A look at how U.S. travelers plan and book lodging

Travelers booking lodging reached a new high in the 12 months ending July 2024, up slightly from the previous year. It seems many travelers start planning with a specific place in mind (almost six in 10), but a third needs to narrow down their choice from a few options (see figure below). How? Well according to research from Phocuswright’s U.S. Consumer Travel 2024: Lodging, lodging does influence where travelers want to go, with 22% of travelers indicating that the price of lodging influences their destination selection.

Of course, social is used to help make lodging choices, but usage for travel varies greatly by age. Half of travelers used social for accommodations, and a consumer that travels more tends to leverage more social platforms as they research and plan their trips. (Instagram and TikTok are the platforms of choice for people who take 6+ trips a year).

When it comes to booking, OTAs reign as the leading choice for booking channel. Booking direct has even declined slightly in the 12 months studied. Travelers under 55 years old prefer OTAs, with older travelers preferring to booking directly online. The driver behind direct bookings? Loyalty programs.

Regardless of booking choice, travelers agree on one thing: it needs to be easy.

Phocuswright’s U.S Consumer Travel 2024: Lodging provides a snapshot of American travelers’ recent behavior and sentiment regarding the hotel & lodging travel segment. Based on a comprehensive survey of United States leisure travelers, this report provides a range of data and analysis on the American consumer’s air travel behaviors and preferences, and what these trends look like over time.

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