Guest satisfaction with hotels edged upwards in the second quarter of 2011 (+0.2 to 84.5). Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts (+6.3 to 97.9) posted the top customer satisfaction score among hotel brands. Most industry segments reported higher satisfaction scores with Upper Midscale Hotels (+1.0 to 84.0) and Luxury Hotels (+0.9 to 89.4) posting the biggest gains.

Across the industry more people are selecting hotels because of guest loyalty programs. Loyalty programs, with improved benefits and more guest friendly rules, now rank fourth among reasons why consumers select a hotel (the top three reasons are "Location," "Price," and "Past Experience"). More people are joining these programs and the percentage of members who have "Elite" status has increased (+5.0% in 2011). This is good news for hotels because loyalty club members spend more per room, are less sensitive to price increases, and are more satisfied with their hotel experience.

Performance across the Hotel Industry

Luxury hotels received the highest satisfaction scores (89.4) led by Jumeirah Hotels (97.9). Baglioni Hotels also showed marked improvement compared to 2010 (+11 to 96.6). Timeshares ranked second (86.7) with Disney Vacation Club retaining the top spot despite lower scores compared to 2010 (-3.7 to 88.1). Hyatt Summerfield Suites posted a big gain over last year (+8.9 to 94.0) and led the Upscale hotel segment (+.1 to 85.6)

Among Casinos, customer satisfaction remained stable (-0.1 to 83.2) with South Point Hotel Casino Spa (-1.1 to 88.0) taking first place. In this segment Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower (+3.5 to 84.4) showed the biggest improvement compared to 2010. Upscale Casinos were unchanged (+0.0 to 84.7) with The Palazzo Resort & Casino (+1.0 to 90.4) getting the highest evaluations from guests. Wynn Las Vegas (+2.3 to 90.3) posted the biggest gain over last year.