Personal Connection is Paramount for Booking.com’s - 2016 Guest Review Awards

BANGKOK, Thailand – 18 JANUARY 2017 – 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 great guest experiences with a 2016 Guest Review Award. Based on over 110 million reviews, this year 355,535 properties in 205 countries and territories are being recognised with Italy (53,005), the United States (24,761), France (23,003), Germany (18,221), Spain (18,037), the UK (16,514), Austria (12,659), Greece (12,439), Croatia (12,219), and Poland (10,399) taking home the most awards.

Vacation rental options such as apartments, holiday homes and villas top the list of properties earning a highly-coveted perfect 10 review score this year, making up more than 70% of the 486 accommodations to receive the distinction. This is not surprising as according to recent research from Booking.com, 70% of people say they have the best time while travelling when they can make themselves at home, with 59% sharing that they like to feel a personal connection with their host or the staff at the accommodation*.

In Thailand, 4427 properties, from all types, received the award this year, with an overall average score of 8.6 in guest reviews. The number has grown from last year of 3520 awarded properties. 3 properties achieved a perfect 10 score, demonstrating their dedication to offering an unforgettable stay. Among these are a villa, hostel and apartment, reflecting continued global increase in the demand for holiday rentals. Those three properties include vacation house Villa Sea la Vie, Rawai Beach; friendly and value for money Counting Sheep Hostel, Bangkok; and cosy by the beach Chang Noi Paradise Apartments, Ko Chang.

As travellers are increasingly expecting a more personalised and home-like stay experience, having professional and helpful staff is of utmost importance for the vast majority of people (91%). Nearly half (49%) say that it improves their experience significantly with another 42% declaring that it’s absolutely essential and wouldn’t stay at an accommodation without it**.

“With more than 110 million guest reviews on our platform, we not only help guide travellers to find their perfect stays, but empower our accommodation partners to stay up-to-date with evolving customer expectations, including what travellers appreciate most about their property, as well as what can potentially be improved,” said Remco van Zanten, Global Director of Partner Services as Booking.com. “With our guest review awards, we congratulate, thank and honour the incredible dedication of our partners to create great guest experiences for our customers, time and time again.”

Regardless of where they stay, travellers don’t just need a place to lay their head. A truly memorable stay lies in the details. From the first picture a guest sees online, to the welcome they get at check-in, the food they eat and the ambience they find, their experience of a property is made up of dozens of vital little details. The Booking.com Guest Review Awards recognises those properties that get all those details right.

Top 10 accommodation requirements by global travellers*:

THAILAND PROPERTIES WITH A PERFECT 10

Villa Sea la Vie, Rawai Beach, Villa

Counting Sheep Hostel, Bangkok, Hostel

Chang Noi Paradise Apartments, Ko Chang, Apartment