Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 - (Page 10)

10 Satisfaction Trends IN THE details Do guests want green? Survey results Brand programs Cost of programs H&MM October 6, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Understand importance of green to guests s more hoteliers get on board the sustainable operations movement, their efforts are improving the environment and cutting costs. But do customers really care? Do green programs actually affect hotel selection or the price a guest is willing to pay? New questions added to the Market Metrix Hospitality In- A By Jonathan Barsky H&MM Columnist dex survey asked the importance of green initiatives to hotel guests and which brands, according to guests, have the best green programs. “Eco-friendly” or “green” initiatives are most compelling to luxury hotel guests, with 20 percent of these travelers claiming these programs are “very important” when selecting a hotel. Least affected by these programs are guests in the midscale-withoutfood-and-beverage segment. Therefore, it appears that customers who can afford to care about green are more willing to change their behavior. Across all hotel seg- ments, 12 percent of guests rate these programs “very important.” This level of general market acceptance signals an opportunity for brand differentiation, especially among lower-priced hotels. In addition to measuring the importance of green initiatives to their choice of hotel, guests also were asked to rate the hotel’s green initiatives. Green programs were rated highest for luxury hotel brands (74.7) and lowest for economy brands (69.6). Among hotel brands, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was the clear winner (89.7). Its EarthCare program includes eco-friendly cleaning products. recycling coat hangers and paperless check-ins/outs. Overall, guests who rank a hotel’s green program highly are willing to pay at least 7 percent more for their room compared to other guests. These same guests also stay longer, are happier with their stay and are more likely to consider the loyalty program as “very important” in selecting a hotel. Hotels with highly ranked green programs also experience half as many guestreported problems. There were some surprises. Some lower-priced hotels were evaluated favorably for their green initiatives, demonstrating cost does not have to be a barrier to guest-friendly green programs. Conversely, despite the importance luxury guests place on eco-friendly programs, several higher-priced hotels received low ratings. Among the large hotel chains, green programs were rated near the industry average (73), meeting guest expectations. Establishing eco-friendly programs can be a cost-effective marketing tool, and simply raising awareness of environmentally friendly programs will help many properties. hmm@questex.com Jonathan Barsky is a principal with Market Metrix LLC (MarketMetrix.com), a ﬁrm that provides multi-channel survey, analysis and service improvement tools and benchmarking data for the hospitality industry. For more information, call (800) 239-7515. CIRCLE NO. 147 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.travelclickworks.com http://www.travelclickworks.com http://www.MarketMetrix.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 Contents NYLO Brands Mix Up Lifestyle Segment La Quinta Eyes Mexico, Canada for Growth Perspective Legally Speaking Marketing Matters Satisfaction Trends Maintenance Doctor HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Independent Hotels Top Hotel Multiunit Owners and Developers Survey Cleaning & Maintenance Music Wallcoverings Supplier News Transactions Softgoods: Bedding & Linens People Events Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008

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