American hotel stays 2023 vs 2022

The latest report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (ALHA) provides an optimistic start to 2023 for the hotel industry.

The new national Hotel Booking Index survey research commissioned by the ALHA and conducted by Morning Consult found 60% of Americans report being more likely to stay in hotels during this year than in 2022

They report hotels as the top accommodation choice for those planning to travel for business and leisure in the next three months. According to the research, 52% of adults would choose to stay in a hotel if they were to travel overnight for leisure within Q1.

Meanwhile, 76% of potential business travellers would be most likely to stay in a hotel if they travel for work during the same time frame.

Survey responses from business travellers indicate that nearly 70% of their employers have either returned to pre-pandemic average or increased amounts of business travel. This is good news for hoteliers since business travel is one of hospitality’s main sources of revenue

Other key findings of the report include:

¦ 51% of business travellers say the share of employees expected or encouraged to travel for work is now equivalent to pre-pandemic levels, while a further 20% say it has increased.

¦ 53% of business travellers say the average length of business trips is now the same as pre-pandemic, while another 20% report this has increased.

¦ 52% of business travellers say the amount of business trips expected or supported by their employer is now the same as before the pandemic, while another 20% say it’s more than before.

¦ 52% of business travellers say the amount of spending their employer will cover on business trips is equivalent to before the pandemic, while 18% argue it’s more.

A very good start to 2023

Based on the survey results, AHLA’s Hotel Booking Index (HBI) for Q1 is 7.1, or very good. The HBI is a composite score gauging the short-term outlook for the hotel industry. It is based on a weighted average of survey respondents’ travel likelihood and scored out of a maximum of ten points.

The latest released results indicated high likelihood of travel in the three months of Q1 (50%), self-reported household financial security (30%) and a preference to stay in hotels for travel (20%).

Two HBI surveys of more than 4,000 adults were conducted between 16 to 19 December 2022, and 28 December 2022 to 2 January 2023. These surveys also found:

¦ Hotels are the top lodging choice for those planning overnight stays for Martin Luther King Jr. Day (47%), Valentine’s Day (54%) and President’s Day (42%).

¦ 48% of business travellers have extended a business trip in the past year for leisure purposes, and 84% of business travellers are interested in ‘bleisure’ (a portmanteau of “business” and “leisure”).

¦ 60% of adults are likely to take more vacation or leisure trips in 2023 versus 2022.

¦ 45% of business travellers are likely to take more business trips in 2023 versus 2022.

The wider picture

“With Americans planning for more hotel stays this year and business travel moving in the right direction, AHLA’s Hotel Booking Index is a cause for optimism among hoteliers,” said AHLA president and CEO, Chip Rogers. “This positive momentum is great news for the hotel industry as well as its employees, who are enjoying more career opportunities, upward mobility and flexibility than ever before.”

To help fill open jobs and raise awareness of the 200 plus career pathways achievable within the hotel industry, the AHLA Foundation has launched ‘A Place to Stay’, a multi-channel advertising campaign active in 14 cities across the US, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, and Tampa.

Additionally, the AHLA affiliate, Hospitality is Working recently launched its ‘Workforce and Immigration’ initiative. The effort aims to urge the US Congress to address workforce shortages with bipartisan solutions and incorporate more immigrants into the US economy.