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Forbes
38 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Best Hotel Chains For 2025, According To A New Report
A new J.D. Power report reveals the best hotel chains in 2025—based on real guest feedback from across North America. getty Looking for the best hotel chains in the U.S. and Canada? A highly anticipated annual report from J.D. Power reveals which brands are rising to the top in 2025—and what travelers really care about right now. J.D. Power is a trusted consumer research company that also ranks the best airlines, airports, rental car companies and more. In its 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, J.D. Power evaluates the performance of 102 hotel brands based on factors like food and beverage, guest rooms, facilities, staff service, value for price and more. Using the feedback from more than 39,000 guests, the chains are then ranked across nine key market segments—from luxury to economy extended stay. Compare this year's list to 2024 and 2023, when I also reported on the top hotel chains and emerging trends. 'J.D. Power's hotel research emphasizes the voice of the customer. That allows hoteliers to target performance improvement initiatives that can help increase guest satisfaction,' Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. 'All this improves the bottom line. It also allows consumers to make an informed choice about which hotels and brands are doing well in delivering guest satisfaction.' One of the biggest trends this year? Despite record-high room rates—averaging $158.67 a night—hotel guests across North America say they're getting more value for their money. Even in the budget categories, travelers are feeling better about what they're getting for the price. Perceived value is up across all hotel segments, from economy to luxury. And the good news—hotel rates aren't expected to keep increasing. 'We're at an important inflection point in the travel marketplace where several years of record-high hotel demand and the pace of room rate increases is starting to slow,' says Stokes. Another big trend, according to the report: Guest satisfaction with hotel rooms is improving. Hotels are upgrading decor, furniture and bathrooms—and guests are noticing. 'Across many hotel segments, study results show improvement in guest satisfaction with guest rooms, which declined during the pandemic a few years ago,' says Stokes. Since the pandemic, J.D. Power has been advising hotel chains and hotel operators to re-start or initiate capital investments and renovations that have the greatest impact on guest satisfaction. 'Even less expensive investments, like upgrading in-room televisions to smart TVs with streaming capabilities or adding more accessible USB outlets, can make the hotel room feel modern and refreshed,' says Stokes. Another interesting find: Guests who use a brand's mobile app report significantly higher satisfaction—68 points higher, on average—than those who don't. The Top Hotel Chains For 2025 The J.D. Power report also ranks the top hotel brands in various segments based on guest satisfaction—and certain strengths stand out. 'The hotel brands with the highest overall guest satisfaction scores exceed segment competitors in guest satisfaction with guest rooms, staff service, the hotel facility and connectivity,' says Stokes. There are some familiar names on the 2025 list. 'Some brands continue to hover at or around the top of the list. In this year's study, in the nine categories, we have five brands that have consecutive wins,' says Stokes. 'Many different brands are performing well when it comes to delivering guest satisfaction, but some continue to excel more than others year after year.' Five brands earned repeat wins in their segments. Hyatt House leads the Upscale Extended Stay Hotels list for the fourth consecutive year. In the Upper Midscale/Midscale Extended Stay Hotels, Home2 Suites by Hilton tops the list for the third year in a row. Midscale's winner is Tru by Hilton for a third consecutive year. In the Economy division, Microtel by Wyndham takes the top spot for a second year. Finally, in Economy Extended Stay, WoodSpring Suites is the winner for the third year in a row. In the Luxury division, the top three hotel brands this year are the same as last year, just in a different order. Coming in at the top of the list is Ritz Carlton, followed by Waldorf Astoria at number two. Last year's winner—The Luxury Collection—lands in the number three spot. For Upper Upscale, Omni comes out on top, rising from the fifth spot last year. Hard Rock Hotels is at number two. Last year's winner, Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts, is in the third spot. In the Upscale category, Drury Hotels is the winner (last year, Drury was classified as an Upper Midscale and won that division). This year, the top brand in the Upper Midscale division is Hampton by Hilton. Keep reading to see where various hotel chains ranked in the J.D. Power North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study for 2025. Ritz Carlton won the Luxury hotel division. Pictured here: Half Moon Bay on the Pacific Ocean Coastline. getty Ranked: Luxury Hotels The scores listed here are based on a scale of 1000. 1. The Ritz-Carlton – 779 2. Waldorf Astoria – 773 3. The Luxury Collection – 757 4. JW Marriott – 746 5. Four Seasons – 740 (tie) 5. InterContinental Hotels & Resorts – 740 (tie) 7. Loews Hotels – 730 8. Grand Hyatt – 722 9. W Hotels – 716 10. Destination by Hyatt – 70 11. Conrad Hotels & Resorts – 705 12. Fairmont – 692 Omni Hotels & Resorts took the top spot in the Upper Upscale category. Pictured: Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza in downtown L.A. getty Ranked: Upper Upscale Hotels 1. Omni Hotels & Resorts – 731 2. Hard Rock Hotels – 727 3. Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts – 716 4. Le Méridien – 713 5. Marriott – 711 (tie) 5. Westin Hotels & Resorts – 711 (tie) 7. Embassy Suites by Hilton – 710 8. Royal Sonesta – 708 9. Tapestry Collection by Hilton – 706 10. Hyatt Centric – 704 11. Hyatt Regency – 702 12. Canopy by Hilton – 701 13. Hotel Indigo – 700 14. Hilton Hotels & Resorts – 698 15. Curio Collection by Hilton – 690 16. Renaissance Hotels – 686 17. Kimpton – 684 18. Autograph Collection – 682 19. Sheraton – 681 20. Graduate Hotels – 678 Drury Hotels topped the Upscale category in 2025. Pictured: Drury Plaza Hotel in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. getty Ranked: Upscale Hotels 1. Drury Hotels – 738 2. Best Western Premier – 713 3. Cambria Hotels – 703 4. Hilton Garden Inn – 701 5. Delta Hotels – 699 6. AC Hotels by Marriott – 693 7. Aloft Hotels – 687 8. Element – 686 9. Crowne Plaza – 684 10. Courtyard by Marriott – 681 11. DoubleTree by Hilton – 678 (tie) 11. Wyndham Hotels – 678 (tie) 13. Hyatt Place – 676 14. Sonesta Hotels & Resorts – 667 15. Ascend Hotel Collection – 665 16. Radisson – 663 17. SpringHill Suites – 661 18. Four Points – 651 19. Sonesta Select – 636 Hyatt House led the Upscale Extended Stay category for the fourth year in a row. Pictured: Hyatt House in downtown Redmond, Washington. getty Ranked: Upscale Extended Stay Hotels 1. Hyatt House – 705 2. Staybridge Suites – 680 3. Residence Inn – 679 4. Homewood Suites by Hilton – 673 Hampton by Hilton ranked first in the Upper Midscale category. Pictured: Hampton Inn property in Hornell, New York. getty Ranked: Upper Midscale Hotels 1. Hampton by Hilton – 694 2. Fairfield by Marriott – 678 3. Holiday Inn Express – 667 4. Best Western Plus – 665 5. Holiday Inn – 653 6. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson – 646 7. Wyndham Garden – 643 8. Comfort Suites – 641 9. Comfort Inn – 631 (tie) 9. Trademark Collection by Wyndham – 631 (tie) 11. La Quinta – 625 12. Clarion – 618 Home2 Suites by Hilton took top honors in the Upper Midscale/Midscale Extended Stay category for the third year in a row. Pictured: Home2 Suites in Indianapolis. getty Ranked: Upper Midscale and Midscale Extended Stay Hotels 1. Home2 Suites by Hilton – 711 2. Candlewood Suites – 673 3. TownePlace Suites – 665 4. Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham – 653 5. MainStay Suites – 620 6. Sonesta ES Suites – 611 7. Sonesta Simply Suites – 584 8. Extended Stay America – 558 Tru by Hilton led the Midscale category for the third consecutive year. Pictured: Tru by Hilton in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. getty Ranked: Midscale Hotels 1. Tru by Hilton – 723 2. Wingate by Wyndham – 656 3. Best Western – 646 4. Sleep Inn – 616 5. AmericInn – 608 6. Ramada – 589 7. Quality Inn – 583 8. Baymont – 575 Microtel by Wyndham claimed the top spot in the Economy category for the second year in a row. Microtel by Wyndham Ranked: Economy Hotels 1. Microtel by Wyndham – 619 2. Days Inn – 588 (tie) 2. SureStay – 588 (tie) 4. Howard Johnson – 584 5. Americas Best Value Inn – 576 6. Econo Lodge – 558 7. Super 8 – 546 8. Studio 6 – 540 9. Red Roof Inn – 533 10. Travelodge – 522 11. Motel 6 – 519 12. Rodeway Inn – 468 13. OYO – 386 Sanford, Florida, Woodspring Suites hotel exterior. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Ranked: Economy Extended Stay Hotels 1. WoodSpring Suites – 600 2. Extended Stay America Select Suites – 538 3. InTown Suites – 512 4. HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof – 492 5. Suburban Studios – 467 MORE FROM FORBES: Forbes How This Hospitality Visionary Is Rewriting The Rules Of Luxury Travel By Laura Begley Bloom Forbes The 20 Best Cities To Live In The World, According To A 2025 Report By Laura Begley Bloom Forbes 17 Of The World's Greatest Places To Visit In 2025, According To A New Report By Laura Begley Bloom
Wall Street Journal
an hour ago
- Wall Street Journal
Canada Is the Best Friend America's Got
When President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2017, I was profoundly disappointed. In 2015, as Canada's minister of international trade, I helped negotiate the ambitious agreement that set high standards for the global economy and countered China's influence in the Asia-Pacific region. It was more than a trade deal—it was a strategic blueprint for shared prosperity and security among like-minded nations. That withdrawal signaled a larger shift. The Trump administration over its two terms has steadily retreated from the multilateral, rules-based order the U.S. had built since World War II. It has refused to appoint judges to the World Trade Organization's appellate body, effectively paralyzing the system that enforces global trade rules. It has turned to tariffs as a blunt instrument of coercion, wielding them against strategic competitors like China and longtime partners such as Canada.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NextStar Energy workers ratify their 1st collective agreement
Workers at Canada's first large-scale electric vehicle (EV) battery cell manufacturing facility have voted in favour of their first collective agreement. In a news release issued Sunday afternoon, Unifor said its members at NextStar Energy have voted 88 per cent in favour of ratifying their first collective agreement, "marking a historic milestone for workers" at the southwestern Ontario plant. "Bargaining a first collective agreement is never easy, and this one took place in an exceptionally difficult economic and political climate," Unifor national president Lana Payne said in the news release. "The work of our bargaining committee at NextStar Energy ensures that as the electric vehicle sector grows, good union jobs grow with it." The one-year agreement includes a five per cent wage increase and gains on wages, wage progression, pensions, short- and long-term disability programs, and workplace health and safety. It also certifies Unifor and Local 444 as the exclusive bargaining agent for employees at the Windsor facility. "By ratifying this collective agreement, our members have secured a voice at work and a seat at the table as this industry takes shape in Canada. We're ready to build the future — together," Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart said in a news release. Unifor said the agreement's one-year term positions workers at NextStar Energy to return to the bargaining table in 2026, aligning closely with the next round of Unifor negotiations with Detroit Three automakers.
