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News / Bathtubs and Wi-Fi-free - These are the top amenities travelers are searching for in 2022 according to Hotels.com

Hotels.com examines how travelers' search patterns and preferences changed during the pandemic

Haven't planned a trip in a while? You aren't alone. Americans haven't taken a proper spring break trip in nearly three years, and in that time, the travel landscape has changed and tourists' preferences along with it. That's why Hotels.com analyzed searches on its site and mobile app from the past three years to identify the most in-demand and out of touch amenities so far in 2022.

Key findings from the 2022 Hotels.com Amenity Report include:

What's New

Stressed much? Searches for bathtubs surge
Call it a cry for help or just good old-fashioned self-care, but bathtubs were the most-searched hotel amenity during the peak of the pandemic. Searches so far this year are up 25% compared with 2019 and interest in spas have grown, too (+35%).

Sit back and soak at these top-rated hotels:

New hobby alert: We ski now
The pandemic forced everyone to get in touch with their outdoorsy side, so it's not all that surprising that searches for ski-in/ski-out hotels are at peak levels, up 50% since 2019. Interest in properties with ski shuttles and storage are also up 20%.

Après ski all day at these top properties:

Cooking at home and the hotel
From baking bread to trying out that crazy TikTok pasta, kitchens were all the craze as the second most sought-after amenity in 2021. The trend is continuing with kitchen searches increasing 15% year-over-year.

Get cooking on that next trip at these hotels:

What's Out

No Wi-Fi, no problem
Zoom meetings and doom scrolling aren't on the itinerary this year as searches for properties with free Wi-Fi are plummeting, down 50% since pre-pandemic.

Keep it IRL at these off-the-grid hotels:

We have no business here
Tourists are tired of work from home and turns out they really don't want to work from anywhere else, either. Searches for properties with business facilities are down 40% compared with 2019.

Properties with amenities that prioritize time off the clock:

What's Trending Now

Dude, where's my car
Don't retire that road trip playlist just yet. Searches for properties with free parking are up 70% this year as tourists continue to favor destinations within driving distance.

Properties where the parking spot is guaranteed (and free):

For those who can't stand another 10-hour drive, you aren't alone. Searches for properties with free airport transfers are up a whopping 105% so far this year.

We're **finally** taking a family vacation
Families have desperately missed out on quality vacation time together and it shows. Searches for properties with cribs (+65%), childcare (+45%) and connecting rooms (+20%) have increased double digits.

Parents love these kid-friendly properties:

And let's not forget the fur children, too. Interest in pet-friendly stays is up 35% in 2022.

Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, California

Working out while on vacation
Working out really wasn't a top priority during the pandemic. Searches for gyms were down 30% or more last year compared with 2019. However, in 2022 tourists are getting back into their wellness routine and year-over-year searches for gyms have increased 65%.

Hotels with top-notch gyms and wellness offerings:

Breakfast is back
Free breakfast has been the top amenity since pretty much the beginning of time. But the pandemic knocked this fan favorite down a few pegs as hotels traded hot buffets for pre-packaged grab-and-go items. This year, breakfast is back and searches are up 75%.

Wake up to waffle makers and breakfast buffets at these hotels:

How Your State Stays: Spring Break Edition

Ahead of spring break, Hotels.com also explored top-searched travel destinations and amenities to see how each of the 50 states and D.C. find the perfect stay. Top regional trends include:

Star Ratings: Northeasterners prefer 4-star properties with free parking. While Southerners are okay with 2.5-star stays, so long as they come with free breakfast.
Amenities: Arizonans and Californians look for pet-friendly properties, while tourists in Maryland, Louisiana and Ohio just want to soak in a bathtub.
Destinations: Midwesterners prefer midsize cities like Omaha and Oklahoma City to metropolitan areas. And residents in Southwest states (Arizona, Nevada) are most likely to choose California.

*Hotels.com amenity report compared internal search data on US sites and mobile app from January 1 – February 7, 2022 with the same time period in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Publication date Mar 07, 2022