Women more cautious over online hotel bookings, finds survey
Women are more cautious than men when booking hotels online, according to a survey by Utell.
The survey of more than 1,600 business and leisure travellers in the UK found that 31% of women were concerned about inaccurate product descriptions online than men, compared to just 19% of men.
According to Utell, this scepticism might stem from the fact that women are much more likely than men to book accommodation based on hotel facilities, with 61% of women rating it as a key factor compared to only 43% of men.
The ‘Utell Us 2007’ research also found that consumers are turning more to independent hotels for leisure and business trips, with 92% of respondents considering the hotel brand to be least important when choosing accommodation.
Overall, 15% said they actively prefer to stay in independent hotels, but this trend was more notable among older travellers, with 19% of the over 55 age group preferring to stay in independent hotels compared to just 11% of 16-24 year olds.
The survey was conducted as Utell launched its new Collections. – Utell Golf, Utell Spa, Utell Luxury and Utell Boutique.
Further Collections are planned for launch over the coming months and designed to make it easier for travel agents and consumers to find the most suitable hotel for their specific needs.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025