As the pandemic slows down and restrictions are lifted, people are starting to travel again for business and leisure. A new study by Klook found that a large majority (81%) of travelers in Asia are looking forward to travel internationally again in 2023 with longer trips and hotel stays. The most popular travel length for a break is 3-5 days (45%), followed by 6-9 days (34%), then 10 or more days (25%). 

 

“After two years of being grounded, travel is now an experience that people treasure more than ever before, and this is clear from our survey data. 2023 is the Year of Travelsilience (travel and resilience), where travelers pursue travel to create new memorable experiences, despite all struggles and any headwinds,” said Marcus Yong, vice president, global marketing at Klook.

Thanks to the travel excitement, the hospitality industry is recovering well. Starting July-September 2022, APAC hotel occupancy hit an average of nearly 60%, just three percentage points shy of the same months in 2019. Hotel guests are also starting to commit confidently to book for trips into the next year, with 1.8 million bookings already made for H1 2023, according to Amadeus’ Demand360®data.

 

Hotels are competing to welcome those travelers back with remarkable service. Besides a comfortable and clean bed, there's apparently one small thing that hotel guests consider important: freebies. A survey from TripAdvisor found that 63% of Asian travelers bring something home from their hotel stay. Not only Asians, apparently 73% of American travelers and 74% of European travelers also act similarly. With this data, we could safely say that humans globally love freebies.

 

Hotel guests would take home complimentary items that are considered free such as toiletries, tea/coffee, and stationery. But there are also guests that (not) surprisingly take home towels, hangers, bed sheets, pillowcases, coffee makers, light bulbs, and even TV remote batteries! The American Hotel and Lodging Association stated that the losses suffered by the hospitality industry could reach 100 million USD annually due to this naughty act. 

 

To eliminate confusion, here's a list of items you can and can't bring home when staying at a hotel:

When in doubt, it's better to ask the hotel staff before bringing home an item.

 

As trivial as it may sound, these small items can have a big impact on guest comfort and hotel reputation. That's why there’s a fierce competition for hoteliers to provide amenities that can impress their guests. Some hotels even try 15-30 different toiletry options before settling on the right brand. "It's a big deal if your bath amenity is bad. It's almost like buying a Mercedes and the stereo is bad." said Jeff David, Knickerbocker Hotel to USA Today. Because of human's love for freebies, businesses are competing to offer promos with elements of gratification in order to attract customers. Besides the hospitality industry, other businesses also compete to offer souvenirs, product samples, free shipping, giveaways, and a Buy 1 Get 1 Free promo. 

 

According to Dan Ariely in the book 'Predictably Irrational', the word "free" elicits a strong response in our brain. In a world where everything costs money, humans will feel positive emotions when receiving an unexpected 'gift' regardless of the quality of the item. Free items are considered to have high value, as there is no risk of dissatisfaction or loss of money. Yet often, freebies end up unused and piling up dust at home. There are often hidden costs behind the freebies we desire. In some cases, we need to 'pay' for it by queuing for hours, watching commercials, or exchanging them for our phone numbers and emails. When receiving freebies, customers might also feel obligated to do something in return; for example by recommending the product to a friend or promoting it on social media. Some promos also require customers to purchase other items to get a free gift or go out of their way to visit a faraway store.

 

Next time you stay in a hotel, take a second to reflect: do those fancy soaps you pack home affect your perception of the hotel?