As many as 81% of luxury travellers are planning to take a holiday in the last quarter of 2020, research undertaken by Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) revealed.
The survey was undertaken in a partnership with Liz Hall Hotel& Travel Consulting, first with a survey of 6,000 SLH members at the end of the nationwide lockdown and then after the easing of many travel restrictions for British tourists, when 1,000 members were surveyed. Of these, 63% have not been put off by recent events and will either continue with an existing booking, change their trip to another destination or postpone it in Q4. Additionally, 48% travellers are planning to travel on two or more occasions.
The survey gauged the general attitude towards travel among members of the luxury?s brands programme and concluded that there is a general desire to travel, provided there is provision to change plans in accordance with the government advice, as well as good availability of smaller hotels with customised experiences. As many as 90% said they would prefer to stay in smaller hotels or private residences.
While 61% of members are planning staycations, SLH reservations data for bookings originating from UK guests showed that hotels across mainland Europe secured 58% reservations until September, and 42% choseg UK hotels. Of those who needed to change their travel plans, only 2% decided to switch from an international holiday to a domestic one.
SLH?s new exclusive use reservations option allows guests to turn any one of the 250 SLH hotels into a fully serviced private residence. With more than 36 intimate hotels offering less than 12 rooms, this becomes a viable option for guests who are travelling with family or friends.Flexible booking, cleanliness and a destination that meets the guest?s expectation are important considerations for SLH guests.
Richard Hyde, managing director of Small Luxury Hotels of the World said, ?Our members have always shown great resilience and an enduring appetite for travel so it is encouraging to see that they remain travel ready, and look at options, closer home as well as abroad, for 2020. Our small hotels offer so many solutions- from their location to their versatility, when a hotel needs to be converted to a private residence. We have established Stay Small, Stay Safe to ensure that our guests can travel with peace of mind and encourage those who are reserved or reluctant, to travel that is it safe when the time is right.?
For more information, visit https://slh.com/discover-destinations
Image credit: SLH hotels
