Unique and Alternative Stays Take Centre Stage in Booking.com’s 2017 Guest Review Awards

SYDNEY – 29 JANUARY 2018 – Today Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, is honouring its accommodation partners that consistently deliver excellent guest experiences with a 2017 Guest Review Award. Based on over a phenomenal 140 million reviews, this year 549,937 properties in 218 countries honoured.

For the first time, apartments take the lead from hotels as the top-awarded accommodation type, making up 30% of the award-winning properties this year. In fact, four out of five of the top-awarded accommodation types are something other than a traditional hotel: Apartments (165,876), Hotels (132,339), Guest houses (63,697), Bed and breakfasts (55,833), and Holiday Homes (29,634).

This continuing interest in unique accommodation experiences is echoed by recent research that Booking.com conducted with 19,000 travellers across 26 countries, where one in three (33%) said that they would prefer to stay in a holiday rental over a hotel in 2017. In addition, one in five (21%) said that they would consider listing their own home on a travel accommodation site over the coming year. With 40% of travellers also wanting to stay in an accommodation type they’ve never experienced before in 2017, consumer demand and interest in a diverse range of accommodation options remains strong.

In Australia, 10,235 properties with an overall average guest review score of 8.9 received the award. The top countries receiving the most awards are Italy (81,603), France (33,500), the United States (30,502), Spain (29,598), Germany (25,969), Croatia (24,395), the UK (21,655), Poland (18,391), Russia (18,300), and Greece (17,361).

A SELECTION OF OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES IN AUSTRALIA RECEIVING A 2017 AWARD

1. L'Auberge Noosa, Noosa Heads, QLD
2. Cloud Hill, Witta, QLD
3. Acheron Acres Riverside, Taggerty, VIC
4. The Bank B&B, West Wyalong, NSW
5. Driftaway on Dundas, Rye, VIC
6. Aireys Inlet Lighthouse Retreat, Aireys Inlet, VIC
7. Spicers Potts Point, Sydney, NSW
8. The Dudley Boutique Hotel, Daylesford
9. Northlakes Studio, Ballina, NSW
10. Bushy Lake Chalets, Margaret River, WA

“The more than 140 million reviews available on Booking.com are all real experiences shared by real customers. They not only help travellers to discover the stay that’s just right for them, but they also empower accommodation providers with real-time feedback that can truly have a positive impact on their business,” said Peter Verhoeven, Global Director of Partner Services at Booking.com. “With these awards, we congratulate, thank and honour a unique set of real hospitality heroes—our partners—who dedicate themselves to creating incredible guest experiences and cherished travel memories for travellers each and every day.”

Notes to editors:

To be recognised with an award, properties had to have an average review score of 8.0 or higher based on at least 5 reviews as of 11:59pm (CET) on October 31, 2017. Only customers that have actually stayed at an accommodation can leave a review of their experience on Booking.com. After they have checked out of the property, they are invited to rate their accommodation experience against six categories: cleanliness, comfort, location, facilities, staff and value for money. As these reviews are never edited or adjusted in any way, travellers can reference them for an authentic account of what the real guest experience is like at every place to stay on Booking.com.

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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 The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), Booking.com now employs more than 15,000 employees in 198 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, vacation 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 1.5 million properties and cover more than 125,000 destinations in 230 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation 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 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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