Global Travelers Should Get out of Their Comfort Zone and Unleash Their Inner Adventurer, Says Booking.Com

AMSTERDAM, August 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Booking.com launches Epic Accommodations  revealing the most awe-inspiring, eye-opening and memorable accommodations for the budding traveller

• Nine out of ten travellers want to stay in an unusual accommodation such as a castle, boat or  treehouse
  
• However, when booking, practical considerations such as price, location, or specific facilities, tend to win out over more unique or unusual stays that may seem more risky
  
• Travelers worldwide agree that it's the little details that matter in terms of determining a great stay

Booking.com, the world leader in booking accommodation online, has today launched a new platform (1), Epic Accommodations, intended to celebrate some of the world's most interesting accommodations and inspire travellers to embrace adventure when booking their next stay.

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"We know that travellers from all over the world really like the idea of staying somewhere unusual," said Paul Hennessy, Chief Marketing Officer of Booking.com, "and that everyone has their own version of an 'epic' stay.  With Epic Accommodations, we are celebrating that spirit of adventure, as well as some of the world's most interesting accommodations - and sending the message that choosing somewhere unusual doesn't mean compromising on practical considerations. We know accommodation is central in making a holiday memorable and is an aspect that can easily be tailored to match the level of adventure the traveller wants to take. Booking.com has more than 500,000 accommodations and with our Epic Accommodations we aim to move people out of their comfort zone and give them the sense of adventure they truly desire!"

A recent Booking.com survey of almost 39,000 travellers in nine markets during May and June 2014 (2) set out to understand what motivates travellers when booking accommodation. It revealed that for the majority, small personal aspects of a stay, like friendliness of staff, the quality of breakfast, and even if there are coffee and tea facilities in the room, have the biggest impact on whether travellers have a good time.  

Breakfast and friendly staff important but not decisive 

Booking.com data shows that while friendly staff and a good breakfast are important for all nationalities, these factors are not decisive in the final choice of accommodation of the travellers. This is particularly true of secondary desires, such as unique design, luxury toiletries, or a spa/wellness centre.  They are important in hindsight, but they are seen as special extras, rather than a main driver of choice. The secondary factors vary greatly by nationality.  For example:

• US, Australian and Canadian travelers care more about complimentary refreshments than other nationalities
• US, Australian and Canadian travelers also care more than other nationalities about having coffee/tea facilities in the room; Chinese and Brazilian travelers care the least about this
• German, French and Italian travelers are more likely than other nationalities to find a spa/wellness center important
• Germans and Brazilians place an unusually strong emphasis on the breakfast
• Chinese travelers care much more than other nationalities about the accommodation having a unique design, and they are also more interested in luxury toiletries and room service
• While the budget-friendliness of the accommodation is relatively important to all nationalities, it was most important to Chinese and French travelers and least important to German and Italian travelers

The Epic Accommodations platform contains insights into the travel habits and preferences of travellers from nine countries: United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil, China and Japan; as well as providing a selection of those travellers' favourite unusual accommodations from all over the world.  

To make the Epic Accommodations shortlist, each potential accommodation was stringently evaluated by Booking.com experts to ensure it surpassed a set of prerequisite criteria that guarantee an awe-inspiring, eye-opening and memorable experience. In addition, the Booking.com customer opinion is king, with reviews and accompanying scores core to the decision making process. This process produced a list of diverse and inspirational accommodations, offering travellers an easy and accessible route to discover new experiences, with the knowing confidence of comfort, quality, security and insight that only Booking.com can provide.

About Booking.com: 

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property - from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don't pay booking fees - ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers more than 500,000 hotels and accommodations in 205 countries, features 31+ million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 17 years of experience and a team of over 8,000 dedicated employees in 115+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.

^[1]   Epic Accommodations can be found through Epic Accommodations . Content collated using Booking.com sourced data. Further details are available on request.

^[2] Survey conducted by Booking.com. Sample size was close to 39,000 Booking.com customers from 9 markets.  The survey ran between May-June 2014. Survey data available on request.