Expedia’s Mel Fish on tackling ‘choice paralysis’ and balancing quality with affordability
Expedia Group’s Hotels.com introduced the ‘Perfect Somewheres’ 2024 at EXPLORE 24, a program that awards the top 1% of hotels available on the Hotels.com app, with hotels like Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo and Hotel Grand Bach Tokyo Ginza securing the award in Japan. According to the company, the awards’ chief criteria subverts industry standards by taking the attention off the usual goalposts and instead evaluates how hotels treat guests by utilising a data-driven approach.
According to Hotels.com, almost half (49%) of travellers are more likely to use a credible hotel-grading program to source their stays so the list of top 1% properties acts as a one-stop shop for the company’s best properties globally.
Hotels.com says that the awards empowers winning hotels by providing them with ongoing guest insights. These insights help hotels refine their offerings and stay ahead of the curve. Research was carried out from April 2 – 8, 2024, with 2,000 U.S. adult respondents who travel and have stayed in a hotel for leisure.
70-million-downloads-worth of guest experience data
Speaking to WiT, Mel Fish, Vice President, Global Public Relations, Expedia Group, said, “The number one metric we’re looking at is how guests are treated.”. “The Hotels.com app has been downloaded more than 70 million times. You can imagine the amount of data we have, and that data goes into the guest experience score, which until now we’ve only used to help our hotel partners see how they’re doing holistically so they can tweak and adjust things.
“With Perfect Somewheres, we decided to take all that data and make it more visible to the traveller – how can we use it to create a go-to list of “perfect somewheres” around the globe.”
Mel Fish, Vice President, Global Public Relations, Expedia Group and Greg Schulze, Chief Commercial Officer, Expedia Group, hosting the Perfect Somewheres awards at EXPLORE 24, Las Vegas
These winning hotels were chosen using proprietary guest experience data, considering traveller reviews, interactions with staff, ratings on property facilities, and condition. A select number of winning hotels are VIP Access partners, offering additional perks to elevate traveler stays. Travellers are then encouraged to use this curated list as a resource when searching for their next hotel experience.
The people who make it perfect
“Data and technology can only take you so far,” Fish continued. “At the end of the day, hospitality comes down to people. That’s never going to change. We reached out to these hotels and asked them what stories they have to share with us. Throughout the year, we’re going to feature these stories – what are these hotels doing that make them so perfect for their guests.”
A few of those stories, in the form of short videos, were screened during the Perfect Somewheres 2024 Awards at EXPLORE 24 in Las Vegas, spotlighting hotel staff who have gone the extra mile for hotel customers.
“My absolute favourite is the Sheperd Hotel in Clemson, South Carolina,” shared Fish. “The founder has two children with Down’s Syndrome and wanted to create a hotel to employ adults with intellectual disabilities because he wanted his own kids to be independent.
“One third of his employees are adults with disabilities and make no mistake, this is not a charitable endeavor – this is a beautiful hotel with top-notch service.”
“It doesn’t take more money to treat people well”
The ‘Perfect Somewheres’ program also aims to address the issue of choice paralysis among travellers. According to research conducted by Hotels.com, more than half (55%) of travellers suffer from “vacation choice paralysis” due to the overwhelming number of options when deciding where to stay. Nearly a quarter (27%) spend over 10 hours researching hotels, and 28% have given up altogether due to the time-consuming nature of the process.
Of course, the question of luxury tends to crop up during conversations like this. Expensive hotels, by definition, can afford to treat their guests well with ample facilities, but they may not be affordable to a large segment of consumers on the Hotels.com app. “We wanted to make sure that these 700-something hotels across the world were ultra luxury and ultra-affordable. It doesn’t take more money to treat people well. You can treat guests well at any price point. We wanted to make sure this list has something for everyone.”
Options for alternative accommodation
On the subject of affordability, we asked Fish if alternative accommodations, like apartments and holiday homes, could also qualify for these awards, seeing as they now take up a sizable chunk of the accommodation market.
“Vrbo, another one of Expedia Group’s brands, has a Rental of the Year program which I’d like to see expanded because one thing I like about Perfect Somewheres is that it’s global.
“Expedia Group is working to make sure that we’re giving our information and expertise to travellers to help them cut through the choice paralysis that can take over when you’re trying to plan a trip. We did a survey and it’s normal for people to spend up to 10 hours deciding where they’re going to stay.”
Among the standout stays for 2024:
- Hotel Chapter Roma in Rome, Italy, which offers bespoke experiences such as a night out hosted by a nightlife editor, local market trips, and dietary-friendly cooking lessons.
- The Palmaïa House of Aïa in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, an all-inclusive retreat focusing on wellness, offering custom-built nutrition plans, breathwork classes, sauna/ice bath contrast therapy, and more.
- Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Koh Samui, Thailand, set to be one of the filming locations for the newest season of “The White Lotus” and offering various beach activities and access to nearby diving reefs.
- Okinawa Kariyushi Resort Exes Onna (Okinawa)
- Hotel das Cataratas in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, the only hotel within the Iguazu Falls National Park, offering guests exclusive access to the falls outside of regular visiting hours.
- Nohga Hotel Kiyomizu Kyoto (Kyoto)
- Ohla Barcelona in the historical center of Barcelona, Spain, where guests are offered a personalized menu of sheets, pillows, and bedding scents before their arrival, along with services such as a bath butler and personal shopper.
- Fingal – A Luxury Floating Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland, a boutique floating hotel with 22 cabins, once a lighthouse tender, now attracting vessel enthusiasts.
- The Prospect Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, United States, where each room, designed by Martyn Lawrence Bullard, is inspired by the property’s Hollywood history and former neighborhood residents.
