London,
03
June
2019
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13:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Booking.com reveals: the top ten cities with the best hosting skills in the UK and what it takes to be the host (or hostess) with the most!

LONDON, 15 MAY 2019 – Today Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, reveals what it takes to be the perfect host and, which cities in the UK come up trumps for their fantastic hosting skills.

The role of a host is vital to the overall experience of a guest and in research with over 1,000 UK travellers, Booking.com revealed that guests most appreciate hosts who make them ‘feel at home’ (63%), as well as hosts that can give them that local insight and ‘insider’ knowledge about the best places to visit in the area (54%).

Little things also make all the difference when it comes to the experience of a guest stay, with 70% of people in the UK classing the perfect host as someone who adds small touches that create a welcoming atmosphere. This includes arranging a candle-lit room (64%) or providing extra delicacies such as tea, coffee and edible treats (58%).

However, striking the perfect balance is crucial when it comes to hosting duties, with 81% of UK travellers stating it is very important that a host respects their need for personal space, and 69% believing that hosts should intuitively know the right amount of time to spend with their guests.

In a UK comparison, the following ten towns and cities manage to rake in particularly positive reviews in terms of average staff score, ranking them as the UK’s top towns and cities for hosting. From Cheltenham to Plymouth, these regions clearly have hosts who never fail to strike the balance between being a friendly host versus an overbearing one.

 

UK’s top ten cities and towns for hosting* (not in chronological order):

Cheltenham

Harrogate

Plymouth

Stratford upon Avon

Blackpool

Bath

Torquay

Chester

York

Llandudno

Finally, the research also showed the value in optimising the guest experience, given that one third (35%) of UK travellers are opting to stay in accommodation again primarily because of their host, with almost two thirds (56%) believing that their stay has been improved by their host going above and beyond what’s required of them.

“As with many elements of travel, there is no one-size fits all approach when it comes to catering to the different needs of UK travellers. Our research reveals just how important it is for accommodation owners and managers to get the

balance right to ensure the most memorable stay experiences - whether in a home, apartment, guest house or other type of property,” said Olivier Grémillon, Vice President at Booking.com.

“At Booking.com we believe in individuality and the fact that the perfect stay might look different for everyone, but one thing that is abundantly clear is that it doesn’t matter whether travellers want to feel at home, embrace the local culture, enjoy some peace and quiet, or simply escape, there’s nothing quite like the power of people to turn a stay into an unforgettable experience.”

Notes to editors:

Top towns and cities methodology

The top ten towns and cities were compiled based on those with the most positive average staff score, based on all reviews in that city between January 2017 and 2019. Destinations had to be in the top 50 most booked destinations for a given country to be included in this analysis.

*Top ten towns and cities are not in chronological order

Research methodology

Research was commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among 21,500 respondents (including 1,000 each from Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, India, US, UK, Russia, Indonesia, Colombia and South Korea; and 500 each from Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel). Respondents completed an online survey between 14 December 2018 and 14 January 2019.

ENDS

CONTACT DETAILS

For further information, contact the Booking.com UK Press Office; lon-booking@ketchum.com

About Booking.com

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 18,000 employees in 200+ offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, holiday homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 28 million total reported listings, including more than 5.7 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, and covers more than 146,000 destinations in 228 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So, whether traveling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal place to stay quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in over 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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