Both domestically and abroad, the demand for accommodation remains high, with 78% of consumers having stayed in a hotel in 2024.

But guests’ engagement with hotels is evolving. With more discovery tools at their disposal than ever, and plenty of choice when it comes to the type of accommodation they want to stay in, it’s vital for hoteliers and operators to understand guest behaviour to stay ahead of the game.

This report, produced in partnership with CGA by NIQ, surveyed over 3,000 British consumers to provide a deep dive into what it is guests are looking for when booking a stay in a hotel; including how often, and for what reasons, guests are staying in UK hotels, their engagement with F&B during their stay, and the factors that influence their choice of hotel when booking a stay.

Despite 2024 remaining another challenging year for both consumers and the hospitality industry, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Consumers continue to recognise the important roles their favourite pubs, bars and restaurants play in both their social lives and their local communities, and are still keeping eating and drinking out on their list of priorities – despite cost-of-living pressures.

In this review of our 2024 consumer research series, we explore the top factors influencing guest behaviour amidst the cost-of-living crisis, as well as the opportunities, and challenges, these present for hospitality businesses; from the importance of avoiding points of friction during the customer journey, and getting your hospitality fundamentals right, to how loyal guests are to their favourite hospitality brands and the factors causing guests to not honour their bookings. Discover all of this, and more, with insights from 5,000 GB consumers.

No-shows remain an ongoing challenge for the hospitality industry, costing UK hospitality a collective £17.6bn a year in lost sales.

Previous research in 2024 revealed that 60% of consumers want to support the hospitality sector in light of the cost-of-living crisis, however despite this the rate of no-shows has risen from 12 to 14% over the course of the year. With increased cost pressures already presenting a difficult trading environment for hospitality, it’s vital for operators to understand why these no-shows are occurring, as well as exploring potential solutions to combat the issue.

In this report, we reveal the extent of the no-shows problem, including current consumer booking behaviours and the factors influencing no-show rates, as well as how likely consumers are to show up for their booking in hospitality compared to other sectors.

With consumer spend tightening and visit frequency reduced, a loyal customer base providing that all-important repeat business is the holy grail for operators looking to succeed in today’s difficult trading landscape.

Our previous research in partnership with CGA by NIQ revealed that consumers, on average, feel loyal to 2.1 hospitality brands – but how likely are their choices of preferred venues to change?

In this exclusive survey of 5,000 British hospitality consumers, we reveal how likely consumers would be to switch their preference to a different hospitality brand, how hospitality stacks up against other sectors, and the role loyalty schemes play in ensuring customers keep coming back to you for more.

Our previous GO Technology research revealed that hospitality still plays an important role in people’s social lives despite cost pressures, but with 49% of consumers saying they’d become less loyal to a brand after a few bad experiences, it’s incredibly important for hospitality businesses to deliver frictionless experiences that meet guests’ expectations, without any frustration during the journey.

This exclusive research of 5,000 hospitality consumers reveals the biggest frustrations guests encounter when engaging with venues, both in-venue and pre-visit, how these frustrations differ between demographics, and what actions they are likely to take following a frustrating experience.

Despite  many consumers tightening their purse strings, hospitality still has a vital role to play in the social lives of Britain’s consumers. But what is it about hospitality that consumers really and truly value?

This exclusive consumer research of 5,000 GB consumers, conducted in partnership with UK Hospitality and CGA by NIQ , reveals what aspects of the industry consumers love the most; from why people choose to go out instead of staying in, to what aspects of a pub, bar or restaurant’s offering would keep making them come back for more.

Consumer expectations of the pubs, bars and restaurants they visit are ever-changing, and 2023 has proven to be no exception to the rule. This year, consumers have been quick to change their behaviours to match the tightening of budgets brought on by the cost-of-living crisis, and as more and more consumers become digital natives, the shift towards more digital-led touchpoints has continued to grow.

In this in-depth review of our 2023 consumer research series, we explore the three key themes identified from our surveys of 5,000 hospitality consumers; from the influential consumers who make the decisions on where to eat and drink, to when guests prefer digital touchpoints to human interaction during the customer journey, and how guest loyalty has changed as a result of the cost of living crisis.

Loyal customers are an incredibly valuable asset for any hospitality business, providing a lucrative source of repeat business and resulting revenue as well as brand advocacy that entices new guests in through your doors.

Maintaining a loyal customer-base has always been a key objective for operators, however amidst a cost-of-living crisis resulting in tighter consumer budgets, the criteria leading to a customer becoming, and remaining, loyal have changed. How does loyalty differ between generations? And what role do loyalty schemes play in all of this?

Produced in partnership with CGA by NIQ, we surveyed 5,000 GB hospitality consumers to find the answers.

The role of technology in hospitality is evolving – not only are guests used to seeing technology in-venue, they now expect it to be present. But the importance of human connection for which the hospitality industry is known and loved so well, is not to be underestimated.

Produced in partnership with CGA by NielsenIQ, we asked 5,000 UK hospitality consumers to find out their views on technology in hospitality.

With 55% of those surveyed believing that a balance between technology and a human touch delivers the best hospitality experiences, ensuring you’re meeting the expectations of ever-increasingly digitally-savvy guests, will be key for success now, and in the future.