TRAVELLERS from Germany are relatively more modest in their choice of hotel than holidaymakers from the UK or Russia, according to a study by IPK International on Europeans' preferred types of accommodation when travelling within their continent.

Russian travellers in particular prefer luxury accommodation, with 26 per cent opting for the comforts of a five-star hotel. Twenty-two per cent of Britons choose five-star accommodation, while 13 per cent of Germans prefer to stay in luxury hotels.

Over the past five years, the percentage of Russians and Britons favouring luxury accommodation has risen by two and four per cent, respectively.

Across all European markets, the proportion of overnights in standard accommodation (middle-class and budget hotels) has stagnated, whereas overnights in four- and five-star hotels have risen by four and two per cent, respectively.

Martin Buck, director, Competence Center Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin, said: “Increasingly, rooms at four-star hotels can now be booked for the price of middle-class accommodation. Luxury hotel overnights are also being offered at reduced rates. The effect of customer loyalty programmes, and tour operators who normally operate on the mass market, but are now advertising rooms in premium-class hotels, should not be underestimated either.”

Meanwhile, the study revealed that 234 million out of 413 million trips abroad by Europeans (57 per cent) were spent staying at hotels, with more choosing a hotel bed compared to five years ago. In 2007, this type of accommodation accounted for 52 per cent.

Rented or purchased holiday homes (20 per cent) and staying with friends and relatives (ten per cent) were among the other forms of popular accommodation, whereas campsites (three per cent) hardly registered in the statistics.

Broken down into markets, 58 per cent of German travellers favour hotels. The leaders are Britons (60 per cent) and Russians (66 per cent). Among Polish and Dutch travellers, hotel overnights are less popular (44 and 45 per cent respectively).