05 Mar 2013
Words Tim Admin

3 to -star accommodation in demand

Twenty-six per cent of domestic tourists stayed at a three or four-star motel or hotel on their last domestic holiday, compared to 43% who took the cheaper option of staying with a friend or relative, according to the latest Roy Morgan Research Single Source data.Best Western is the most popular motel/hotel brand, with 20% of holidaymakers who have stayed at a motel or hotel in the last 12 months choosing Best Western. Serviced apartments or rented houses/units are growing in popularity with 19% of tourists staying at one on their last domestic holiday, up from 16% in 2001. Cabins and caravans declined in popularity during the past five years, down from 13% to 11%. Just 5% of tourists surveyed opted for five-star accommodation. Tourists who stay in motels or hotels tend to be couples (47%), whilst tourists staying at serviced apartments or rented houses/units tend to be families (52%), most for reasons of space and cooking facilities.Tourists who holiday in capital cities often opt to stay with friends or relatives. By contrast, those holidaying at the Gold Coast are more likely to pay for their accommodation.The high concentration of strata-title holiday units close to the beach means serviced apartments and rented houses/units are a very popular choice, especially with families. Some 34% of Australians (aged 14+) who have holidayed on the Gold Coast in the past year stayed at apartment/rented accommodation.Given families favour this accommodation type, it’s not surprising the key types of holidays described by people staying in apartment/rented properties are “rest and recreation”, “beach holiday” and “short break to escape the grind”. The data showed, of all Australians (aged 14+) who stayed in rented accommodation, 68% did so for “rest and recreation”, compared to 54% who stayed at a motel.Accommodation providers can better understand what type of information they should provide to their patrons to encourage them to stay longer and spend more, by looking at the key activities they undertake.The top two are dining and shopping, with other interests being events and festivals, nature activities, historical places, gardens/parks and swimming/surfing. Interesting to note, for example, 32% of people who said they went swimming/surfing stayed in apartment/rented accommodation, compared to 18% who stayed at a motel.