Compare accommodation bookings using our ratings comparison of accommodation bookings satisfaction.
Hotel.com.au and Expedia.com.au rule the roost in online accommodation bookings
GRID_ACCOMM_BOOKINGS
* Overall satisfaction is an individual rating and not a combined total of all ratings
Our independent consumer survey has revealed the generous spirit of Australians, with the majority surveyed (51%) considering holidaying to Japan or New Zealand to help support their tourism industries after recent environmental disasters.
“These survey results are a hopeful sign for the hard-pressed tourism industries in Japan and New Zealand, which have suffered in the wake of the Tohoku Pacific earthquake and tsunami on March 11 and the Christchurch earthquake in January,” said CANSTAR’s Head of Research Steve Mickenbecker.
“Generation Y cops a lot of flack for being self-centred, yet our results showed they are the generation most likely to support Japan and New Zealand, with 62% of Gen Y respondents considering travelling to these countries to play a part in their rebuilding efforts. This compares to 54% of Generation X and 45% of Baby Boomers.”
The number of Australians travelling to Japan in March 2011 fell by half year on year to 11,000. However the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) recently predicted a recovery by 2012.
Visitor numbers to New Zealand fell by 12% between January and March, largely as a result of February’s earthquake. In better news, Statistics New Zealand data showed a seasonally adjusted 8% rise in short-term visitor arrivals from March to April.
Our survey also showed 44% of Australians now make all their accommodation bookings through online sites, with Generation Y respondents the most likely at 50% compared with 47% of Gen X and 38% of Baby Boomers.
The results also revealed accommodation websites Hotel.com.au and Expedia.com.au beat their competitors by coming out on top with most satisfied customers when it came to online accommodation bookings.
Hotel.com.au and Expedia.com.au customers scored the brands top marks for overall satisfaction and pricing. Expedia.com.au topped the charts according to its customers in the categories of booking fees, range of accommodation available and ease of use, with Hotel.com.au winning in the areas of accuracy of bookings and service.
Most Common Online Accommodation Booking Gripes
Poor site navigation
Excessive booking fees
Lack of disclosure of information on location, costs, facilities and properties.
Ability to easily compare hotels and rooms
Advertised properties not available for requested dates.
Canstar Blue commissions Colmar Brunton to survey 2,500 Australian consumers across a range of categories every few months to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from customers of online accommodation bookings websites within the survey group. To qualify, the customer has to have purchased from the accommodation website within the last 12 months.
Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands that received three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10.
Overall satisfaction
Hotel.com.au and Expedia.com.au were inseparable when it came to overall satisfaction, both receiving five stars. Wotif.com.au and Lastminute.com.au both received four stars, and Webjet.com.au received three stars.
Pricing
Hotel.com.au and Expedia.com.au could not be separated again, in the pricing category. Four stars were awarded to Wotif.com.au and Lastminute.com.au, while Webjet.com.au received three stars.
Booking fees
Expedia.com.au customers were the most satisfied when it came to booking fees, with Expedia.com.au being awarded five stars. Hotel.com.au received four stars while Wotif.com.au, Lastminute.com.au and Webjet received three stars.
Range of accommodation available
Expedia.com.au triumphed in the range of accommodation available, and was awarded five stars. Hotel.com.au and Wotif.com.au received four stars, while Lastminute.com.au and Webjet.com.au received three stars.
Ease of use
Expedia.com.au customers were the most satisfied when it came to ease of use, while Wotif.com.au and Hotel.coma.u were awarded four stars. Lastminute.com.au and Webjet.com.au were awarded three stars.
Accuracy of bookings
Hotel.com.au received five stars for accuracy of bookings, while Expedia.com.au, Wotif.com.au and Lastminute.com.au received four stars. Webjet.com.au received three stars.
Service
Hotel.com.au received five stars for service, while Expedia.com.au received four stars. Wotif.com.au, Lastminute.com.au and Webjet.com.au received three stars.
Online Accommodation
Our independent consumer survey has revealed the generous spirit of Australians, with the majority surveyed (51%) considering holidaying to Japan or New Zealand to help support their tourism industries after recent environmental disasters.