Bangkok, Thailand – 24 February 2025 – Gone are the days when most hotels were simply clean places for travellers to wash up and lay their heads, perhaps with the occasional bonus of a massage or a late-night room service snack.
Many travellers are now looking for accommodation that not only adds to their holiday experience, but also grounds them in local culture and customs while emphasising environmental sustainability.
These conscious travellers, highlighted in more than 12,000 responses to the world’s largest accommodation survey – SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2025 – light the road ahead for hotels and other accommodation providers searching for ways to maintain and increase patronage.
Narrowing down
Travelling, especially internationally, can tear a large chunk out of savings.
This could pressure tourists to get out and explore as much as possible to squeeze the value out of every dollar spent on travel. But, amid rising costs of living, many are bucking this expectation by staying put at their accommodation.
More than half of travellers surveyed by SiteMinder expect to spend “most of the time" or “considerable time" at their hotel in 2025, a 1.5% increase year-on-year – climbing to 65% among Thai travellers.
Whether they plan to travel solo or with friends appears to make no difference in this decision.
This intent is most heavily seen among international travellers, with 29% planning to spend the majority of their time in accommodation, compared to 11% of people planning domestic trips.
Despite a more adventurous reputation, younger generations lead the trend, with Gen Z (18–27) and Millennials (28–43) planning to spend more time at their accommodation than Gen X (44–59), Baby Boomers (60–78) or Radio Babies (79–96).
But what do travellers plan to do with the extra time spent in their temporary abode?
Wine, dine and dance
After hours of being jammed in cramped airplane seats, a deep massage and exfoliation could be just the thing needed to unwind. Indeed, spa services (37%) top travellers’ wishlists for onsite accommodation experiences.
However, gourmet dining and wine tasting (35%), live music performances (35%), and yoga or meditation classes (18%) also rank high.
In addition to being lavished with food and entertainment, travellers value hands-on learning and immersive experiences specific to the regions they visit. Cultural cooking classes (22%), traditional dance and storytelling sessions (16%), farming or gardening (16%), language classes (14%), and expert lectures (13%) are among the most sought-after accommodation offerings.
Rest of the mind and body, too, is important. Learning how to get a good night’s sleep is on the agenda, with 16% of travellers in search of sleep improvement programs.
What travellers seek in accommodation experiences can vary depending on where they come from. For example, among nationalities surveyed, SiteMinder found that Thai travellers put the biggest emphasis on gourmet food and wine (61%) along with spa services (50%), while Indians were the most interested in cultural cooking (40%) and sleep improvement (33%).
Budget, experience-led – eco-friendly?
With growing global socioeconomic concerns, affordability and convenience still reign supreme when it comes to choice of accommodation.
Big chains and resorts tie with budget hostels and motels (18%) as the types of accommodation the majority of travellers say they will look to stay at during upcoming trips. And, younger people are more likely to search for the budget accommodation options than their middle-to-retirement age counterparts who presumably have higher incomes or more stashed away in their savings.
Conversely, more Gen Z (58%) and Millennials (57%) intend to splurge extra on their next trip compared to last year than Gen X (35%) or Baby Boomers (28%), with the majority of the latter two age groups planning to spend the same amount or less on their stay than last year.
General economic and cultural differences between nationalities also influence accommodation searches. Australians have reaffirmed their love of the great outdoors by being the most open to booking holiday parks and camping sites (11%). Meanwhile, Chinese (35%) and Singaporean (32%) travellers are the most interested in boutique or luxury hotels, which are also popular among Thais (23%).
Travellers also prioritise the planet through their accommodation choices. Whether it be a camping site or luxurious resort, seven in 10 travellers are open to paying more for an eco-friendly stay. Among Thais, this figure rises to 94% – the second highest globally after Indonesians.
“While budgets remain a consideration, conscious travellers are willing to spend money on what matters to them, including paying more for any type of environmentally-friendly accommodation," says Supakrit Phansomboon, SiteMinder’s Country Manager for Thailand.
“Accommodation providers should see this as a sign that these travellers are placing greater importance on details beyond basic entertainment and amenities."
Back to basics, with a dash extra
For individual rooms, getting the basic details right is essential.
Pillows and bedding (56%), views (53%), temperature control (35%), TV and audio (35%), the provision of a bath (30%), and shower pressure (29%) are among the most important features to travellers overall. But don’t fret if towels are not perfectly folded into a different animal every day; four out of five travellers are happy to find their towels hanging in the bathroom or simply folded or rolled on the bed.
What should instead be perfected are special memories and feelings of connection.
Among factors that travellers say will encourage them to return to an accommodation, many chose onsite memorable moments or experiences (37%), such as food and beverages, spa services or events. For 51% of Thai travellers, the quality of guest service and communication is a key deciding factor.
Close connection with local culture or community is also appreciated (20%).
Phansomboon explains: “The traveller of 2025 wants hotels to get the fundamentals right while also delivering more. This balance defines the conscious traveller’s expectations.
“Comfort remains important, but so is the need for hotels to recognise that integrating into the local culture – rather than being detached from it – is increasingly valued by travellers."
