THE VALUE OF FREEBIES
It’s no secret hotel guests like free stuff. What may be surprising is many guests make their hotel selections based on complimentary items such as breakfast and in-room coffee, says a study by Chicago-based research firm Technomic. More than 40% of business and leisure travelers surveyed by the company say foodservice offerings are very important to their choice of hotel, which at many properties—including a vast majority of select-service hotels—translates into free complimentary breakfast.

Other findings from Technomic’s 2011 Hotel Food and Beverage Consumer Trend Report:

• Business travelers are more likely to order roomservice than are leisure guests. A quarter of road warriors purchased roomservice in their most recent hotel stay, versus 12% of leisure guests.
• Compared to even a few years ago, a larger percentage of consumers are traveling for business (34%) and leisure (25%). Technomic suggests younger consumers drive this trend, so hotels need to tailor their foodservice offerings to a younger demographic.

HOTELS DRIVE GREEN
An increasing number of hotels recognize many guests are arriving in electric vehicles and need a charge. The Four Seasons San Francisco became the first hotel in the city to offer a charging station for guest use. In addition, an on-site Enterprise Rent-A-Car location rents Nissan Leaf EV autos. The EVs, which rent for $90 a day, use no gasoline and can travel about 100 miles on a single charge.

In Memphis, the venerable Peabody Hotel recently became the second lodging property in Tennessee and the first in Memphis to install electric vehicle charging stations. The four Level 2 stations, which accommodate the Nissan Leaf as well as the Chevy Volt, are located in the hotel’s parking garage. There’s no fee to use the chargers, except for normal parking tariffs.

THE BEST HOTEL RESTROOMS
Three U.S. hotels were among 10 places in the U.S. named as finalists in the 2011 America’s Best Restroom Contest. The competition, sponsored by Cintas Corp., includes public restrooms in a wide range of facilities, in addition to the hotels: a winery, two restaurants, a ski resort, a museum, a performing arts center and even a restroom trailer set up for President Obama during his inauguration.

Lodging finalists include the Renaissance Arlington (VA) Capital View Hotel, the Main Street Station Casino in Las Vegas and the Joule Poule, a rooftop pool bathroom at the Joule Dallas Hotel.

The public will choose the winner through an online ballot at www.bestrestroom.com. The results will be announced later this year.