Hotel guests in the U.S. are happier than last year, even though rooms cost more

Apparently, paying more for a hotel room doesn’t sting quite as much when the room is actually nice.

Hotel guests across North America are much happier with their stays than they were a year ago, according to the newly released 2026 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study from J.D. Power. Overall satisfaction climbed 13 points to 665 on the company’s 1,000-point scale, with improvements recorded across every part of the hotel experience—even though the average daily rate for a U.S. hotel room rose about 1% year over year.

So, what are hotels suddenly getting right? Quite a lot, actually. Guests reported better experiences with staff, food and beverage, and guest rooms, while improvements to pools, fitness centers and other shared spaces also helped. The biggest jump was in satisfaction with value for the price paid, which rose 18 points. Food and beverage and hotel facilities each gained 14 points.

“This year’s study results show that hotels are firing on all cylinders,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power, in the report. “In every hotel segment, guests are having better experiences due to positive interactions with hotel staff, higher quality food and beverage and guest room improvements.”

Of course, today’s hotel “treat” has a funny way of becoming tomorrow’s bare minimum. Smart TVs with streaming capabilities are now available to 74% of surveyed guests and 62% actually use them. Travelers are also getting more demanding about wellness and practical perks: 46% consider daily housekeeping a “need to have,” while 30% say the same about filtered water stations and 21% about fitness centers.

And if you’re wondering which hotel brands are currently winning the popularity contest, J.D. Power has the answers: the Ritz-Carlton ranked highest among luxury hotels for the second consecutive year, while Kimpton topped the upper-upscale category and Drury Hotels led among upscale hotels. Hyatt House was tops for upscale extended stays for the fifth year running, while Hampton by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Microtel by Wyndham and WoodSpring Suites led their respective categories.

The study, now in its 30th year, surveyed 44,787 branded hotel guests about stays completed between May 2025 and May 2026 and evaluated 104 brands across nine hotel segments. Hotels may be charging us more—but, for once, guests seem to think they’re getting something for it.