In two recent national surveys, consumers and corporate travel buyers ranked Minneapolis, Minn.-based Country Inns & Suites By Carlson number…
In two recent national surveys, consumers and corporate travel buyers ranked Minneapolis, Minn.-based Country Inns & Suites By Carlson number one. Survey respondents ranked the international mid-tier lodging chain highest in customer satisfaction in mid-tier in the fourth quarter 2003 Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI) and No. 1 overall in its segment in a 2004 Top U.S. Hotel Chain Survey published by Business Travel News.
The results of these two surveys show that customer satisfaction is our top priority, said Nancy Johnson, Executive Vice President and Brand Leader of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. We`re very pleased with these results which are especially gratifying as the brand continues to grow and expand its presence into new markets.
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, which has more than 335 locations worldwide, opened 27 properties in 2003 including a strategically important location in the greater New York City area. Country Inns & Suites also signed 33 license agreements in 2003, a record for the brand.
In addition to placing No. 1 in customer satisfaction in Upper Mid-Price Hotels in the MMHI, Country Inns & Suites ranked higher in customer satisfaction than three luxury brands. The MMHI is a quarterly report of customer satisfaction with hotel, airline and car rental companies based on 35,000 in-depth consumer interviews. The MMHI ranks top hospitality brands by industry and, for hotels, by categories such as luxury, mid-price and economy.
In the MMHI survey, the customer satisfaction score is the average score of all product and service questions that are asked as part of MMHI research. Customer Satisfaction questions relating to service include:
- Friendliness of front desk staff
- Efficient check-in
- Employees` can-do attitude
- Employees` knowledge of hotel and facilities
- Friendliness of reservation agent
- Accuracy of reservation information at check-in
- Hotel telephones are answered quickly
Customer Satisfaction questions relating to product include:
- Room cleanliness
- Bathroom cleanliness
- Proper functioning of lights, TV, etc.
- Comfortable bed & furniture
- Proper room lighting
- Value for price
In the 2004 Top U.S. Hotel Chain Survey by Business Travel News, a leading trade publication aimed at corporate travel managers, Country Inns & Suites finished No. 1 overall for the first time in the Midprice Without Food and Beverage Category, receiving the highest ratings in five of 10 criteria. The brand led its category in Physical Appearance of Hotels, Meeting Facilities, Ease in Arranging Individual Travel, Ease in Arranging Group Travel, and Overall Relationship of Price to Value at its properties.
Business Travel News` Top U.S. Hotel Chain Survey is an annual measure of corporate travel planners` opinions of the properties their companies and clients use. The publication distributed 6,000 questionnaires to a random sample of corporate travel managers and business travel agents in its subscriber base. To qualify to rate a particular hotel company, respondents were required to have done business with that chain within the past 12 months. Business Travel News tabulated the responses.
Country Inns & Suites locations feature traditional architecture and sophisticated residential interior design with hardwood flooring, lobby fireplace and decorative borders. Each hotel welcomes guests with traditional
furnishings that blend rich woods and elegant floral-patterned fabrics.
The rooms offer many amenities often found at higher-priced hotels such as complimentary breakfast, in-room hair dryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and weekday morning newspaper. Country Inns & Suites is known for its consistently high quality accommodations and personal, warm hospitality. For the 12th year in a row, Country Inns & Suites has earned a 98 percent guest return rate, one of the highest in the industry. As a way to thank guests for their loyalty to the brand, Country Inns & Suites offers an in-house library program at its North American hotels called Book It And Return which lends free books to guests based on the assurance they will return the book on their next visit. For every book returned to a Country Inns & Suites hotel, the company makes a $5.00 donation to ProLiteracy Worldwide. New titles are introduced to the hotels` libraries throughout the year.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
