This year, U.S. hotels are prioritizing green practices, new technology and health, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), which yesterday released the results of its
2012 Lodging Survey.
A bi-annual poll of more than 52,000 U.S. hotel properties regarding in-room amenities, security and technology features, food and beverage options, guest services, sustainability and property offerings, among other things, this year's survey concluded that:
• Eco-friendly practices remain important: Water savings programs have been implemented in 75 percent of U.S. hotels, and linen/towel reuse programs in 76 percent.
• Properties are offering more technology resources: Most U.S. hotels (95 percent) use a third-party Internet source for bookings while nearly one in four (23 percent) offer a mobile app for hotel services.
• Hotels are health conscious: A majority of U.S. hotels (63 percent) are comprised of 100 percent non-smoking rooms. Meanwhile, 84 percent of properties now offer an exercise/health/fitness facility — an all-time high.
"The information in the 2012 Lodging Survey provides hoteliers with a snapshot of the key trends that impact the industry now and provides insight into future developments," said AH&LA President and CEO Joseph A. McInerney. "This year we were fortunate to have a particularly high response rate, so the survey truly provides the largest representative sampling and view of trends in the American lodging industry."