The following extract from 'Investigating Tourism Destinations' by Bob Holland,
explains how accommodation adds to the appeal of a destination.

 

2.10 Accommodation
The majority of tourists require accommodation when they visit a destination.  The exceptions to this are those tourists visiting for the day and those staying with friends and relatives.

There are a number of factors which affect the appeal of a destination in relation to the accommodation provided.  The main factors are:

• The range of accommodation available
• The cost of accommodation
• The location and accessibility of the accommodation in relation to attractions and tourist facilities
• The ease of booking accommodation
• Interesting and unusual accommodation

The range of accommodation available
A distinction can be made between serviced and un-serviced accommodation.  Generally, most accommodation in city destinations tends to be serviced, in the form of hotels, hostels and guesthouses.  In coast and countryside areas a greater range of un-serviced accommodation, such as campsites, self-catering cottages and caravan parks are available, as well as serviced accommodations.

City destinations need to provide a range of hotel accommodation in order to appeal to a wide range of tourists.   Quality ‘5 star’ accommodation will attract affluent high-spending tourists and many business tourists tend to stay in 4 and 3 star hotels.  Many leisure tourists often choose the level of service provided by 3 and 4 star hotels and it is often the case that these hotels cater for business tourists during the week and leisure tourists at the weekends.

Budget accommodation and hostels will also provide accommodation for student groups and backpackers who are happy to accept a minimum range of services.  It is usually the case that accommodation grading schemes reflect the range of services provided rather than the quality of the service.

The Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo will attract very affluent guests.

A recent development is that budget chains of hotels, such as Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge and Ibis are opening in or near city centres.  These hotels have become common outside cities but they ate increasingly providing an alternative for tourists visiting city centres for sporting or other events or on short breaks who require little more  than a bed for the night and are less concerned about the range of service provided.

Countryside and coastal areas will tend to have a wider range of accommodation than cities.  Part of the appeal of coastal destinations in particular is the choice of campsites and self-catering accommodation available as well as hotel accommodation.

Coastal resorts tend to have a range of hotels and apartments available centrally as well as campsites and self-catering accommodation available in the surrounding area.

The cost of accommodation
Tourists expect to pay more for quality accommodation, but the appeal of a destination can be affected by the perceived cost of accommodation.  Leisure tourists to popular city destinations, such as London and Paris tend to have to pay a lot of money to stay in central areas close to the popular attractions, with cheaper accommodation being available around the edge of the cities.

The cost of accommodation will also vary with the season of the year.  In most destinations ‘high season’ prices will be much higher than ‘off season’.  Increasingly, those tourists who can travel out of the main holiday season are finding good deals on accommodation in popular destinations.

The location and accessibility of accommodation
In many destinations the precise location of accommodation can be important.  As indicated earlier, for business travellers, the location of accommodation in relation to the venue of the meeting or conference they are attending is extremely important. 
For leisure tourists, the location of hotels or other accommodation in relation to attractions entertainment facilities or transport provision  may affect their choice of accommodation.  The accessibility of accommodation can be a very important factor for some groups of tourists and will affect the appeal of destinations for those groups.  Families with young children, for example, want to be as close to beaches and other facilities as they possibly can.

In coastal resorts, a range of hotels and campsite within walking distance of the sea can increase the appeal of the destination.  Tour operators often feature the proximity of their accommodation to the beach in brochures.

Coastal resorts which have accommodation with easy access to beaches tend to have a greater appeal.

 

The ease of booking accommodation
Some tourist accommodation is booked through travel agents, either when booking a package holiday or when booking the components of a holiday independently.  However, increasingly many tourists are booking their accommodation directly with the supplier, which may be a hotel, campsite of self-catering accommodation.

This booking process can take place in a number of ways:

• Bookings can be made directly with individual hotels through websites, telephone or fax
• Bookings can be made via the websites of major international chains of hotels such as Holiday Inn and Best Western
• Specialised accommodation booking agencies such as ‘Hotels.com’ often command a high position on internet search engines
• Many resorts provide accommodation booking services.

The ease of booking can have an impact on the appeal of destinations. 

Interesting and unusual accommodation
The vast majority of tourist accommodation is in ‘standard’ hotels, campsites, holiday villages and so on.  Destinations can increase their appeal if and when they can offer accommodation in unusual locations and buildings.  There are a number of these including:

• Lighthouses around the coast of Britain
• Ice hotels in Lapland and other northerly locations
• Castles and stately homes
• Camping barns and bothys
• Religious retreats

Staying in a traditional inn, as opposed to a modern hotel, will appeal to some tourists.

A significant proportion of the accommodation provided for tourists is owned and managed by large corporations and businesses.  One of the aspects of the appeal of staying in small family-run accommodation is that it contributes to the sustainability of the destination in which the accommodation is situated.  The money spent in the accommodation is more likely to stay in the local economy and help to sustain the community. Increasing numbers of tourists are finding this appealing.