Dive Brief:
- Overall guest satisfaction with third-party hotel management companies has increased, according to JD Power’s 2026 North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark, with the latest figures up 14 points to 696, compared to 682 in 2025.
- The benchmark is based on feedback from 5,642 guests for stays at branded hotels from May 2025 through May 2026. Benchmark improvements suggest positive results stemming from efforts made by management companies “to invest in both the property itself and hotel staff training,” the report said.
- While guest satisfaction is improving in most areas of the guest experience, common spaces “remain an opportunity” for hotel owners and operators, per JD Power. “Franchised hotel property investments are paying off in higher guest satisfaction compared to last year,” Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at JD Power, said in a statement. “Where we see further opportunity is in guest perceptions of hotel lobbies and common areas.”
Dive Insight:
Overall satisfaction was ranked on a 1,000-point scale, and hotel management company Columbia Sussex led JD Power’s list with an overall satisfaction score of 739. The Kentucky-based firm manages about 50 properties across the U.S., predominantly under the Hilton and Marriott International banners, according to its website.
Rounding out the top three were Crestline Hotels & Resorts with a score of 718 and Driftwood Hospitality Management with a score of 717.
From 2022 to 2024, Davidson Hospitality Group ranked the highest in overall guest satisfaction. This year, the Atlanta-based management group ranked eighth.
The survey is based on seven criteria, including guest rooms, hotel staff service, value for prices paid, check-in/checkout, hotel facility, food and beverage and hotel connectivity. While guest experience at branded hotels improved across all operational areas year over year, guest rooms in particular drove the increased satisfaction rates, per the report.
Additionally, among first-time guests at a hotel, staff service satisfaction climbed 26 points year over year.
However, when it came to hotel common areas, less than half of guests (43%) said they perceived them as inviting, while only 48% said they viewed them as modern.
This comes as more hotels are investing in propertywide renovations that target common spaces, including lobby and arrival spaces.
In July, a JD Power report found that guest satisfaction in North America improved across every segment over the last year, with higher quality food and beverage offerings and room improvements positively impacting the overall experience.
