Hotel guests are slightly happier overall this year, but the improvements are more complex than they seem.
American Customer Satisfaction Index 2026 travel studyBased on nearly 15,000 completed surveys conducted between April 2025 and March 2026, it found overall housing satisfaction rose one point to 77 from 76 out of 100, reversing last year’s decline.
Business travelers led the rebound, recording 3% satisfaction growth year over year, with the biggest gains in room cleanliness and comfort, in-room amenities, and the check-in and checkout process.
ACSI notes that as operating models evolve, customer perceptions of the value of different types of accommodation appear to be changing.
The best and worst hotel brands according to guests
At the individual brand level, here are the leaders with a score of 100 out of 2026:
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts: 82 (over 80 in 2025)
- Hilton Garden Inn: 81 (up from 76)
- Marriott Hotel: 80 (above 78)
- airbnb: 79 (up from 78)
- Holiday Inn Express: 78 (down from 82)
At the company level, Airbnb and Hilton are ranked 79th, while Marriott is ranked 78th. Hilton Garden Inn’s 5-point jump is notable, while its parent company’s Hamptons brand has fallen 6 points.
Here are the brands at the bottom of the ranking:
- best Western: 74 (above 69)
- Rest: 74 (unchanged)
- holiday Inn: 74 (down from 79)
- Days Inn: 68 (down from 72)
- Baymont: 66 (below 70)
IHG was the biggest loser among major lodging companies, falling 4% to 76. Its Holiday Inn brand fell 6% and Holiday Inn Express fell 4%, both hit by declines in food services and call center ratings.
The 16-point difference between Hilton Hotels & Resorts at the top and Baymont at the bottom shows where the industry stands right now.
Budget hotels are losing ground
Guest satisfaction at luxury hotels increased by 4% this year, while economy brands lost ground, and the gap between them is widening. ACSI attributes this to a broader shift in how guests perceive value across accommodation categories rather than any single change in brand performance.
This perception problem is compounded by how hotels are handling complaints.
The share of business guests complaining remained stable at about 37%, but satisfaction among guests complaining dropped sharply – from 77 to 72 among business travelers and from 64 to 62 among leisure travelers. Hotels are generating approximately the same amount of complaints but resolving them less effectively than before.