At the Caterer & Hotel Keeper Digital Summit I shared the results of a survey conducted by Travelzoo to find out consumer booking preferences for leisure breaks and hotel deals. I also shared case studies of hotel deals and what works when crafting an offer to drive incremental bookings and on-site spend.

1. The Deal Experts. Over 26 Million Subscribers Worldwide.
Deal or no Deal?
Joel Brandon-Bravo, UK MD
Caterer Digital Summit, May 2014
www.travelzoo.co.uk 1

2. What do I know?
What do people think they want?
What do they want?
www.travelzoo.co.uk 2

3. www.travelzoo.co.uk 3

4. What do I know?
What do people think they want? – Survey Results
What do they want?
www.travelzoo.co.uk 4

5. How many times have you booked a hotel in the past 12 months for leisure?
6%
9%
17%
20%
16%
10%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
www.travelzoo.co.uk 5
8%
85% - 2 or more
68% - 3 or more
46% - 4 or more
3%
3%
1%
7%
0%
None 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+

6. Who did you book with? (other than Travelzoo, tick all that apply)
6.8%
6.5%
6.2%
6.1%
4.0%
2.1%
0.3%
0.3%
14.7%
Direct with the hotel
Other
Booking.com
Laterooms.com
Hotels.com
Lastminute.com
Expedia
Trivago
Travelsupermarket
Mr&Mrs Smith
Travelocity
www.travelzoo.co.uk 6
18.5%
32.1%
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0%

7. Who did you book with? (tick all that apply) – those who answered other
www.travelzoo.co.uk 7

8. Where would you go for advice & information on accommodation in a destination
you had not visited before?
86%
60%
37%
31%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
www.travelzoo.co.uk 8
15%
10%
7% 6%
0%

9. What types of hotel do you generally prefer? (select up to three)
8%
6%
6%
Luxury
Boutique (stylish, smaller hotels)
Budget friendly
An International Chain
Family Friendly
Hip Hotels
Business
www.travelzoo.co.uk 9
21%
32%
47%
52%
51%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Other

10. What value do you place on the following when it comes to choosing hotels?
43%
Room upgrade
Early check-in or late checkout
Full breakfast
Transfers to/from the airport
Parking
Vouchers for nearby attractions
Discounts on golf/spa/restaurant
www.travelzoo.co.uk 10
65%
44%
79%
79%
84%
79%
76%
39%
19%
17%
13%
17%
22%
34%
16%
18%
22%
13%
2%
4%
3%
4%
8%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Free Wi-Fi
Important
Neither
Important or
Unimportant
Unimportant

11. What value do you place on the following when it comes to choosing hotels?
36%
28%
28%
29%
24%
20%
14%
10%
26%
Continental breakfast
Welcome drink
Bottle of wine in the room
Free massage
Free movie package
Afternoon tea
Chocolates in the room
www.travelzoo.co.uk 11
46%
52%
44%
47%
55%
60%
54%
18%
20%
18%
27%
30%
25%
26%
65%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Kids' club/children's activities
Important
Neither
Important or
Unimportant
Unimportant

12. 1%
7%
13%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
www.travelzoo.co.uk 12
21%
33%
24%
0%
Extremely
last minute
Quite last
minute
1-2 weeks 2-4 weeks 4-8 weeks Two months
or more
How far in advance do you generally book a hotel?

13. What value do you place on the following when it comes to choosing hotels? -
Ratings
55%
81%
86%
Tripadvisor ratings
Star ratings
www.travelzoo.co.uk 13
38%
15%
11%
4%
3%
7%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Accreditation schemes
Important Neither Important or Unimportant Unimportant
*Conde Nast Traveller’s Gold List or other magazine and newspaper awards

14. What value do you place on the following when it comes to choosing hotels?
Coverage
42%
Recommendations in travel guides
Positive press article
www.travelzoo.co.uk 14
57%
63%
36%
30%
44%
7%
7%
14%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Awards
Important Neither Important or Unimportant Unimportant

15. What value do you place on the following when it comes to choosing hotels?
Endorsement
10%
31%
Positive endorsement from a friend
or family
Positive endorsement in social media
www.travelzoo.co.uk 15
91%
42%
43%
7%
48%
26%
2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Celebrity endorsement
Important Neither Important or Unimportant Unimportant

16. Do you know what the following terms refer to? (Please tick all that you fully
understand)
92% 91% 91% 90%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
www.travelzoo.co.uk 16
84%
72%
61%
0%
Full board Set menu Half board A la carte Michelin-starred
restaurant
AA Rosette
restaurant
Table
d'hôte

17. When it comes to hotel deals do you prefer the price to be expressed as per
person or for the room per night?
81%
18%
1%
www.travelzoo.co.uk 17
Total per night
Per person
I don't understand the difference

18. Do you prefer a short description of what is included or
do you prefer to be briefed on a full list of details?
57%
37%
6%
www.travelzoo.co.uk 18
Short description of the deal with links
to websites with further information
Full description with all details
explained on the same page as the
deal
Short description of the deal

19. What do I know?
What do people think they want? – Survey Results
What do they want?
www.travelzoo.co.uk 19

20. 1 night, 2 night or 3 night stays?
www.travelzoo.co.uk 20
York Pavilion
Results:
Forcing a 3 night stay resulted in
significantly reduced campaign
performance. When compared to a 2 night
stay.

21. Let them decide and most will book a second night
www.travelzoo.co.uk 21
Rowley Manor & Talbot Hotel
Results:
• 1 night DB&B promotion with offer to
stay for a second night on a deal
resulted in 60% booking 2 night stays
(or more)

22. £10 makes a big difference
1st send of the Getaway 2nd send of the Getaway
www.travelzoo.co.uk 22
Local Deals
349 sold at £89
Includes a 3-course à la carte dinner
& a glass of bubbly
647 sold at £79
Includes a 3-course à la carte dinner
£10 - Typically halves performance

23. www.travelzoo.co.uk 23
Details
£65 Durham Stay
Result: 182 pax.
Removed Tea
Ran a week later
£59 Durham Stay
Result: 580 pax.
Even £6

24. Don’t take out the dinner if it’s miles from alternatives
1st send of the Getaway 2nd send of the Getaway
www.travelzoo.co.uk 24
Local Deals
534 sold at £159 212 sold at £99

25. But don’t force people if it’s in a city
www.travelzoo.co.uk 25
Result: 355 RM
Can Always use a 2-4-1 or
wine with dinner offer to
keep people in if they choose

26. Talk about why people visit
www.travelzoo.co.uk 26
The Manor Hotel
Distribution: 1m
Results:
• Referring to Yorkshire and referencing
nearby attraction of Bronte museum
increased otherwise like for like
performance .

27. Headlines do matter – Spot the difference
www.travelzoo.co.uk 27
Formby Hall
Results:
• Northwest beats Merseyside in terms of
bookings while all other factors remained
the same.

28. Including Attractions might help
National Motorcycle Museum tickets
perceived as having been paid for?
www.travelzoo.co.uk 28
Travelzoo’s older and more ‘culture
vulture’ audience might like cultural add
ons.
But might not!

29. Spa & Pamper days
www.travelzoo.co.uk 29
Multiple price points with low lead-in
£29 for 1 person 1 treatment
£56 for 2 people 1 treatment each
£89 for 2 people 2 treatments

30. Spa
www.travelzoo.co.uk 30
“The volume is most
unexpected...”
“...the clientele are of high calibre
and 95% new customers and at
least 20% are buying extra
treatments”.
Adam Bell
Business Development Manager
Macdonald Manchester Hotel Spa
“We do see this type of tactical
marketing taking over from our
more conventional marketing
spending. We see this working
especially well for us as our
business remains stubbornly
'seasonal’ ”
Peter Lavin
General Manager
Conway Castle

31. Lunch and Dinner
www.travelzoo.co.uk 31
Fixed menus allow cost control
Tasting menus enable cross sell of
taster wines to complement.

32. Promote the hotels wider offerings, subtly
www.travelzoo.co.uk 32
Plas Maenan Country House
Results:
• Sold 680 £89 1-night packages
• 86% were first time guests of property;
92% of guests plan to return
• The hotel booked three wedding with
subscribers who stayed at the hotel
I have also noticed that the restaurant enjoyed a real ‘buzz’ during the first two months
of Travelzoo redemptions. Busy restaurants have a vibe and the E&O was very busy
thanks to the hundreds of redemptions that hit in the first sixty days. We then booked a
lot of banquet business for subsequent months during this window, which likely ensued
as a result of this hot vibe. After all, people what to hold large events at hot spots not
dead restaurants. The really nice thing was that the demographic of the patrons
Travelzoo sent us fit perfectly with our core business, so the place felt good, not down
market. This is an important attribute of the Travelzoo program vis-à-vis Groupon and
others. Chris Hemmeter, Owner E&O restaurant

33. Ultimate booze cross sell
www.travelzoo.co.uk 33
The Marquis at Alkham
Need: Superior rooms
Lead deal:
£135 -- Luxury Kent Downs Stay
w/Upgrade & Gourmet Menu
Cross sell:
Luxury Room with the same extras for
£115 per night
Results:
• 82 Standard/Luxury room nights
• 207 Superior rooms sold
• 4 course tasting menu had cross sold
wine for each course
“We made more money in alcohol sales of
the wines to complement the tasting menu,
than we paid in commission for the
promotion.”

34. As long as your happy with what they are cross selling!
www.travelzoo.co.uk 34

35. Thank You!
Joel Brandon-Bravo
Country Manager, UK
+44 (0) 20 7420 0402
jbrandon@travelzoo.com
@joelbrandonbrav
www.travelzoo.co.uk 35
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