Travel is back, according to research from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Customer satisfaction across lodging, online travel agencies, car rentals and airlines has returned to its pre-pandemic levels, the ACSI reported in its Travel Study 2023-2024. That’s good news for lodging providers, whose customer satisfaction scores hit a 15-year low in 2022.
“While the lodging industry struggled with staffing issues after widespread layoffs during the pandemic, it has bounced back stronger than all other travel industries measured for customer satisfaction,” said Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI.
Customer satisfaction with lodging rose 3% year over year, following a 6% year-over-year increase reported in last year’s Travel Study — though some brands performed better than others.
A hotel rebound
Hilton, in particular, fared well in this year’s report. The hotel company had the highest guest satisfaction score when compared to its peers. When broken down by brands, three Hilton flags topped the list for highest customer satisfaction: Hampton, Hilton Garden Inn and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
Those were followed by two Marriott brands, AC Hotels and Marriott Hotels. Short-term rental company Airbnb nabbed the sixth spot, outranking many hotels. The ACSI said this means the alternative lodging option “can compete with major hotel chains that offer a range of business and upscale options.”
Business travelers were also more likely to complain about their lodging than leisure travelers (31% compared to 12%), the report found.
Post-pandemic normalization
Improvements in hotels’ satisfaction scores stem from a return to normal operations, the adoption of tech like contactless check-in and improved staffing levels, the ACSI said.
Morgeson said the alleviation of the staffing shortage, in particular, has helped improve guest satisfaction.
“With a focus on gradual improvements in staffing and incentives to retain employees, like improving wages and benefits, the industry is prioritizing employee satisfaction, which, in turn, fuels higher customer satisfaction,” Morgeson said. “As the industry continues to have happier employees, we can expect these trends to continue.”
A J.D. Power study published in July also credited increased hiring at hotels for improved customer satisfaction, highlighting “the critical role that frontline staff play in defining the guest experience,” Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power, said at the time.
The ACSI also ranked guest satisfaction with online travel agencies, with Booking.com coming out on top, and Expedia coming in second.
The ACSI Travel Study 2023-2024 is based on interviews with 16,352 customers, chosen at random and contacted between April 2023 and March 2024.
