Booking: Study of the first 24 hours of travelers

Booking has recently published a study on the behavior of travelers during the first 24 hours in a new destination, and the results are quite interesting!

Of the 18,000 people surveyed, nearly half think that their first day of vacation sets the tone for the rest of the stay, and 38% consider the first 24 hours to be the ones they remember most. But even so, I was surprised to discover that activities related to accommodation are among travelers’ priorities, while visiting and exploring the city come second… Moreover, 36% of the travelers like to try out the bed by jumping in it, and 19% are eager to try the pool! Well, there I recognize myself well… I also learn that 37% of the 18-34 year olds will post on their social media accounts, 54% take photos, and 26% connect to the internet to check out restaurant reviews in the surrounding area.

I agree with some of the points discussed, but not really with all of them; that’s why Booking sent Capucine and me to Amsterdam to rediscover this city that we love so much, but also to analyze with some perspective what we really do during those first 24 hours. We packed our bags and the Kimpton Hotel de Witt, a very beautiful establishment with a contemporary style beautifully decorated that caught my attention at first sight. It is located right in the heart of Amsterdam, just steps from the central train station, an ideal location for exploring the capital. Generally, I let Capucine take care of the check-in at the reception and in the meantime I take the opportunity to observe the details, discover the different living spaces, and take some photos of the hotel.

Once the keys (magnetic cards!) are in hand, we head to our room and before putting our belongings down, we quickly take a few photos and create a room tour that we share on Instagram Story. Next comes the test of the bedding, with a jump worthy of the Olympic Games, often filmed in slow motion by Capucine and also published on our social networks 😀 Finally, I quickly unpack my suitcase, preparing only the essentials in a backpack to embark on an urban exploration. It often happens that I’m ready well before Capu, so I take the opportunity to settle in the hotel lobby while waiting for her, and I take the opportunity to familiarize myself with the city map and ask the receptionists and concierge about the best atypical and trendy addresses.

Once we leave the hotel, we always head to the most emblematic place in the city, even if it is very touristy, just to say to ourselves that we have finally arrived! There are the Jordaan canals in Amsterdam, Times Square in New York, Nyhavn harbor in Copenhagen, etc. It seems silly, but at least we get to see everything as soon as we arrive. Of course, afterwards, we take the opportunity to get lost in different neighborhoods, ask waiters and shopkeepers, but also our communities through social media about what are the new must-see places to discover outside the tourist circuits.

And for this new stay in Amsterdam we were well taken care of! We took the time to discover new neighborhoods like NSDM, Amsterdam’s alternative and creative imprint. A must-see for street-art creations as well as the small, atypical restaurants beautifully decorated in an industrial and «reclaimed» style. NSDM made us think a lot about the Meatpacking district in Copenhagen! In the evening we enjoyed the lively De Pijp neighborhood, the ideal place to find a good restaurant or to have a drink in the evening. We felt like we were in a small village, like some of the places in Williamsburg or Greenwich Village in New York. Want to discover more? Find our article here The must-see and must-do things in Amsterdam 🙂

And what are the first things you do during your first 24 hours of vacation?