Hotels in the Time of COVID: Local travel, outdoor amenities, and the need to engender trust.

We deployed an online survey to an anonymous panel of 1,500 U.S.-based hotel visitors. Responses were collected from June 26 to July 10, 2020. Respondents were required to have had experience staying overnight at hotels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Quotas were enforced to ensure representation across age, gender, race/ethnicity, and household income groups.

COVID-19 put an abrupt hold on travel plans and hotel stays for most Americans. As the pandemic continues, we are facing a new and complex reality of how we choose destinations and what makes travel feasible and safe. Hotels are among the industries most impacted by this pandemic; the hospitality industry must envision a guest experience that aligns with new guidelines and expectations for safety.

Travelers are optimistic about the role hotels will play in upcoming travels. Respondents are currently more comfortable staying at hotels than they are at any other type of accommodation. While only 56% of those who continued traveling during the pandemic stayed at a hotel, 70% of those with upcoming travel plans say their plans will include a hotel stay. Which customers are likely to come back first? Millennials, frequent travelers, and high-income guests will resume travel first; these groups are also overall least concerned about staying in hotels as the pandemic continues.