Quality of Sleep a Key Signifier of Hotel Guest Satisfaction in 2019 J.D. Power Survey

As travel managers aim to improve the experience of their travelers' trips, they will want to keep in mind that the better the night's sleep a traveler gets, the higher that person's satisfaction will be with the hotel. That might seem obvious, and yet just 29 percent of hotel guests experience a better-than-expected quality of sleep, according to the J.D. Power 2019 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

Quality of sleep is one of the most important components of a hotel guest experience, offering the potential to drive overall satisfaction and brand loyalty. Overall satisfaction scores increased 114 points on a 1,000-point scale when a guest received a better-than-expected night's sleep. And of those 29 percent who responded that they do receive that experience, 78 percent definitely would return to that property and 71 percent would return to that brand. The comfort of the bed, quietness of the room, comfort/quality of linens and pillows, and temperature all play contributing factors.

Other elements that contribute to a positive experience are check-in efficiency, an accurate booking and staff offering a warm welcome. When any of these baseline criteria are not met, satisfaction scores tumble as much as 100 points.

Of the 44,890 responses received between June 2018 and May 2019, 76 percent were leisure, 14 percent were bleisure and 10 percent were business travelers. Of the 14 percent of bleisure travelers, 53 percent were Gen Y and 12 percent were Gen Z.

Overall, leisure and bleisure travelers were equally satisfied with their stays, scoring their hotel experiences at 820 and 821, respectively. Business travelers, however, scored their overall satisfaction at 807. "We've seen this for years, as the business traveler probably is more discerning and under more stressful conditions when traveling," said J.D. Power senior manager of consumer insights Jennifer Corwin.

The company revamped its survey this year, its 23rd. It studied more properties—85 brands participated across six market segments—and included questions around alternative lodging facilities like those offered onAirbnb. To qualify to take the survey, a participant had to have stayed at a hotel in the previous 30 days. An additional finding: 53 percent of respondents also used alternative lodging within the prior three months.

Some surprises this year: Hard Rock and Gaylord ranked at the top of the upper-upscale segment. They had not been included in prior surveys. For the upscale segment, the top three are all new to the ranking, Corwin said.