Overall satisfaction with North American hotels falls

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North American consumers are less satisfied with their hotels, according to new research from JD Power & Associates.

The US consumer research company said July 20 that overall satisfaction in 2011 had fallen to 764 on a 1,000-point scale, down from 771 in 2010, although some areas had shown improvement.

In particular, guests in hotels were more satisfied with costs and fees, with that particular scale leaping 20 points since last year, despite hotel analyst Smith Travel Research claiming that average hotel rates in the US have been steadily increasing.

However, customers' satisfaction with hotel rates didn't stop them from criticizing hotels in other areas - 18 percent of the 61,300 hotel guests from Canada and the US which JD Power surveyed reported some kind of problem with their stay, and when they did, the average satisfaction level dropped by 100 points, said the firm.

The most commonly reported problem was noise, suggested the survey.

In terms of the chains which offered the highest amount of satisfaction, Ritz-Carlton topped the ranking, for the second year running, with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in second place.

North America's most satisfactory hotels

Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton (for a second consecutive year)

Upper Upscale: Embassy Suites Hotels

Upscale: Hotel Indigo

Mid-Scale Full Service: Holiday Inn

Mid-Scale Limited Service: Drury Inn & Suites (for a sixth consecutive year)

Economy/Budget: Microtel Inns & Suites (for a 10th consecutive year)

Extended Stay: Homewood Suites (for a second consecutive year)

Data from JD Power & Associates