With increased competition from alternatives like Airbnb and boutique hotel brands, larger hotel chains are under pressure to provide a more customized experience and even better customer service. Hilton and Marriott are among the chains that are succeeding.
Hilton steps up 1 percent to hold first place with an ACSI score of 82, while Marriott takes second with a 1 percent gain to 81. Starwood, owned by Marriott, ranks third, unchanged at 79. Hyatt sheds 1 percent to tie Starwood at 79, followed by Best Western (up 1 percent) and InterContinental (down 1 percent) at 77. La Quinta edges up 1 percent to match the industry average at 76.
Choice and Wyndham each slip 1 percent to 73 and 70, respectively. G6 Hospitality’s Motel 6 remains at the bottom of the category, unmoved at 65.
Among hotel brands, AC Hotels by Marriott rises to the top with an ACSI score of 84. Hilton takes the next spot with Garden Inn at 83, followed by its Embassy Suites, Hampton, and Hilton Hotels & Resorts at 82. Luxury brand JW Marriott (82) joins these properties as well.
Internet travel services dip
Expedia Group and its brands remain dominant among travel websites for booking flights, hotels, and car rentals, despite a downturn for its namesake website. Expedia’s Orbitz leaps ahead 4 percent to top the category at 81, while Travelocity, another Expedia subsidiary, gains 4 percent to 80. The 2017 breach of Orbitz’s legacy platform was not revealed until after data collection and is not reflected in the results.
The Expedia website itself shows signs of strain, dropping 3 percent to 78, no better than smaller travel website sites, which also fall 3 percent to an aggregate score of 78. Competitor Priceline also scores 78, but rebounds 1 percent after a sharp decline a year ago.
