When guests travel this summer, they are opting more for a highly digital, self-service experience when it comes to their hotel stays. A recent survey commissioned by Mews and conducted by OnePoll found that nearly 80 percent of travelers would be willing to stay at a hotel with a completely automated front desk or self-service kiosk, with more than 40 percent of them preferring to check in via a hotel’s website, app or digital kiosk.

The poll of 2,000—split evenly among travelers and hotel workers—also found that hotel workers anticipate guests to use technology more during their travels, with a fourth expecting them to check in more frequently via a hotel website, app or digital kiosk compared to previous years.

“Trends in hospitality are ever-changing but we’re seeing indicators that people are prioritizing travel again," Mews founder Richard Valtr said in a statement. "While we’re seeing some softness in mid-market and select service hotels, the luxury sector seems resilient. Guests visiting luxury properties are spending more on bucket list trips and staying longer. We’re also seeing a continuous rise in people extending work trips for some added leisure time and blending work with vacations. The most forward-thinking hotels are tapping into this trend by embracing personalized guest experiences and offering a variety of amenities that appeal to differing guest needs. More and more hotels are adopting technology that creates seamless experiences for their guests, no matter the reason for their trip.”

Other Key Findings

Travelers stated what a perfect hotel should include: in-room smart home devices, (43 percent), keyless room entry (34 percent), mobile room entry (27 percent), and digital ordering (24 percent).

A third (36 percent) admitted they have turned to AI for recommendations while booking travel.

The study also found that nearly a third (29 percent) of employed Americans admitted they’ve worked remotely on vacation without telling their bosses.

• 52 percent said they would use their vacations as a chance to work remotely.
• Close to four in 10 (39 percent) explained it was simply because they like what they do for work.
• Others noted they would work on vacation to hit an important work deadline that overlapped with their vacation time (28 percent) or to save on their PTO (26 percent).
• Four in five working Americans would be willing to work remotely from their hotel.

While working from the comfort of one’s hotel room is the top preference (69 percent), a quarter of respondents said they would prefer to work remotely from the hotel pool or spa, and nearly 25 percent chose a hotel bar or restaurant.

On the other hand, those traveling for work admit business trips open the door to other opportunities. According to the survey results:

• Nearly half (48 percent) of respondents have extended their work trips into vacations.
• Hotel workers claimed guests traveling for work or blending work with vacations are the easiest to cater to (83 percent and 76 percent, respectively).
• Hotel workers also anticipate guests will tip more (39 percent), extend their stay more frequently (38 percent) and use hotel amenities more (31 percent), and 79 percent said guests “always” or “often” ask for local recommendations.

“Technology enables our teams to gather robust guest information before they arrive at one of our locations, which empowers our customer service teams to create unique 'excite and delight' opportunities for guests, resulting in powerful moments and lifelong memories for our guests,” said Ryan Krukar, VP sales and marketing at Gravity Haus, a travel lifestyle hospitality experience and membership club. “Identifying and understanding a guest's needs before they arrive at one of our locations and going above and beyond for guests is key in delivering authentic hospitality, and provides additional value and comfort while simultaneously immersing a guest in the unique culture of the destination they are visiting.”

Anticipating guests’ needs is a crucial component to providing exceptional customer service throughout their stay, said Andrew Gauthier, GM at The Incline Lodge in Nevada. “By tracking individual attributes and preferences of new and returning guests, we can provide a truly curated experience for every guest that comes through our door," he said. "Technology also enables us to provide an easy and efficient contactless and self check-in process, so our staff can spend more of their time interacting with guests.”

Survey Methodology

This random double-opt-in survey of 1,000 American travelers and 1,000 American hotel workers was commissioned by Mews Systems, Inc. between Jan. 30 and Feb. 8. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research.