How Would You Rate Your Last Hotel Stay?by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 30 Jul 2008 05:54 PM Was your last stay at a hotel a nightmare? Did you have to deal with bed bugs, noisy neighbors or poor service? If you did, you aren't alone. According to a new survey completed by 53,000 people who stayed at a hotel in the last year, their experiences were nothing to brag about. Guests didn't hold back when it came to filling out the annual J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel Satisfaction Survey, which found that overall guest satisfaction, which covers everything from reservations to check in, room quality, fees, food and prices, was down in all segments except luxury and extended-stay. According to respondents, the No. 1 complaint they had with particular lodgings was noise. Poor maintenance (meaning the physical condition of the room and whether things worked) was the No. 2 issue, followed by room smell and room cleanliness. Survey respondents who frequented extended-stay hotels had the most issues with Internet service (many properties have converted to wireless but continue to have problems). Meanwhile, travelers who stay at luxury hotels say they were most disturbed by exorbitant parking fees. For overall satisfaction Ritz-Carlton scored highest among respondents in the luxury category followed by Four Seasons. In the upscale category Embassy Suites won, followed by Omni. Hyatt Place and Hilton Garden Inn got high marks in the mid-scale full service category. Meanwhile, in the mid-scale limited service category, Drury Inn & Suites (which provides guests with free Internet and free in-room bottled water and soda) got the most votes for the third year in the row. It was followed by SpringHill Suites. In the economy category, Microtel beat out Red Roof Inn. Finally, in the category of extended stay hotels, Homewood Suites was voted most popular followed by Staybridge Suites. The survey also found that guests are less satisfied overall with economy lodgings, complaining that the comfort of the beds offered in those lodgings was "poor." Better a too-soft mattress than bed bugs in my book. Related Articles: Protecting Yourself from Dirty Hotel Rooms Hotel Happenings: Dirty Rooms and the Dreaded Wake Up Call The Hotel Wake Up Call-Not So Dreaded Anymore Travel Tips--Hotel's Unwanted Guests Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags hotel, motel, Travel Discuss this article
|
Travel categories |
