Positive Reviews and Staff Interaction Key to Guest Satisfaction, Finds Study

Travelers that research hotel reviews during the booking process are among the happiest hotel guests, according to the hotel satisfaction study released by J.D. Power today.

The seven percent of respondents that based their hotel choice off review sites reported satisfaction rates 144 points higher than travelers that did not scour the web before booking. Respondents that chose hotel rooms based on price alone were slightly less satisfied than their peers.

The report also found that increased interaction with staff led to higher satisfaction. Guests with four or more staff interactions reported satisfaction rates as many as 130 points higher than those that only spoke to staff at check-in.

The overall guest satisfaction rate was 777 out of 1,000 points, a 20-point jump from 2012 and the highest average rate recorded since 2006. The jump may be caused by the completion of property improvements kickstarted by the industry several years ago.

The full ranking of hotel brands based on pricing segment is below:

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