High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) are experiencing a whole host of challenges when booking their travel, new research has revealed.
According to this year’s Luxury Travel Report by Preferred Hotels and Resorts, people with a household income of over $250,000 contend with several barriers that make planning trips frustrating.
Conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the luxury hotel chain between February and March 2025, the online survey found that 68% of its 503 respondents reported at least one pet peeve when booking accommodation. It also detailed the saving hacks of affluent travellers, which have become increasingly prevalent in the face of rising travel prices.
Sold-out
Top on the list of HNWIs’ travel planning pet peeves is finding the perfect hotel room, only to discover it’s sold out for their desired dates. A hefty 30% of respondents, over a third of whom had a household income of more than $500,000, said they’d faced this disappointment after “hours” of searching.
Tab overload
The online searching process is another source of frustration for HNWIs, with 29% of respondents begrudging the “obscene amount” of Internet tabs open when looking for accommodation.
Itinerary mix-up
With AI tools like ChatGPT becoming increasingly popular, it’s no wonder that many travellers are asking the platform to whip up their holiday itineraries.
However, these guides often fail to include vital information like site closures, transport changes or airline disruptions. They also do not necessarily identify if scheduled activities are incompatible, and as a result, can create an itinerary that sounds ideal in theory, but isn’t practicable in reality.
It’s hardly a surprise, therefore, that 24% of respondents said they’d wasted “hours trying to align an itinerary only to realise things didn’t fit.” The weariness of AI generated itineraries is also widespread, with 74% saying they’re “tired of travel itineraries that feel designed by an algorithm rather than authenticity.”
Needs Must
The difficulty of finding accommodation that “fits all needs and desires,” is another common complaint, with 18% respondents admitting they’d “lost nights and sleep” to this pursuit. The process can be further complicated if the client is travelling under specific conditions, such as a strict time frame or within a certain budget.
Hidden gems
The struggle of finding a “unique” property is real, with 18% of respondents irked by the scarcity of authentic properties on the luxury accommodation scene. The apparent lack of such properties is also inflating an appreciation for them; 80% admitted they’d be willing to travel to a different city altogether to stay at a property that excites them.
Intergenerational bookings
The report found intergenerational bookings can trigger significant stress in HNWIs, with 10% of respondents admitting they’d “lost nights and sleep” trying to secure an accommodation that worked for both kids and grandparents.