What guests are looking for, according to Booking.com

The world of travel is changing at an impressive pace. Just a few years ago, tourists were mainly after a good price, a well-located hotel and perhaps a swimming pool for their holiday photos. Today, guests' expectations are far more complex. Tourists want authentic experiences, more responsible travel, plenty of flexibility and faultless comfort. That, at least, is what Booking.com claims in its many studies devoted to new travel trends.

The well-known online booking platform regularly publishes reports on the behaviour of guests around the world. Thanks to the millions of searches, bookings and reviews left on its site every day, Booking.com has an enormous database that allows it to track developments in the tourism sector. But behind these analyses lies an interesting question: do the trends put forward by Booking.com genuinely reflect what guests want, or do they also serve the platform's own marketing interests?

Somewhere between a real shift in holiday habits and a carefully thought-out commercial strategy, it is worth examining what guests are truly looking for today.

Booking.com analyses the new habits of guests

Booking.com is no longer simply a site for booking a hotel or a holiday apartment. The platform has become a genuine global observatory of travel. Every day, millions of users run searches, read reviews, compare accommodation and book their stays. All this data allows the company to identify the major trends shaping guest behaviour.

The studies published by Booking.com are generally based on surveys carried out among thousands of tourists in several countries. The company combines these surveys with data drawn from the bookings made on its platform. This allows it to detect what guests now expect and to anticipate changes in the tourism market.

It has to be said that Booking.com is in a privileged position to observe these changes. Few companies have access to such a large volume of information about the habits of guests. However, we should not forget that Booking.com remains first and foremost a commercial business. Its analyses also serve to highlight certain trends that may favour its own growth.

Guests want more authentic experiences

One of the major trends highlighted by Booking.com is the search for authenticity. According to the platform, guests no longer simply want to visit a destination; they now want to live a genuine local experience. Tourists want to discover the country's culture, meet local people, taste traditional food and step off the beaten tourist track.

This shift can be seen clearly in booking habits. Unusual accommodation is enjoying growing success: guesthouses, cabins, quirky properties, stays in the countryside and small independent hotels are appealing to more and more guests. Many tourists now prefer a place with character over a standardised hotel with no personality.

This trend seems fairly realistic when you look at how tourism has evolved in recent years. Guests often want their holidays to mean more. They are looking for unique memories and experiences they can tell people about. Simply "seeing" a destination is no longer always enough; you now have to feel it.

That said, there is sometimes a slight gap between what people say and what they do. Some guests dream of authenticity… as long as there is air conditioning, high-speed Wi-Fi and a comfortable mattress. Modern tourism loves adventure, but with a certain level of comfort.

Sustainable tourism: a real trend or marketing talk?

Booking.com also claims that guests attach more and more importance to sustainable tourism. According to several studies published by the platform, a majority of tourists want to reduce their environmental impact when they travel. Guests are said to pay closer attention to eco-friendly accommodation, buying local and cutting down on waste during their stays.

This trend is pushing many tourism professionals to adapt what they offer. More and more properties are showcasing their environmental initiatives: removing plastic, saving energy, local produce and responsible resource management.

On paper, this development looks very positive. In reality, though, the picture is often a little more nuanced. Guests readily say they want to travel more responsibly, but their decisions remain heavily influenced by price and comfort. Faced with a slightly more expensive eco-friendly hotel and a very attractive special offer with a pool and spa, many still hesitate for a long time.

Sustainable tourism really is making progress, but it coexists with behaviour that is sometimes contradictory. Guests want to limit their environmental impact while continuing to travel often and enjoy maximum comfort. In the end, the modern guest often tries to reconcile ecology with personal pleasure, which is not always straightforward.

Why flexibility has become essential

Since the pandemic, what guests expect from booking conditions has changed profoundly. Booking.com explains that tourists now look for maximum flexibility. Guests want to be able to change their dates, cancel easily or get quick refunds if something unexpected happens.

This shift is perfectly understandable. Recent years have made tourists far more cautious in the face of uncertainty. Before booking a trip, many now check the cancellation policy before they even look at the hotel photos.

Booking.com has largely adapted its strategy to this new reality by putting flexible bookings and free cancellations firmly in the spotlight. This flexibility has become an extremely important selling point in the travel industry.

Today, guests want to keep their freedom for as long as possible. Last-minute bookings are also on the rise in certain destinations, as many tourists prefer to wait before confirming their plans for good.

Comfort remains an absolute priority

Even though guests are looking for more authentic and more personalised experiences, Booking.com regularly points out that comfort remains fundamental. Whatever the destination or the style of the stay, tourists above all want to sleep well, enjoy clean surroundings and receive reliable service.

The reviews left on Booking.com show clearly that the most important criteria are still often cleanliness, the quality of the bedding, peace and quiet, and the location of the accommodation. In the end, the basic expectations have not changed all that much.

Modern guests like original properties and local experiences, but they remain demanding on a few essential points. An "authentic" room quickly loses its charm when it is poorly maintained or uncomfortable. Tourists want adventure, yes, but not necessarily with a mattress from another era.

This reality shows that the big travel marketing trends never entirely replace the fundamentals of tourism.

Technology is completely transforming travel

Booking.com also places a great deal of emphasis on the growing importance of technology in the habits of guests. Today, most tourists organise their trips directly from their smartphone. Searching for destinations, comparing prices, reading customer reviews, booking hotels or buying activities: it all happens in a few taps.

Guests want experiences that are simple, fast and seamless. They want immediate access to key information and personalised recommendations. Artificial intelligence and algorithms are also playing an increasingly important role on booking platforms such as Booking.com.

This trend is particularly visible among younger generations, but it now concerns almost every type of guest. Digital tools have become central to the modern travel experience.

Even a "total digital detox" holiday usually starts… with several hours spent comparing reviews online.

Customer reviews have an enormous influence on guests

It is impossible to talk about Booking.com without mentioning the importance of customer reviews. Today, guests place enormous trust in the comments left by other users. Before booking somewhere to stay, many tourists spend more time reading reviews than looking at the property's official description.

The importance of reviews is easy to explain. Guests want concrete, honest information about their upcoming stay. Professional photos and marketing copy are no longer always enough to reassure tourists.

Comments often reveal the reality behind the polished sales pitch. Between the famous "sea views" that sometimes look out over a car park and the "generous breakfasts" made up of two rather tired pastries, guests have learnt to check other people's experiences before booking.

Booking.com has understood this perfectly and places customer reviews at the heart of how it works. This transparency now plays an essential role in the trust people place in booking platforms.

Is Booking.com really telling the truth?

On the whole, the trends put forward by Booking.com seem broadly credible. The platform draws on a huge amount of data and on serious international surveys. What guests expect really has shifted towards greater authenticity, flexibility, personalisation and comfort.

Even so, it is important to keep a critical eye. Booking.com remains a company whose main objective is commercial. The trends it highlights often match the areas in which the platform wants to grow.

Guests, moreover, are not a homogeneous group. Expectations vary enormously depending on age, budget, culture and the type of trip. A student with a backpack is not looking for the same things as a family with children or a couple on honeymoon.

Finally, guest behaviour is still sometimes contradictory. Tourists want to travel responsibly while taking advantage of budget flights. They look for authenticity while demanding maximum comfort. They want to switch off… but keep checking their phone every ten minutes.

In the end, the modern guest is a fairly complex mix of curiosity, comfort, a desire to escape and perfectly human contradictions.

Conclusion

Booking.com's analyses help us to better understand the major changes in the travel industry. Modern guests now look for experiences that are more personalised, more authentic and more flexible. Comfort, technology and customer reviews also play a central role in their decisions.

Even if some trends are occasionally amplified by marketing, they nonetheless reflect a genuine transformation in holiday habits. Travel is no longer simply about getting from A to B; it is becoming an overall experience that guests want to shape around their own wishes.

Fundamentally, what tourists expect has changed, but some things remain timeless: a warm welcome, a comfortable bed and memorable experiences are probably still the essential ingredients of a successful trip.