MCLEAN, Va. – Hilton Worldwide today announced that two of its brands, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton, received the highest ranking in the 18th annual J.D. Power 2014 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index StudySM in the upscale and upper extended stay segments, respectively. This marks the 11th award for Homewood Suites and the 10th for Hilton Garden Inn since J.D. Power began its hotels study*.
“At Hilton Worldwide, we strive to deliver an outstanding, quality guest experience at each of our more than 4,100 hotels across the globe, and it is a tremendous honor for both Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton to achieve the award in each of their categories,” said Jim Holthouser, executive vice president, global brands, for Hilton Worldwide. “I am proud of all of our brands’ stellar performance in this year’s J.D. Power Guest Satisfaction Index Study. These awards underscore the commitment and hard work of our team members globally, as well as the strong partnerships we have built with our owners.”
Hilton Garden Inn, known for its upscale yet affordable accommodations, led the upscale category with 836 points, scoring 21 points higher than the segment average and increasing eight points over last year. In addition to introducing the Hilton Garden Inn Satisfaction Promise in 2012, the brand has made several guest-focused product enhancements including renovated lobby space designed to bring the “garden” to life with a more open design and updated food and beverage. The continued rollout of Hilton Garden Inn’s Ultimate Breakfast Program, as well as adding Keurig single-cup coffee brewers to each guestroom throughout the U.S. and Canada have also been key focus areas for the brand.
Homewood Suites by Hilton led in the upper extended stay segment with 843 points, seven points above the category average, maintaining its strength since last year. This is the fifth consecutive year Homewood Suites has ranked highest. Celebrating its 25th brand anniversary this year, the brands’ long-standing customer satisfaction ranking can be widely attributed to its renewed focus on guest service training as well as the revitalization of the hotel public spaces through a program called Take Flight. Recent development of the brand in key urban markets, such as New York City, Dallas, Nashville and Denver, has also expanded Homewood Suites’ circle of loyal guests. With nearly 350 hotels open in North America, the brand provides true value for business travelers and family vacationers alike, offering spacious studios or one- or two-bedroom suites with full kitchen, complimentary daily hot breakfast and evening dinner with drinks**.
In addition to ranking highest in the upscale and upper upscale hotel segments, the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands*** performed well overall and saw significant movement in all categories year-over-year:
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, the global luxury brand which is in its third year of eligibility for the study, placed third in the luxury segment for its second consecutive year, scoring eight points higher than last year.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide with more than 550 hotels, increased its score by four points in the index since last year in the upper upscale segment.
Embassy Suites Hotels, the all-suite hotel brand of more than 215 hotels, performed well in the upper upscale segment, placing third for a second consecutive year and performing 11 points above the segment average.
DoubleTree by Hilton, the upscale brand of 380 hotels, improved four points in the upscale category since 2013.
Hampton Hotels, with nearly 2,000 hotels operating globally, maintained its position in second place this year, performing 34 points above the midscale segment’s average.
Now in its 18th year, the 2014 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study is based on responses gathered between June 2013 and May 2014 from more than 67,000 guests in Canada and the United States who stayed at a hotel in North America between May 2013 and May 2014. The study measures overall guest satisfaction across eight hotel segments: luxury; upper upscale; upscale; midscale full service; midscale; economy/budget; upper extended stay; and extended stay. Seven key factors are examined in each segment to determine overall satisfaction: reservation; check-in/check-out; guest room; food and beverage; hotel services; hotel facilities; and cost and fees.