Standalone hotel bookings soar

Online travel and leisure retailer lastminute.com has seen a staggering 40% increase in hotel bookings since the beginning of this year as consumers are more confident booking hotel rooms independently.

Travel savvy Britons are becoming increasingly confident in searching and booking hotels themselves and are no longer simply booking for the traditional package. This huge growth has sparked a contracting frenzy at lastminute.com with over 4000 new European hotels being added to the portfolio over the last twelve months.

Luxury and unique hotels have seen a 50% increase in bookings year on year. With hotels now playing a greater part than ever in the enjoyment of people’s holidays, qualities such as atmosphere, décor and reputation of the hotel are becoming as important as the destination itself.

Holidaymakers who want to enjoy the luxury lifestyle without breaking the bank have also made the most of lastminute.com’s Top Secret Hotels with a massive 70% increase in bookings compared to this time last year. The super discounted four and five star luxury hotels give consumers the chance to save up to 45%. The name of the hotel is revealed once the booking has been made.

At the other end of the scale, budget hotels are also performing very well with a 34% increase in bookings year on year. A large number of customers prefer to pay for a cheaper hotel and use the saving to splash out on activities, excursions, eating out and events.

European short haul and UK breaks have in particular benefited from this independent hotel booking trends. The best selling destination is London with its plethora of uber cool and luxurious properties, closely followed by Paris, Edinburgh, Barcelona and Dublin.

UK destinations such as seaside resorts and picturesque countryside areas including the Cotswolds and Norfolk have seen record numbers of bookings recently, prompting an increase in contracting across the country.

Up and coming destinations including Budapest and Moscow and longer haul destinations such as New York and Las Vegas are also becoming increasingly popular with independent travellers.

John Bevan, Managing Director at lastminute.com UK commented: “The UK traveller is savvy and knows exactly what he or she wants and how to get it. At lastminute.com we constantly challenge ourselves to offer the best and most exciting hotels around the world. We pride ourselves on knowing what our customers want and make sure we are ahead of the trends so we are ready to offer exactly what they are looking for.”