Hotel satisfaction in this economy, can you find it??

Here is a recent study of Hotel satisfaction with customers....



J.D. Powers 2010 hotel survey: Hotels guests more satisfied with hotels during downturn

By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY

Ritz-Carlton took top honors in the J.D. Powers' 2010 hotel study for the luxury hotel category, beating Four Seasons, which ranked No. 1 last year. Shown is a deluxe bathroom in the Ritz- Carlton Residences at LA Live in Los Angeles.

Ritz-CarltonHotel guests have generally been happier with their hotel experience in the past 12 months vs. the prior year as room rates dropped and crowds thinned, according to J.D. Powers and Assoc.'s latest study that measures how well hotel chains satisfy their customers.

The study's broader findings echo J.D. Powers' conclusions for both airlines and airports that also found that as travel fell, customer satisfaction rose, says Mark Schwartz, who leads J.D. Powers' travel practice.

Still, Schwartz said it was surprising to see that most of the hotel chains lifted their individual customer satisfaction scores during the downturn.

J.D. Powers grades hotel chains based on customer surveys collected each year for a variety of larger hotel chains. Customers rate hotels in seven areas, starting with the reservations process and the check-in process to assess their first impressions of a hotel. J.D. Powers also asks travelers to rate hotel services, cost and fees, food and drinks, its fitness center, and check-out.

So why did most hotels see an uptick in customer satisfaction? Schwartz says that it's a mix of factors both within and beyond hotels' control:

The travel downturn: With fewer people on the road, people who did travel found emptier hotels, which meant they encountered less competition for the treadmill in the fitness center, or less of a chance to stand in line at a busy convention hotel.

Cost: Hotel rates fell in the last 12 months, and customers generally felt more satisfied with what they received for their money.

Hotels operations: Hotels genuinely got better at pleasing their customers in the past year due to stiff competition for guests. "All of them are focused on improving guest satisfaction," Schwartz says. Almost all of the chains increased their scores on a year-over-year basis - and not a single hotel chain saw its score drop significantly, he says.

The study focuses on big chains from across the price spectrum. Among the hotels it places in the six categories measured are: Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Loews hotels in the luxury hotels group; Homewood Suites and TownePlace Suites in the extended-stay hotels group; Marriott, Omni, Embassy Suites and Hilton in the upscale hotels group.

Some chains such as Starwood's Le Meridien, Hyatt's Park Hyatt and Accor's Sofitel didn't make the cut because of their size, which made collecting enough customer surveys difficult. The study also leaves out independent chains and hotels.  Here's a quick peak at the hotel winners that won in their respective price categories:

Luxury: Ritz-Carlton

Upscale: Omni Hotels & Resorts

Mid-Scale Full Service: Hilton Garden Inn (for a second consecutive year)

Mid-Scale Limited Service: Drury Inn & Suites (for a fifth consecutive year)

Economy/Budget: Microtel Inns & Suites (for a ninth consecutive year)

Extended Stay: Homewood Suites

Yes you can find satisfaction as hotels brands these days are willing to give perks to get you to stay in their hotels. 

 My next post will talk about some budget hotel chains and what you can get for your money and still be comfortable.