European Hoteliers Focus on Aesthetics and Eco-friendly Investments

According to the 2024 European Accommodation Barometer, European hoteliers are setting their investment priorities for 2025 and beyond, aiming to sustain the industry’s positive growth. The report, published by Booking.com in conjunction with Statista, highlights the areas where hotel owners believe their investments will yield the most substantial returns.

The report reveals an industry trend towards investing in style and aesthetics, which 69% of respondents identified as the prime opportunity. Owners believe stylish interiors, trendy designs, and ‘Instagrammable’ spaces could attract more guests and give them a competitive edge. Comfort and incentivizing repeat visits ranked second, with 67% of respondents seeing these areas as potential investment opportunities.

This focus on style and aesthetics signifies a shift from the 2023 barometer, which highlighted offering local experiences and attracting more families as the primary targets.

The report also highlights the changing landscape of hotel marketing. A significant 66% of hoteliers saw an opportunity to improve their social media marketing, while traditional media was only seen as an opportunity by 26% of European hoteliers.

Sustainability is another area that hoteliers are keen to invest in, with businesses indicating their intention to invest in this area in the next year. The motivations behind this include improving guest perceptions (62%), attaining long-term cost savings (67%), and attracting sustainability-conscious travelers (56%). With energy costs posing a significant risk to hoteliers (78%), more businesses are expected to make sustainable and eco-friendly investments.

Peter Lochbihler, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Booking.com, commented on the findings, stating that the investments identified in this year’s barometer could help European hotels stand out and sustain positive economic growth following peak travel periods.

The 2024 European Accommodation Barometer is based on a survey of 940 executives and managers across the European accommodation sector and is jointly produced by Booking.com and Statista. The full report and corresponding country-specific editions can be accessed at Statista.