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DALLAS, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Think you know all you need to about the hotel you just booked? If you did so without reading online reviews, you might want to think twice about your choice. hotels.com(R), a leading provider of lodging worldwide, notes that as travelers shop more carefully they are taking opinions of recent travelers into greater consideration. The site now features one million authentic reviews - all from guests who have booked through hotels.com and completed their stay.
 

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Guest reviews are important to travelers for a number of reasons, according to Scott Booker, chief hotel expert and guest advocate at hotels.com. "Reviews help travelers filter an enormous amount of information about their possible hotel options, helping them find great properties and avoid the lousy ones. Also, reviews offer specific details about the stay that would be difficult to find elsewhere - such as feedback about excessive traffic noise, poor water pressure in the shower, or a first-rate complimentary breakfast. Travelers value the candid assessments that a recent hotel guest can provide - they want to learn from someone who's literally been there."
 

Different guests want different things from their trips, so not all reviews will be relevant to every traveler. A review from a family leisure traveler citing a small and crowded pool area may be a deal-breaker for another family traveler, but not a problem for the business guest who doesn't plan on spending time there.
 

Included below are key findings from a hotels.com survey of U.S. adults on their online travel planning habits. According to the survey, travelers are:
 

  --  Spending more time online - On average, U.S. adults who use online
      resources to research and plan a vacation ("online vacation
      researchers") spend eight hours doing so, an increase of 48 minutes
      over the previous year.*
  --  Reading several guest reviews - Online vacation researchers who read
      reviews when planning travel say they consult, on average, close to
      eight reviews prior to booking a hotel.**
  --  Watching for red flags - People pay close attention to the negative
      experiences they read about in reviews.  When asked what red flags
      would prevent them from booking a property, 96 percent of online
      vacation researchers who read guest reviews before booking a hotel
      said a dirty room, 95 percent said bed bugs, and bad location and rude
      staff tied at 85 percent.
  --  Relying on reviews for family trips - Ninety-two percent of online
      vacation researchers who read guest reviews before booking a hotel
      said reviews are most helpful when planning a family vacation,
      followed by travel to an unfamiliar destination (89 percent).
  --  Willing to share the good and bad about their hotel stay - While 23
      percent of online vacation researchers acknowledged they were more
      likely to post a review after a negative property experience, the
      majority - 52 percent - said they were equally likely to post a review
      after a positive or negative experience.

*Figures in the first bulleted segment refer to U.S. adults ages 18+ who use online resources to research and plan vacations
 

**Figures in the second-fifth bulleted segments refer to U.S. adults ages 18+ who use online resources to research and plan vacations AND read guest reviews prior to booking a hotel.
 

What to Look for in a Review
 

What constitutes a good, useful review? Booker notes that this will depend greatly on the traveler and the type of trip being planned. "Generally speaking, a useful review is one that helps the traveler move closer to a decision to book or avoid a particular property."
 

On hotels.com, guests are writing frequently about five areas - location, renovations, quality of service, kitchen space, and value. As you plan your next hotel stay, look for these points to help you pick the right property:
 

  --  Location of property - Do reviewers note the hotel's convenience to
      shopping, popular landmarks, restaurants and more?  If these places
      are within walking distance, the traveler may not need a car on the
      trip.  If the hotel only has a pricey restaurant on-site - or no
      dining options at all - having other choices nearby is often an
      important consideration.
  --  Property renovations - Reviewers often include details about recent
      remodels to rooms or common areas, which can make a stay more
      pleasant.  Are recent guests commenting on a property's new linens,
      fresh paint or flat-screen TVs?  Are they noting points that may have
      been missed during upgrades?
  --  Kitchen space and supplies - These amenities are noted often by family
      travelers who have stayed in vacation rental or suite-style
      accommodations.  Do reviewers state that they had all the equipment
      they needed to cook and serve a meal?  Is the kitchen space a
      reasonable size, and are appliances in working order?  If not,
      consider a different property.
  --  Quality of service - Was the front desk helpful to the guest at
      check-in and throughout the stay?  Were requests for repairs and
      orders for room service handled quickly?
  --  Value - Perhaps the most important points to look for in a review
      relate to value:  Do recent guests say the property was a great value
      for the money?  Would they stay there again?  If two properties seem
      identical, but reviews for one cite value repeatedly, that property
      may be the best bet for the trip.

For more information on hotels.com guest reviews, please visit http://hotels.mediaroom.com/.
 

About the survey
 

This Travel Reviews survey was conducted by telephone within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of hotels.com in the fourth quarter of 2008 among 1,001 U.S. adults ages 18+, of whom, 566 use online resources to research and plan a vacation, and 382 have also ever read guest reviews before booking a hotel.
 

About hotels.com
 

hotels.com(R) is the leading provider of lodging worldwide, offering an extensive selection of more than 85,000 properties ranging from traditional hotels and vacation rentals to bed and breakfasts and all-inclusive resorts. hotels.com serves as an advocate for guests before, during and after their property stay. To help travelers choose the right property for each trip, the company provides a variety of tools and features, including property descriptions, guest reviews, rate calendars, maps, virtual tours, and more. hotels.com offers additional value for guests through its Price Match Guarantee, Flexible Booking(TM) and welcomerewards(TM) programs. For more information, please visit hotels.com or call 1-800-2-HOTELS. hotels.com is an operating company of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE) .
 

Hotels.com and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP, a subsidiary of Hotels.com. Other logos or products and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners
 

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Source: hotels.com

CONTACT: Maureen Carrig of hotels.com, +1-425-679-7511,
mcarrig@hotels.com; or Kristi Jutras of Edelman, +1-206-268-2259,
kristi.jutras@edelman.com, for hotels.com
 

Web Site: http://www.hotels.com/
 

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