Hotel satisfaction report shows Four Seasons on top

Four Seasons has emerged top of the luxury category in its 2005 survey of US hotel guest satisfaction by market research company JD Power. Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott received the second- and third-highest scores respectively among the 11 groups covered.

Hilton Brands Receive Top Rankings in Three Out of Six Segments

The Omni chain beat 13 others to take top spot in the “upscale” segment, the next category down.

The study, now in its ninth year, measures overall hotel guest satisfaction based on six measures: check-in/check-out, guest room, food and beverage, hotel services, hotel facilities, and costs and fees. Hotel chains are ranked in six segments: luxury, upscale, mid-scale full service, mid-scale limited service, economy/budget and extended stay.

Consumers appear to appreciate the value of new product and service offerings being introduced by many hotel chains, as increases in overall guest satisfaction are being driven by improvements in the measures of food and beverage, costs and fees (value of services) and hotel services.

“As the travel industry continues to rebound from the post-9/11 travel slump, hotel chains have benefited from the ability to invest significant funds to renovate guest rooms, enhance room amenities and improve food and beverage offerings,” said Linda Hirneise, partner in the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “The key is in adding the kinds of value-added services guests really want.”

While many brands push the envelope to introduce new amenities and innovations such as satellite radio or Internet check-in, the study finds that brands that improve on offerings in the tried-and-true comforts of home that make for a convenient in-room experience tend to receive considerable boosts in customer satisfaction scores. Amenities of particular interest to consumers include a complimentary breakfast, in-room refrigerators and coffee makers, pillow top mattresses and high-speed Internet access.

An example of this is Omni Hotels, which improves dramatically to rank highest in the upscale segment. Omni Hotels is the first upscale hotel brand to offer free wireless Internet access in guest rooms. Three top-ranking Hilton brands all offer free high-speed Internet access:  Hilton Garden Inn, which ranks highest in the mid-scale full service segment; Hampton Inn & Suites, which ranks highest among mid-scale limited service hotels; and Homewood Suites by Hilton, which ranks highest in the extended stay segment.  In addition, Hampton Inn & Suites and Homewood Suites by Hilton also offer complimentary hot breakfasts.

“With all the costs involved in travel today, guests are looking for a more all-inclusive experience when they book a hotel reservation,” said Hirneise. “While there is no replacement for good customer service, consumers want all the comforts of home when they stay at a hotel, and they don’t want to be nickeled and dimed to get them.”

The study also finds that 41 percent of respondents booked a hotel reservation online—up from 36 percent in 2004. Hotel brand Web sites continue to earn increased market share of online bookings compared to independent travel Web sites. In most segments, reservations were booked directly through a hotel’s site more than twice as often as independent sites. Online bookings are most common in the extended stay segment, where more than one-half (52%) of reservations were booked through the Internet.

The 2005 North America Guest Satisfaction Index Study is based on responses from 37,471 guests who stayed in a hotel between December 2004 and May 2005.