Hotel guests say satisfaction levels on upswing

Hotel owners: listen up. For satisfied customers, offer them wireless Internet and a free breakfast. Be sure to have smoke-free rooms and keep the service level consistent at all your properties.
 

Those were key factors in ensuring guest contentment, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.
 

“It found that guests’ overall satisfaction with hotels has improved over last year, especially when it came to the cost of their stay, the reservations process and the quality of their room,” said CNN.
 

The survey also discovered that 58 percent of hotel guests now book their room online — a slight increase over last year — and they’re more likely to use the hotel brand’s portal than any other site.
 

When it came to individual hotel chains, the study included these findings:
 

• The Ritz-Carlton ranked highest in overall satisfaction in the luxury hotel category, followed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and JW Marriott.
 

• In the upscale segment, Omni Hotels, Embassy Suites and Renaissance Hotels and Resorts claimed the top three spots.
 

• Hilton Garden Inn was rated tops in the mid-scale full service category, while Drury Inn & Suites got the thumbs-up in the mid-scale limited service segment.
 

• Guests staying at economy hotels were most satisfied with Microtel Inns & Suites for the ninth year in a row, followed by Howard Johnson Express/Inns and Red Roof Inn.
 

• In the extended stay category, Homewood Suites, Staybridge Suites and Residence Inn topped the list.
 

By David Wilkening