Alternative Accommodation International

Alternative Accommodation International

About this report
 
The tedium surrounding the standardised accommodation offering, coupled with the desire to experience new destinations, has contributed to an increasing interest in alternative accommodation. Far from the standard hotel room, alternative accommodation encompasses unusual structures, often in unusual places.
 

 
For one who has slept in too many predictable hotel rooms, a night in a converted prison or tree house is an attractive option. Alternative accommodation can be found in structures converted from their initial purposes such as forts, lighthouses, windmills and cabooses. Others include structures with a primary purpose other than lodging, which accommodate guests on an overnight basis. Monasteries, convents, art museums and research facilities all provide accommodation options that are far from common and more than once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
 

 
This report describes the extraordinary offerings of this diverse and growing accommodation segment. Once dismissed as a fringe element of the industry due to its eclectic nature, the growing desire by travellers to experience something new and different is stimulating growth in the types and locations of this segment’s offerings.
 

Contents
 

 
Introduction
 

 
Data Sources
 

 
Alternative Accommodation: Why Now?
 

 
Growth in worldwide travel
 
Figure 1: International tourist arrivals by region, 2003-04
 
Figure 2: International tourist arrivals by receiving region, 1995-2020
 
Growth in hotel accommodation
 
Figure 3: Number of hotel rooms by region, 1997-2002
 
Figure 4: Performance of global hotel industry, 2002-03
 
Figure 5: Independent hotels by region, 2003
 
The alternative accommodation trend
 
Alternative Accommodation: Components of a Growing Segment
 
Definition of alternative accommodation
 
Classification of alternative accommodation
 
Figure 6: Alternative accommodation categories and examples
 
Key components
 
Geographic expanse
 
Service levels
 
Alternative accommodation guests
 
Spreading the word: information sources
 
Figure 7: Trends in overall online travel market size, Europe, 1998-2006*
 
The Many Forms of Alternative Accommodation
 

 
Ice hotels
 
Case: Aurora Ice Museum (US)
 
Tree hotels
 
Case: Ariau Towers (Brazil)
 
Prison accommodation
 
Case: Napier Prison (New Zealand)
 
Cave hotels
 
Case: Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcon (Spain)
 
Art museums
 
Case: Benesse House (Japan)
 
Lighthouses
 
Case: Rose Island Lighthouse (US)
 
Religious buildings
 
Case: Monastery of San Pedro de Cardena (Spain)
 
Entertainment hotels in ‘mega malls’
 
Case: Fantasyland Hotel (Canada)
 
Research stations
 
Case: Esquinas Rainforest Lodge (Costa Rica)
 
Tent accommodation
 
Case: Aman-i-Khas (India)
 
Growth Opportunities and Outlook
 

 
Promise across price segments
 
New formats
 
Spread of formats to other regions
 
Capsule accommodation in London
 
Undersea accommodation in Dubai and the Bahamas
 
Figure 8: Hotel capacity in Dubai, UAE
 
Looking to the future
 
Index to Travel & Tourism Analyst
 

 
Index grouped by geographic area
 
Index to TTI Destination Reports 1993-2004
 
Country reports
 
City reports
 
Special Reports Index
 
2003
 
2004
 
Forthcoming in 2005