Why hotel guest satisfaction in North America's taking a nosedive

Travelers, We hope you're enjoying your summer no matter where you are or how you're getting there.

In the spirit of summertime sunshine and laughter, this week’s issue is dedicated to truly letting go. And to further emphasize that point, we're taking next week off and going off the grid.

Headlines we're watching ...

You can’t fix stupid: Is a selfie really worth it? A 23-year-old American fell (safely) nearly 50 feet in Italy into the crater of picturesque Mt. Vesuvius on the Gulf of Naples while taking a selfie and dropping his phone, ABC recently reported. Let’s hope he’s written the park officials who saved him a thoughtful thank you note.

Foodies, which restaurants will you travel to this year? Some of our friends wait for the World’s 50 Best List each year so they can plan travel. If you’re in this camp, then book a flight to Copenhagen. Once again, the organization declared a Copenhagen restaurant No. 1. Last year it was Noma. For 2022, it’s Geranium – 47-year-old chef Rasmus Kofoed's three-Michelin-starred restaurant on the eighth floor of the city’s football stadium. For more, check out Eater’s spicy overview, which notes the $437-per-person price tag.

Europe’s on sale: If you dine at Geranium this summer, you can at least feel like you're getting a deal. The euro recently dipped below parity to the dollar for the first time in 20 years, as Reuters explained. While it’s risen since then, Americans can still take advantage. The U.S.A.’s hawkish Federal Reserve and growing concern about rising recession risks in the euro area has battered the currency used by 19 European countries.

Did you know? Florida's economy won during the height of Covid: For the data and politics geeks out there, the federal government released backward-looking numbers recently that reveal where overseas visitors went – or avoided – in 2020 and 2021. Florida, with its lax Covid-19 restrictions, came out on top. Expect these numbers to surface during the next election season.

• Most-visited states by overseas visitors in 2021: Florida (4 million) and New York (2 million)

• Most-visited city by overseas visitors in 2021: Miami (2.8 million)

• Biggest gain of overseas visitors from 2020: Florida (+1.8 million)

• Biggest decline of overseas visitors from 2020: Hawaii (-503,000)

In what’s believed to be a first in modern times, J.D. Power’s latest North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study shows that guest scores plummeted in a year of Covid-related service cutbacks and simultaneous price hikes. (You can just imagine Airbnb's internal memos about this!)

J.D. Power’s study covers June 2021 to May 2022, a period when rates skyrocketed nearly 35% while hotel guest satisfaction fell eight points on a 1,000-point scale. Is an eight-points drop a big deal? We called Andrea Stokes, who heads J.D. Power’s hospitality practice to learn more. Turns out it is.

“It’s statistically significant because of how large our study is,” Stokes told Travel Essential. “We have over 34,000 hotel stays in our study over the course of the 12-month period.” She believes the decline is the biggest in at least 10 years, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly because the study gets redesigned every few years.

The two factors driving down customer satisfaction:

• Satisfaction with a hotel's value: J.D. Power's latest survey revealed an 18-point drop in satisfaction specifically for price, which includes rates and mandatory fees

• Satisfaction with a hotel guest room: The survey also showed a 10-point drop in satisfaction for the guest room during a period when big brands like Hilton, Marriott and IHG loosened previously strict brand standards

“We normally don’t see big swings” in satisfaction rates for these categories, Stokes told us.

The drop in North American hotel guest satisfaction comes as hotel owners have generally revamped their businesses during Covid. If you've stayed in a hotel recently, you've probably noticed fewer workers, fewer services, shuttered restaurants, either closed club-floor lounges or lounges that operate for fewer hours and/or long-overdue renovations. Inflation, Stokes said, further exacerbates consumers' perceptions of value since leisure travel is a form of discretionary spending.

“You’re paying more for something that you’ve saved up for, so your expectations are heightened. It seems to us that in certain segments, especially limited service, that value perception has declined,” she said. “Hotel operators must carefully balance a focus on recovery with the heightened guest expectations that come with higher room rates.”

The silver lining? Despite the reduction in daily housekeeping, customers have not changed the high marks they traditionally give hotels for cleanliness.

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By Barbara DeLollis

For quite a while, the idea of a summer vacation has been morphing into something more than throwing the kids into the station wagon and heading to the beach. Things like yoga and meditation retreats, rigorous deep back country hiking, social service volunteer work in a local or distant community or surf lessons became vogue.

And the pandemic has taken the meaning of experiential and bucket-list travel to an entirely new level.

But that doesn’t mean you have to jet off to Africa or Antarctica.

I found my dream trip much closer to home when I was invited to join a four-day, immersive Harley-Davidson riding and instruction course in California. It fed both my long-dormant inner biker chick (I used to ride 30 years ago) with all the best the City of Angels has to offer. I checked into the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Hollywood and never looked back.

Not a fan, of L.A.? No worries.

Established in 1992, the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy has more than 240 locations across the United States – roughly 40% of their dealerships – in cities large and small including Miami, Austin and Auburn, Mass. (suburban Boston).

Over the last 30 years, the academy has trained more than 875,000 students with each location unique and dependent on weather, though it’s not only the game in town. When I called the Harley dealership closest to my family’s home in Long Island, N.Y., for instance, I learned that while they don’t have an official academy they refer people next door to the independent Big Apple Motorcycle School. So, if you do a little snooping, you'll find a reputable school near your destination. And as you might expect, many states require you to train in the state where you will obtain your motorcycle license – and a manufacturer like Harley would encourage you to stay local to build a relationship with the closest dealer or riding school.

Logistics aside, if you’ve forever been intrigued by riding and are looking for new experiences, the beginner class itself is just plain fun!

With a mantra-like emphasis on safety, the immersive class lets Harley introduce the sport to new blood which ultimately helps sell more bikes and gear. Prices vary state and location but typically run between $250-$550. The price includes use of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, expert instruction both in class and on the course, and personal feedback.

Gear is not included – and, like skiing or fencing – it adds up. Students must bring a long-sleeve shirt, real jeans (leave your ripped jeans at home!) , boots that cover the ankle, full-fingered gloves and a helmet that meets D.O.T. standards. You also must have a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit, and know how to ride a bicycle.

Classroom instruction: Safety’s No. 1

Before an instructor lets you sit on a motorcycle, students start sitting behind a desk for a four-hour class that begins with easy-to-grasp references to bicycle riding. I took both of my classes in my hotel room, since classes at the Glendale Harley dealership went virtual during the pandemic.

Our class instructor reinforced what most people know: this sport can be deadly. He discussed everything from potentially dangerous weather to the importance of proper gear to the latest crash data. He emphasized that despite what we see in popular culture like the FX network’s terrific Sons of Anarchy series, we should never get on a bike when we’re mad or emotionally tied up in knots.

We also learned that we could drop ourselves from the class if we didn’t feel up to it on a particular day, or our instructors might do it for us. And if either of those scenarios happened, we could restart the class at no extra cost. After all, everyone learns at different rates. Big relief to me!

First time straddling a bike: Bring your humility

The next phase of learning involved a real motorcycle, but going nowhere. Learning to ride, after all, is all about taking baby steps.

We walked from the dealership to the garage across the street, where Harley’s proprietary “Jumpstart” machine stood. It’s a real bike propped up on stationary supports. We each took turns straddling it, then learning how to use the controls. Because you’re paired with a pro and know you can’t go anywhere, Jumpstart takes the worry out of balance, stalling, speeding and crashing. Zero ability’s needed.

Our group’s Jumpstart instructor talked us through everything before anyone hopped on. But when it was my turn, I froze.

No problem. The instructor talked to me personally through each step, starting with turning the key ignition on (like you would with a car) and ultimately pressing the button that fired up the engine. As the engine roared to life, it became very clear to me that I had almost zero muscle memory of riding 30 years ago. I kept thinking, which hand is the clutch and which is the brake?

After about two minutes of “riding,” though, my nerves calmed down and I finally felt comfortable. Even excited.

No partying: 6:30 am start times

We did a second round of virtual instruction and two half days of actual riding at low speeds in the Glendale Civic Auditorium's parking lot. We started at 6:30 a.m., allowing us to mostly avoid the heat of the day. Still, learning to ride is as mentally draining as it is physically demanding, we needed ice-cold drinks and food to help us power through.

As you might imagine, our instructors played central roles in this aspect of the course. Guillermo and Nimo were by our side to give confidence, no-nonsense instruction; honest feedback, and a conservative number of atta-boys. They’d also listen to our confessions (at least mine) about being a little scared at times.

“There’s no shame in being nervous about getting back on a motorcycle,” Guillermo told me when I told him my history of riding nearly 30 years ago and having lost muscle memory. “It’s totally natural.”

Over two days, we learned how to control our bikes – a sporty, black Harley-Davidson Street® 500 – on our own, initially just learning how to balance at a standstill with both feet down. We then progressed to going a few miles per hour and lifting our feet on the pegs. We learned to do sudden brakes at 20 m.p.h., swerve quickly around obstacles and navigate a slalom-like course with precision. By the second day, riding felt more fun than work.

Only then did my 20-something biker chick personae reach out to me from the past and encourage me that I could see doing it again – and again. And that would mean buying a bike, securing a license in my home state of Maryland and perhaps - when traveling - renting a motorcycle.

LA’s moto-chic culture: From Michelin star to biker club

If you’re riding in a new state or country, maybe renting a bike or taking a motorcycle class while workcationing somewhere, it’s good to honor local motorcycle culture by exploring potential touring routes as well as local cuisine. After all, one of the best parts of motorcycle riding is sightseeing, whether dramatic cliffside sunsets or incredible off-the-beaten path roads, and nourishing your soul with good food.

I mean what would a memorable trip be without looking back at some killer meals?

Our Los Angeles experience included dining at Trois Mec, French chef Ludo Lefebvre’s Michelin-level restaurant that had closed for regular service as a result of the global pandemic.

Knowing his audience, Lefebvre took a break from the kitchen to recount how much Harley-Davidson means to him. As a teenager in France, he’d learned to ride a moped and dreamed of buying a Harley-Davidson which he did at age 18, to the dismay of his parents. “I was so proud,” Lefebvre told us. “Harley Davidson is so popular in France.”

He talked about touring France’s “amazing” National Road 7, which connects Paris to the Côte d'Azur through vineyards, dotted by “good restaurants and hotels.” Kinda like Route 66 in America.

Now that just might have to be next on my travel bucket list!

The next night we visited Bike Shed Moto Co., the super hip motorcycle club that mashes up club, restaurant, community, eatery, bar and tattoo parlor in LA's Arts District. It’s the outpost of the London Bike Shed, where people celebrate motorcycles whether they ride or not. Bike Shed offers memberships so you can hang out and feel cool, or join other riders for events like weekend breakfast meet & rides. For newbie riders, it’s a good way to find community.

Housed in a 1945 warehouse with exposed-brick walls and concrete flooring, you can kick back on British Chesterfield leather couches, belly up to the giant bar or just explore. I passed on the tattoo parlor, instead browsing the bike-culture-inspired store that had everything from Ducati to Indian memorabilia. As a fan of interesting watches, I spent most of my time talking to folks from the British brand, Bremont.

A purchase in the future?

As students, it was a school night so we left on the early side to make sure we were ready to get good grades. The next day, we took two California-specific tests – a written one and a skills-based riding exam. I was relieved to know I'd passed, and think it will be easier for me to pursue my license back home in Maryland. At the very least, my confidence level got a huge boost.

While I did not grab a bike and glide along the magnificent Pacific Coast Highway (baby steps, remember?), the combination of the experience, the people I met and the thrill of being one with the wind and road have me considering a purchase and the open road once again.

Need inspiration for your next trip? Read on

Click on the links below to find the destinations and experiences that Travel Essential recommends. (Flag: Scroll to the bottom for our travel writing!)

• Curacao - An authentic jewel in the Dutch Caribbean

• Maryland's Eastern Shore - The Chesapeake Bay's crab season is a bucket-list trip

• Exploring the U.S. with an RV - Is a 2,000-square-foot Airstream all you need?

• Alaska - Up close and personal with LeConte Glacier, which was named by John Muir

• Mississippi Delta - When to go, where to stay and why you absolutely must go!