi-Fi Internet Access?

    --  88% of travelers expect Wi-Fi Internet access to be free of charge in
        all lodging types
    --  41% of travelers have never paid for Wi-Fi Internet access
    --  65% said they have used free Wi-Fi Internet in an accommodation's lobby
        or common areas to avoid paying for in-room access

According to the survey, 93 percent of accommodations report offering some form of free Wi-Fi Internet access to their guests.

"While accommodations generally appear to be in sync with most traveler amenity preferences, our first-ever 360 degree survey reveals that there are a number of opportunities for lodging businesses to shift the focus from some services to others to capture travelers' attention," said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. "For example, offering complimentary or discounted tickets, recommendations or even a shuttle service to local attractions or a nearby airport may help tip the balance in a property's favor, especially when you consider that more than half of travelers say they've canceled a reservation because they found better amenities elsewhere."

Methodology

The travelers' version of the TripAdvisor 360 degree survey was conducted from Sept. 29 - Oct. 3, 2011 and was sent by email to a panel of U.S. travelers, resulting in 1,248 completed responses. The accommodations' version of the survey was conducted from Oct. 13-31, 2011 and was sent by email to a random sample of U.S. accommodation owners and managers. This survey generated 622 completed responses.

About TripAdvisorTripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 18 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 65 million unique monthly visitors**. TripAdvisor's travel media brands include: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August 2011

**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, August 2011

©2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE TripAdvisor

SOURCE: TripAdvisor