--Market Metrix Announces Fourth Quarter YTD 2008 Hospitality
Index Results --
SAN
RAFAEL, Calif. � February 24, 2009 � Despite the budget cutbacks, in 2008
Customer Satisfaction was up for hotels (+0.9) and airlines (+1.5) but
down for car rental companies (-0.9) compared to 2007. Among hotels,
the luxury segment showed the biggest improvement (+1.4), with Le Meridian,
Loews and The Ritz-Carlton posting the biggest year over year gains.
Casinos (-0.7) and Timeshares (-0.2) were the only segments showing a decline
in satisfaction compared to 2007. The Sahara Hotel and Casino (-6.3),
Binion's Horseshoe (-6.1) and Trendwest Resorts (-4.2) posted the biggest
annual declines within these segments.
Comparing performance across the hospitality industry
Although the hotel industry reached near-record highs in guest satisfaction
in 2008, scores were flat in Q4 as the severity of the economic downturn
forced significant reductions in staff and services. In the grueling
fourth quarter hotel guests reported lower product scores but gave higher
marks for �Pampered�, �Entertained� and �Welcome� indicating that while
hotels are cutting back, they are also working hard to please guests.
And with lower rates taking on greater urgency for most guests, loyalty
programs and green initiatives played less of a role in hotel selection
compared to the previous quarter.
Car Rental satisfaction scores were down for the year. This industry
continues to face a difficult operating environment with fewer people renting
cars and rising costs (e.g. higher vehicle maintenance and repair costs).
Alamo (+2.5) and Thrifty (+1.8) showed the biggest annual improvements
in customer satisfaction scores despite the industry�s downward slide.
Enterprise continues their industry dominance with overall satisfaction
and loyalty scores well above competitors, although their winning margin
was smaller this year with Alamo making a big jump to finish in second
place for 2008.
Although airlines continue to frustrate customers, their scores did
improve slightly over last year. And there is a new winner - Virgin
Atlantic. For the first time this airline scored highest among 23
airlines in 2008. Passengers love the airline�s �mood lighting�,
�plugging in laptops at your seat� and �the movies� they�ve got an awesome
in-flight entertainment system!� The most improved airline was Lufthasana
(+5.7) boosting its ranking from 7th place in 2007 to second place in 2008.
Top Scoring Hotel Brands
The top hotel score among all segments for 2008 went to Pan Pacific
Hotels & Resorts - a portfolio of hotels, resorts and serviced suites
throughout Asia and North America. Guests rave about the staff�s
�Asian hospitality�, �incredible response time� and �sumptuous amenities�
in the guestrooms. Riu Hotels won the Upper upscale category, Sandals
was the highest scoring upscale hotel and South Point Hotel, a new Mediterranean
themed Las Vegas property, led the casino segment in customer satisfaction
for 2008. Kimpton and Hotwire delivered the best online reservation
experiences to their customers.
Market Metrix Hospitality Index
2008 Annual Winners
Winner
|
. |
Segment
|
Hotels |
. |
. |
Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts |
92.6 |
Luxury |
Riu Hotels |
91.4 |
Upper Upscale |
Sandals |
92.2 |
Upscale |
Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts |
83.0 |
Midscale w/ F&B |
Drury Inns |
91.3 |
Midscale w/o F&B |
Jameson Inns |
86.1 |
Economy |
Casinos |
. |
. |
Wynn Las Vegas |
92.2 |
Upscale casino |
South Point Hotel Casino Spa |
90.6 |
Casino |
Web Sites |
. |
. |
Kimpton Hotels |
89.8 |
Hotel Brand Web Site |
Hotwire.com |
78.3 |
Hotel Travel Web Site |
Airline |
. |
. |
Virgin Atlantic |
90.8 |
AIRLINE |
Car Rental |
. |
. |
Enterprise |
82.2 |
CAR RENTAL |
Timeshare |
. |
. |
Disney Vacation Club |
91.0 |
Timeshare Accommodations |
.
About MMHI
Based on 35,000 customer interviews conducted each quarter, the Market
Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI) is the largest and most in-depth measure
of hospitality company performance available today. These benchmarks,
delivered through our flagship product Customer Metrix�, enable Market
Metrix clients to compare their results to competitors by STAR segment,
AAA classification, Brand, SMSA, industry averages, performers in the top
10% and other classifications. The MMHI is also available by
subscription.
About Market Metrix
Market Metrix is helping hospitality companies around the world succeed
in the tough economy. With guest feedback collected 24/7/365, and
built-in service recovery and investment decision support tools, we help
clients save money and reduce risk of client defections. Based on
award-winning research and breakthrough concepts, our SaaS-based products
deliver instant survey results, analysis and management tools for increasing
revenue and reducing staff turnover. Our benchmarking database, MMHI,
is the most comprehensive, independent comparison of consumer brand satisfaction
in the industry. Our annual MMHI Awards are coveted by lodging and
travel enterprises around the world. With clients that include more
than 120 brands across 70 countries, Market Metrix has been helping leading
hospitality companies turn feedback into performance since 1996.
For more information, visit www.marketmetrix.com. |