J.D. Power Finds Sharp Decline in Satisfaction with Budget Hotels

J.D. Power and Associates ranks companies based on how much customer satisfaction is delivered. They make that assessment with consumer surveys in a number of fields, including travel. The company has issued a news release about hotel guest satisfaction in North America for 2008. Among their findings: a majority of travelers (52 percent) make reservations online; customer satisfaction declined in four of the six segments they surveyed (categories run from luxury to budget/economy) and the largest declines in satisfaction came in the areas of the guest room and food/beverages. The worst news for budget travelers is "overall satisfaction with the economy/budget segment declines significantly, posting the largest year-over-year decrease of any segment since the inception of the study," which is now in its 12th year. But remember that the surveys are done by chain. You can use Internet tools to evaluate individual properties in any category or chain. Many times, the reputation of a chain has little to do with what you might find in a given location.