The competition in the upper-midscale tier this year was very close, and the tier's overall average score is higher than last year's. For the midscale tier, however, only three brands qualified to be included, and the overall average decreased from last year. Also, the brands that scored the highest for pandemic-related criteria were not those that placed first, save for one criterium for the upper-midscale tier.
This mix of brands might change by next year as some sources recently told BTN that, given tight budgets for 2021, some buyers are "tiering down" in terms of chain scale, particularly those unable to achieve their cost-savings targets for higher-end brands.
As for the upper-midscale placements, "especially the top three, they're fresh concepts, a lot of capital expenditure is invested in Holiday Inn Express and Hampton Inn," said Bjorn Hanson, industry analyst and adjunct professor at the New York University School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. "They're very efficient models for guests and for owners, so there is a lot of capital reinvestment that goes into the guestrooms."
Upper-Midscale
Hampton by Hilton rated No. 1 among the upper-midscale tier, moving up from second last year, when it rated highest for just its sales staff. This year, its top pre-pandemic scores were for locations close to business needs, quality of on-property service staff, safety and security standards, and brand consistency. It also captured the top score for responsiveness to safety, security and sanitation concerns for the pandemic-related criteria.
The next three brands placed very closely together, with only one or two hundredths of a point separating them. Best Western Plus moved up from fourth place last year to second this year. Travel buyers rated the brand highest for clean, attractive, well-maintained hotels and facilities, supporting traveler wellness with healthy food and fitness options, and overall price/value relationship.
"Wellness is identified along with safety and security as well as with food choices," said Best Western VP of worldwide sales Wendy Ferrill. "That is where we have elevated. When you look at the We Care Clean program, those programs have the same benefits across all chains, but what is different is the hotels are really taking it very seriously and engaging with the buyers, so that the buyer feels that sense of confidence. … We've also added a lot of breakfast selections that are much healthier. In addition, for Best Western Rewards members, the choices they can get really make a difference and resonate with the travelers."
Ferrill noted Best Western has many new-build properties in the works, and said travelers appreciate the hotels' design. Best Western Plus currently operates 885 hotels in North America with 94 in the pipeline, and 348 outside of North America with 55 in the pipeline.
Holiday Inn Express took third place again this year, with a top score for its quality of data and reporting. It showed a significant increase in scores for that category, along with supporting traveler wellness, and partnership approach to negotiating amenities, rates and penalties.
InterContinental Hotels Group introduced its IHG Business Edge program a couple years ago for small and midsize companies, and building on that, launched its Customer Insights Portal in January for enterprise customers, giving them real-time access to dashboards and data about their companies' spend by brand, stay patterns by region and traveler loyalty and guest experience scores.
In addition, "one thing we know is important to all travelers and corporate buyers is breakfast," said IHG SVP of global marketing for mainstream brands Jen Gribble. "We've put a lot of emphasis on breakfast the last couple of years and made big improvements at all the hotels. We've improved the quality of the product, added variety and changed the ambiance."
She also noted the brand has updated its design and new sleep experience. "I think it's the whole package, the new design, the breakfast and the sleep experience," she said. "It's exciting for the business traveler who stays with us frequently."
Holiday Inn Express operated 2,888 hotels as of June 30, 2020, and has 755 in the pipeline.
Even though it fell from first place last year and technically didn't make the top three, Fairfield by Marriott was very close and managed to secure not only the top rating for quality meeting facilities but also two of the three pandemic-related criteria: effective communication to travel buyers, and ability to maintain critical operations at key locations for business needs.
Midscale
Best Western ranked No. 1 this year, moving up from third place last year, and with an improved score from 4.12 to 4.36, taking top ratings for eight of the 11 pre-pandemic criteria. In terms of what it has been doing differently this year from last, "I think because of the business that is out there in the market right now and where people are staying and are more familiar with, they're staying at a lot of Best Westerns," Ferrill said, adding that emergency or essential workers have comprised a notable share of the brand's 2020 clientele.
Describing a hotel that hosted hurricane relief workers this year in Louisiana, she noted that the owner came to the hotel to make gumbo, give everyone drinks and make sure they were taken care of. "That is the difference," she said. "We are working with the properties to educate them on the travelers coming in, and it's back to that organic type of sale and service."
The brand scored especially well for having clean and well-maintained hotels and facilities, on-property service staff, effective sales staff and a partnership approach to negotiations.
"We look at the customer based on their unique needs, and that's where we get in there and customize," Ferrill said. "During the pandemic, we reached out and let them know we are here and available and want to have that dialogue in terms of the dynamic travel program. The other piece is, we are staying connected to those buyers with their travel management company partners and offering promotions through the rewards program. [We are] speaking with travelers virtually, and that makes a big difference because ... travelers like the engagement. Even though they are not traveling today, they will be in the future, and it makes them feel connected."
Best Western has 1,096 hotels in North America with 51 in the pipeline, and 812 hotels outside North America with 50 in the pipeline.
Choice Hotels' Quality brand may have taken the No. 2 spot this year, after not even placing last year, but it received top scores for all three of the pandemic-related criteria, as well as for quality of data and reporting and overall price/value relationship in the pre-pandemic section.
"The last two to three years we've made a concentrated effort to grow our global sales presence and corporate traveler," said Choice Hotels chief commercial officer Robert McDowell. "Quality has been the recipient of a lot of investment in sales leaders, and we've been investing in the platform. [Regarding data and reporting,] we're focused on making sure corporate customers are getting the reporting they need to manage programs across all brands and it's what we think catapulted Quality into the No. 2 spot."
The brand, which has been around for 80 years, is also "all about value," said Choice VP of brand management, design and compliance Megan Brumagim. "Think about the areas we focus on delivering to our guest, what is central to their experience, like complimentary hotel breakfast, friendly responsive service. This is especially now really important to guests."
The company also is working with hotels to make sure requests for proposals are done in a timely manner, and once accepted into a program, that the rates are loaded right.
"We're making it easy for the RFP, pricing, customer data, and more," McDowell said. "We're focusing on listening to the travel buyer and making it simple and easy to work with Choice." Another thing he added that started pre-pandemic is virtual pay capability. "It allows the travel manager to easily book a Choice hotel and not present a card at check-in," he said.
Accor's Ibis took third place this year and the top score for locations close to business needs. It is the first time the brand made the BTN Hotel Brand Survey.