Lost in Translation: Cross-Country Differences in Hotel Guest Satisfaction

With the global expansion of the hotel industry and greater mobility of international travelers, awareness of international differences in guests’ attitudes about their travel experiences is important. As a consequence, most multinational hotel chains currently invest significant resources in implementing large-scale measurement programs to track, compare, and benchmark guest satisfaction across their various international markets. They do so for two related reasons. First, most hoteliers understand that highly satisfied guests are much more likely to return to that property and spend more during future stays than guests who are indifferent or displeased.1 More important, successful hoteliers understand that simply tracking performance is not enough. What is required is using the results of tracking programs to guide day-to-day management decisions and, ultimately, long-term operational strategies.