European hotel guests are particularly sensitive to costs and fees. Hotel chains De Vere Hotels, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Dorint Hotels & Resorts and Express by Holiday Inn rank highest in satisfying guests, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study^SM released today.

The inaugural study measures the overall satisfaction of European hotel guests based on six factors: check-in/check-out, guest room, food/beverage, hotel services, hotel facilities and costs/fees. Forty-six hotel brands were measured and ranked in three segments, including first class, mid-market and budget/economy. While guest satisfaction of luxury hotels is measured in the study, there is no official hotel ranking in the segment due to an insufficient sample size.

De Vere Hotels and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts rank highest in a tie in the first class segment. De Vere leads the segment in hotel services, hotel facilities and costs and fees, while Hyatt receives the highest ratings in the guest room factor. Following these hotels in the rankings are Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Westin Hotels & Resorts, respectively.

Dorint Hotels & Resorts ranks highest among mid-market brands, with segment-leading ratings in check-in/check-out, food and beverage, hotel services and hotel facilities.

Express by Holiday Inn ranks highest in the budget/economy segment, receiving the highest ratings in the guest room factor.

According to the study, the costs and fees associated with a hotel stay is the No. 1 driver of overall customer satisfaction across all segments. While European guests give high ratings to hotels on the price paid for the room, they are less satisfied with costs associated with making phone calls and other hotel amenities.

"While Europeans are particularly price sensitive when it comes to hotel stays, we find that a large percentage of guests use amenities such as in-room Internet access, which are typically available for a fee," said Linda Hirneise, partner in the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "What makes a difference in guests' overall perceptions of the costs associated with a hotel stay is the value they get out of the services received. Including certain amenities within the room fee, such as Internet access, could contribute to higher satisfaction overall, while also creating a competitive advantage in the market."

The study also finds that overall, 37 percent of guests book hotel reservations on the Internet. Guests staying in mid-market and budget/economy hotels are most likely to book their stays online, with 39 percent making reservations either through the hotel brand's Web site or through an independent Web site such as Expedia or Travelocity. Luxury hotel guests are least likely to book reservations online at 26 percent.

The 2005 European Guest Satisfaction Index Study is based on responses from 8,959 guests who stayed at a hotel in Europe between January 2005 and August 2005.

Charts:






About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies. http://www.jdpa.com

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com