Hotel guests are a little happier overall this year, but the improvements are more complicated than they seem.
The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s 2026 Travel Study, based on nearly 15,000 completed surveys conducted between April 2025 and March 2026, found that overall lodging satisfaction rose one point from 76 to 77 out of 100, reversing a decline from the prior year.
Business travelers led the rebound, posting a 3% satisfaction increase year over year, with the biggest gains in room cleanliness and comfort, in-room amenities and the check-in and checkout process.
The ACSI notes that customer perceptions of the value of various lodging types appear to be shifting as operating models continue to evolve.
The best and worst hotel brands, according to guests
At the individual brand level, here are the leaders with their 2026 scores out of 100:
Hilton Hotels & Resorts: 82 (up from 80 in 2025)
Hilton Garden Inn: 81 (up from 76)
Marriott Hotels: 80 (up from 78)
Airbnb: 79 (up from 78)
Holiday Inn Express: 78 (down from 82)
At the company level, Airbnb and Hilton tied at 79, with Marriott close behind at 78. Hilton Garden Inn’s 5-point jump stands out, even as its parent company’s Hampton brand fell 6 points.
Here are the brands at the bottom of the rankings:
Best Western: 74 (up from 69)
Comfort: 74 (unchanged)
Holiday Inn: 74 (down from 79)
Days Inn: 68 (down from 72)
Baymont: 66 (down from 70)
IHG was the biggest loser among major lodging companies, dropping 4% to 76. Its Holiday Inn brand fell 6% and Holiday Inn Express slid 4%, with both taking hits in food services and call center ratings.
The 16-point gap between Hilton Hotels & Resorts at the top and Baymont at the bottom tells the story of where the industry stands right now.
Budget hotels lose ground
Luxury hotels gained 4% in guest satisfaction this year while economy brands lost ground, and the gap between them keeps growing. The ACSI attributes this to a broader shift in how guests perceive value across lodging categories rather than any single change in brand performance.
That perception problem is compounded by how hotels are handling complaints.
The share of business guests who complained held nearly flat at 37%, but satisfaction among guests who did complain dropped sharply — from 77 to 72 among business travelers and from 64 to 62 among leisure travelers. Hotels are generating roughly the same volume of complaints but resolving them less effectively than before.
