Polls and statistics
Our most frequent objection to buying Hotel Express international membership is “I get great rates on the internet so why would I pay for membership of Hotel Express International”. Well the answers to that are clear but more about that later.
So we decided to run an on line poll asking the simple question:
Would you pay an annual fee for access to Hotel Rooms at large discounts on internet prices?
The answers:
So 51% of people wouldn’t pay. But of course maybe they don’t travel – so why would they.
12% of people would pay.
37% might pay. Price is most likely the issue here. Yes I would pay but only if it makes financial sense.
Responses by sex
Male 54%, Female 46% ok nothing too startling here. Effectively 50/50
But now on to the good stuff:
Answer breakdown by sex
Interesting
So the no’s are equally divided male and female.
But more women than men are in the maybe category. Are they more price sensitive?
More men than women are in the positive yes category. Perhaps men travel more on business – does the glass ceiling still exist?
Now answer breakdown by age groups
This is quite different to what I had thought.
Of course the 100% no in the 13-17 age category is easily explained, they don’t pay for their hotel rooms anyway and so are not interested in our product.
But look at the Yes responders.
Most of our clients are older and our feeling was that this segment recognized our product as both time and money saving whilst the younger market being more “internet believers” and be sucked in by the internet hype i.e. it says cheap hotel rooms on the top of the web page so they must be cheap.
Of course the truth is not necessarily so. All online hotel bookers earn their fees by one method and one method only – commission. The higher the price of the hotel room you buy the more commission they earn.
How many times have you been lured in to a website with the headline XXXXX hotel €59*. You think what a great rate and you go through the booking process only to discover that the little asterix to the right of €59 meant something either:
- the rate was per person sharing and is based on a double room so the rate is in fact €118
- the asterix indicated “rates from” and in fact for the days you require the rate is actually €120
- there is no availability in the hotel for the days you require or in fact any days (it couldn't be that the website is padding out its site with listings of hotels it doesn't actually have access to, they wouldn't be that devious would they?)
But now you’re in the site you wasted half an hour you’re sick and tired and book the room or another room anyway!
So clearly the younger responders are more internet savvy. They realize that internet hotel booking is a money making activity and not a humanitarian service. They realize that internet rates are not all they're cracked up to be.
The older age groups appear to be intetnet believers when it comes to internet bookings. What it says on top of the page must be true!
So our ideal market would appear to be male in the 18-24 age category. We need pay attention on this category! It is not a market segment we have looked at!
"Show me the data and I'll show you the money"
PS. In answer to the first question as to why someone would pay for membership to Hotel Express when they get "great rates on the internet", the answer is:
- Yes you get good rates on the internet but they fluctuate some days they're great and the next day the room is the price of a small semi detached house. Our rates are fixed and at 50% of rack rate are better than available on the internet.
- With us you pay on check out not up front so if your travel plans change you can cancel without penalty.
- Best of all we do the booking for you – saving you that most valuable of commodities – Time. If you do your own bookings its your time that’s saved. Is it really worth an hour of your time to seek out the best available online rate when our rates are better anyway. If your PA does your bookings - couldn’t that wasted hour be used more productively.
We’re the experts at getting you the best prices – just leave it to us and you get vastly better prices than you can get yourself with no time wasted.
We have 4,500 hotels contracted hotels at 50% of rack rate.
We have a further 6,000 USA hotels contracted at 10% off the best available internet rate.
We have access to a further 50,000 hotels worldwide at the best available industry rate - so if you travel to an area where we do not have a contracted hotel we can still get you a great price.
Your hotel requirements are covered - anywhere, anytime.
Individual membership costs just €169 plus VAT (Ireland) and £119 plus VAT (UK). Our average saving per room per night against best available rate in 2007 was £47. So the savings cover the cost of memebrship in just 2 or 3 nights!
PPS. There are lots of other benefits as well e.g.
10% off National Car Rentals best available online rates worldwide.
FREE membership of National Car Rentals VIP Emerald Club (normally €50) 10% off Gatwick and Heathrow ExpressDiscounted petrol and diesel at over 300 shell and statoil petrol stations throughout Irelandthat's just to name a few!! Just click here to see the full list of additional benefits
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