Hotel guest satisfaction is on the decline in key areas, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. Satisfaction with check-in/check-out, F&B, hotel services, and hotel facilities are at new lows since the 2006 study. What’s more, guestroom satisfaction has declined within one point of its lowest level in the past seven years.
“As the industry continues to recover and rates increase, hoteliers need to get back to the fundamentals and improve the overall guest experience,” says Stuart Greif, vice president and general manager of the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “Charging guests more and providing less is not a winning combination from a guest satisfaction perspective, much less a winning business strategy. In short, hoteliers are falling further behind and need to catch up.”
Internet access also is a driver in travelers’ views of hotels. The study finds that 55 percent of hotel guests use the Internet during their hotel stay-an increase from 20 percent in 2006-and 87 percent use Wi-Fi to connect. Among those who use the Internet, only 11 percent are charged an additional fee to connect. Yet those who were charged a fee have an average costs and fees satisfaction score of 688, 76 index points lower than those that were not charged a fee or the fee was part of the room rate.
The following hotel brands rank highest in guest satisfaction within their respective segments:
- Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton (for a third consecutive year)
- Upper Upscale: Omni Hotels & Resorts
- Upscale: Hilton Garden Inn and SpringHill Suites (in a tie)
- Mid-Scale Full Service: Holiday Inn (for a second consecutive year)
- Mid-Scale Limited Service: Drury Hotels (for a seventh consecutive year)
- Economy/Budget: Jameson Inn
- Extended Stay: Homewood Suites (for a third consecutive year)
