Four Seasons bumps Ritz as top hotel chain, survey says
Who runs the ritziest hotels? It’s not the Ritz, judging from a survey released today.
After two years on top, Ritz-Carlton fell to No. 2, behind Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, in the annual poll, which asked more than 66,000 hotel guests to rate their satisfaction with their stays. Four Seasons customers don’t even mind paying more.
“The average spent per night on room rates and fees is more than 10% greater at the Four Seasons than at the Ritz, and yet the satisfaction [with costs] is dramatically higher,” said Michael Drago, director of the global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates in Westlake Village, which conducted the 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.
I guess money can buy happiness. But not always.
Consider this: Drury Inn & Suites, a stalwart of the humble limited-service class that also includes chains such as Hampton Inn and Comfort Inn, claimed the No. 3 spot out of 60 brands surveyed, ranging from luxury to economy.
Other surprises: Overall, guests are happier with hotels this year versus 2008. That’s mainly because we’re getting better service on check-in and reservations, Drago said. But we’re less happy with our rooms. He figures the bad economy is the reason for both trends. With fewer guests, check-in lines are shorter, and the desk fumbles fewer reservations. With less money to spend, hotels are putting off room renovations and upgrades.
Look for details on the survey later today on the news release page of the J.D. Power website.
— Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel Editor
Photo: Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore Santa Barbara, part of the chain that topped a guest survey. Credit: Peter Vitale / Four Seasons
4 Comments on “Four Seasons bumps Ritz as top hotel chain, survey says”
Leave a Comment
If you are under 13 years of age you may read this blog, but you may not participate. Here's the full legal spiel.
Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this blog until the author has approved them.
All fields are required
Advertisement
SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG
Click the logo below to subscribe to news from this blog:
Or add this feed to your favorite RSS reader:
more
Or add this feed to your favorite RSS reader:
more
Advertisement
July 29th, 2009 at 3:40 am
Thanks for this post. Great info. I’m sure my readers will enjoy this as well. My warm regards.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Four Seasons is the best of the best in the hospitality field! I have travled all over the world. My daughter was disapointed only once when her name was not spelled out in the bathroom, but overall my 4 year old keeps saying “I want to go back to Four Seasons, Beverly wilshire,Santa Barbara..” Ritz is so over…at the end of the day its a Marriott!!! no matter how you slice it, its a Marriott from Bethesda,MD. Its nice, clean.. but once you drive a Porsche, you dont want to ride a Honda Civic anymore. My company ALL stays at Fourseasons…see they get it!! They know how to take care of guests. Keep up the great work.
August 8th, 2009 at 6:22 am
I am glad to see that Four Seasons has the number one slot. It is after all a chain which sets the bench mark for the hotel industry world wide. However, an important point for consideration is that the survey should have been based on a world wide basis and not just the North American market. This would have been more realistic. We do live in a shrinking world as more and more people travel, business expand to all continents… including rapid hotel developments and expansion of International Hotel Chains to gain broader footprint.
October 9th, 2009 at 5:49 am
I am hotel student from Myanmar. I want to work in your Hotel. I can do
housekeeping, F & B . I can speak English fair. I hope a good news. Give me a chance for trying in Your Hotel . Thank you