While travel restrictions continue for parts of the world, many of us are now able and willing to travel once again, with vaccine drives in many countries enabling open borders. As we become more open to taking vacations, a new global travel survey has found that UAE travelers seek a homely experience when staying in a hotel, with 36% saying they like to feel like they’re visiting a friend’s home.  Nearly a fifth (19%) said they are bothered when there aren’t personal touches in their hotel.

Cleanliness and comfort were among the highest priorities for guests, with an uncomfortable bed rated the most disliked factor about a hotel stay (33%), while nice food and clean rooms or communal areas among the experiences most likely to make guests book again, at 49% and 43% respectively.

On the dining front, 37% of those surveyed said they prefer it when there are a mix of cuisines on offer, while 36% would like more buffet or help yourself options.  And with an emphasis on feeling at home crucial to UAE hotel guests, it’s not surprising that 36% prefer when food is served for longer hours e.g. not just a two hour window for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  And with clean eating a key trend, 13% said they dislike it when there aren’t enough vegan or vegetarian options on hotel menus.

Sustainability was also a key point of interest for UAE guests with nearly half (46%) keen to see hotels purchase more environmentally friendly products, for example, using glass instead of plastic, which 41% would support.

However, the survey commissioned by voco hotels to launch their new Turn Up Service found guests’ experience with staff to be amongst the most crucial parts of any hotel stay.  In fact, 46% of people said that friendly service would be the experience third most likely to make them rebook a hotel brand, with 55% saying they prefer staff who are friendly, approachable (46%), caring (40%) and kind (39%).

With the opportunity to reevaluate traveler’s expectations, voco hotels listened and reacted to the global survey data to inform and enhance its service style. To offer guests unexpected offerings and service that goes above and beyond, voco hotels is launching Turn Up Service. This new service is a playful twist on the typical ‘turn down’ service designed to ‘turn up’ voco’s hosted service style at its hotels around the world. Building upon the brand’s philosophy of distinctive, hosted service, Turn Up Service will offer a series of new, localized initiatives and offerings to give travelers more of what they really want from a hotel experience.

Informed by the global survey data, voco hotels will roll out Turn Up Service across some of their key locations to cater to travelers’ needs and desires. The enhanced service offerings will deliver unexpected, bookable offerings to guests, such as Turn Up Service rooms in the United Kingdom, and brunch after dark soirees in the Middle East and United States.

Breaking the mould of traditional hotels, voco combines familiar comforts with unexpected touches to create a stay that is reliable, yet different. The result is an unstuffy, laid-back hotel experience that is full of charm, personality, and individualised spirit. Backed by the power of IHG Hotels & Resorts, voco combines the reassurance and perks of a big hotel brand with the informality and charm of an individual hotel. The brand’s international footprint spans Australia, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabi, United Kingdom, United States and beyond with more than 23 locations open worldwide, and several in the pipeline to open in the next few years, including Dubai’s new voco Bonnington Dubai, voco Dubai The Palm and voco Johannesburg opening in February in South Africa. Launched in 2018, the brand has become IHG’s fastest ever global expansion and is well-loved across the globe.