Given that many travel because of cheap traveloptions such as cheapairplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages, itis good to hear that travelers planning to stay at hotels are increasinglylikely to be pleased with their accommodations.
Improvements in hotel facilities and services have resultedin hotels receiving their highest ranking of guest satisfaction in years,according to a newly released J.D. Power and Associates study.
The most critical group of travelers is Millennials, peoplebetween the ages of 18 to 30 who are starting to travel and spend more. They are highly valued in part because Millennialstend to be more loyal to hotel brands as evidence by 27 percent of them sayingthey are highly committed to a brand vs. 25 percent of travelers of othergenerations. Hotels are trying to caterto this group to create a lifetime bond.
The J.D. Power an annual hotel survey is in its 18thyear and was based on responses from in excess of 67,000 guests who stayed inNorth American hotels from May 2013 to May 2014.
Total hotel satisfaction for the most recent surveyaveraged 784 points (on a 1,000 point scale) an increase of 27 points from theprior year. This is the highest level ofsatisfaction recorded since J.D. Power began using a new methodology in 2006.
Respondents rated hotel based on:
One of the reasons for receiving a higher satisfactionrating is that hotels have been making investments in their facilities andamenities after years of cutting back during the recession.
One example of such spending is InterContinental HotelsGroups which has invested $1 billion to overhaul its brand and introduce a newmodern design and improved amenities over the last three years.
Among hotel guests biggest complaints were dirty rooms andinternet connectivity, regardless of whether it was complimentary or billed.
One of the hotel industrys biggest ongoing challenges isproviding enough bandwidth to cover the multiple devices guests carry as wellas the amount of video they want to download. Demand for bandwidth is currently outpacing the industrys ability tokeep up with it.
Midscale hotel chains achieved the largest year over yearimprovement, with their satisfaction rating rising 10 points to 801. These hotels are perceived as providing greatvalue for the money in part by offering complementary service for things suchas Internet and breakfast.
The followingare the hotel brands with the highest guest-satisfaction scores, by category:
Luxury: FourSeasons Hotels and Resorts
UpperUpscale: Kimpton Hotels (second consecutive year)
Upscale:Hilton Garden Inn
MidscaleFull Service: Holiday Inn (fourth-consecutive year)
Midscale:Drury Hotels (ninth-consecutive year)
Economy/Budget: Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham (second-consecutive year)
UpperExtended Stay: Homewood Suites by Hilton (second-consecutive year)
ExtendedStay: Candlewood Suites
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