What ALP Members Are Saying About Independent Lodging Right Now
Independent lodging professionals wear a lot of hats, and sometimes the best way to understand what’s happening across the industry is to simply ask the people living it every day. In ALP’s Facebook Member to Member Group, we’ve been checking in with members through a series of quick polls about bookings, operations, daily tasks, and the hidden superpowers it takes to run an independent lodging property. Our ALP member poll results are informal, but they offer a fun and insightful snapshot of what ALP members are seeing, feeling, and juggling right now.
A few themes came through clearly.
Direct bookings are still a major focus, with 85% of respondents saying most of their bookings are currently coming directly. Repeat guests also continue to play an important role, while OTAs represented only a small share of responses in this poll.
On the operations side, time management rose to the top as the biggest current challenge, followed closely by staffing, housekeeping and turnover, and maintenance. In other words, members are not just managing properties; they’re managing constant priorities, shifting needs, and the daily realities of keeping everything running smoothly.
When asked what task they would most happily hand off forever, bookkeeping took the lead, followed by housekeeping and laundry. Guest messaging, interestingly, landed at the bottom, suggesting that communication with guests may be one of the tasks members are more willing to keep close.
And when it comes to lodging professional superpowers, the top answer was one many independent lodging professionals know well: predicting what guests need before they ask. That mix of intuition, care, flexibility, and problem-solving is part of what makes independent lodging so personal and memorable.
Spring booking responses were more mixed, with some members ahead of last year, others slightly or significantly behind, and a few pointing out that “it depends.” Region, timing, weather, local events, and other factors can all shape the picture.
Of course, these polls are just a snapshot, and some allowed multiple responses, so percentages may not total 100%. But together, they reflect something familiar to anyone in this community: independent lodging professionals are resourceful, adaptable, thoughtful, and often very funny about the daily realities of the job.
Check out our ALP member poll results in the infographic below for the full results.
