Hotel guests are increasingly feeling like they're getting more bang for their buck, according to the 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study from J.D. Power.
Redesigned for 2025, the study measures overall hotel guest satisfaction based on performance in seven core dimensions¡ªincluding value, guest room, staff services, facilities, communications and connectivity and food and beverage¡ªacross nine segments ranging from luxury to economy.
Despite the average daily rate for a U.S. hotel room reaching a record high of $158.67 in 2024, clean and well-designed rooms, omnipresent amenities such as smart TVs and user-friendly mobile apps are helping boost traveler satisfaction.
Hotel guest perceptions of value received for nightly rate paid increases in every hotel segment in this year¡¯s study, with the most significant year-over-year gains coming in the upscale, midscale and economy segments.
Dogs enjoying a Home2 Suites by Hilton guest room. (photo courtesy of Hilton)
"We're at an important inflection point in the travel marketplace where several years of record-high hotel demand and the pace of room rate increases is starting to slow," Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power, said in a statement.
"Hotel owner and operator investments in guest room d¨¦cor and furnishings, in addition to bathroom updates, are paying off in higher satisfaction. One area in which hotels can significantly influence guest satisfaction without massive capital expense is with technology like smart TVs and updated room temperature controls," she added.
"Travel is becoming more complex with the potential for flight delays or increased road traffic, so guests want hotels to provide the comforts of home."
Key Takeaways for 2025
In the era of streaming, it's no surprise that hotel guests want to be greeted by a smart TV, with 40 percent of surveyed travelers selecting "smart TV/ability to stream my entertainment" as a need to have versus nice to have, up from 21 percent in 2019.
What's more, 72 percent of respondents indicated their room included a smart TV. That figure is up from 39 percent in 2019. Additionally, six out of 10 said they used the smart TV during their stay.
A premier king room inside the Omni PGA Frisco Resort. (Photo Credit: Omni Hotels & Resorts)
J.D. Power also found that guest satisfaction significantly improved year over year in areas such as furnishings and d¨¦cor (+.05 points), condition of bathroom fixtures (+.05). and comfort of bed (+.04).
The study also shows that hotel app users report higher satisfaction, earning an average score of 699 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is 68 points higher than those who do not use their hotel brand's mobile app.
It's no secret that problems ranging from odors and loud noise to check-in issues can lower satisfaction. Nonetheless, this year's study shows that they are relatively rare, occurring just 12 percent of the time across all hotel stays evaluated. In those incidents, however, guest satisfaction fell dramatically, plummeting 217 points to 460 from 677.
Highest-Ranking Hotel Brands for Guest Satisfaction
The Ritz-Carlton ranks highest in the luxury segment for 2025 with a score of 779, surpassing The Luxury Collection, which ranked first in 2024.
Meanwhile, Omni Hotels & Resorts conquered the upper upscale segment with a top satisfaction score of 731. Drury Hotels (738) ranked highest in the upscale segment, while Hyatt House (705) finished first in the upper extended stay category for a fourth consecutive year.
The exterior of a Tru by Hilton hotel. (Photo Credit: Hilton Hotels & Resorts)
Other repeat segment winners for 2025 include Home2 Suites by Hilton (upper midscale/midscale extended stay), Tru by Hilton (midscale), Microtel by Wyndham (economy) and WoodSpring Suites (economy extended stay). All four brands won their respective categories for a third consecutive year.
Finally, Hampton by Hilton (694) ranked first among upper midscale brands.
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