Travelers are more satisfied than ever with their hotels just as the number of complaints has dropped significantly, a new study released today shows.
Overall satisfaction in hotels in 2015 reached a score of 804, up 20 points from last year, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 19th annual survey of North American hotel guests. It’s the first time satisfaction has surpassed the 800-point mark on the 1,000-point scale.
At the same time, there was a 20% reduction in the number of guests who reported a problem during their stay. It was the lowest rate of complaints since 2006.
The survey is based on responses gathered between June 2014 and May 2015 from more than 62,000 guests in Canada and the United States. The guests stayed at a hotel in North America between May 2014 and May 2015.
Among the factors taken into consideration were the reservations and the check-in/check-out experience, food and beverage options, hotel services and facilities, and costs and fees.
Hotels of all price points were examined including luxury, extended stay, and budget.
The survey found that employee demeanor has a significant impact on how satisfied guests are. The average number of problems experienced when a staff member greeted guests with a smile “all the time” dropped 50%, compared to when they were smiled at only “sometimes.”
Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power, says hotels can improve satisfaction by better focusing on guests’ needs.
Source: USA Today |
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