The Top 10 Best Hotel Chains for Families

Budget-Friendly and Family-Focused Conveniences Offered Nationwide

 Parents magazine today revealed the top 10 Best Hotel Chains For Families, perfect for family road trips, holiday travels or weekend getaways. Parents’ magazine editors and travel experts evaluated 60-plus hotel brands across the country to identify chains offering families great space and comfort, high satisfaction ratings, affordable rates, and entertaining kids’ programs. The full list is available in the November 2015 issue of the magazine and on Parents.com.

According to Parents, the year’s best hotel chains for families include:

Best Budget Chains

1. Residence Inn

With 650+ U.S. locations, the hotel offers extensive in-room amenities and a seasonal “Residence Inn Mix” program, featuring food-truck fare, restaurant pop-in tastings, and a backyard BBQ, depending on the night and location. (Fall rates for a Studio Suite start at $84 per night; residenceinn.marriott.com).

2. Hyatt Place

Perfect for keeping kids healthy on vacation, these properties offer a free breakfast buffet which has expanded in most locations to include more nutritious options, many packed with fruit, veggies, and protein. (Fall rates for a room with two queen beds start at $134 per night; hyattplace.com).

3. SpringHill Suites

Known for its roomy living areas and creative breakfast options, the chain’s special touch lies in a showcase of more than 2,000 pieces of artwork displayed throughout its lobbies. (Fall rates for a suite with two double beds start at $79 per night;marriott.com/springhillsuites).

4. Hilton Garden Inn

The hotel’s redesigned rooms are more family-friendly than ever, providing more counter space, clothes storage, charging stations, and seating. Hate waiting in line? Use the HHonors app to check-in and choose your room from your smartphone – you may decide on a room near the indoor pool, for instance – then swing by the front desk for the key.  (Fall rates for a room with two queen beds start at $129 per night; hiltongardeninn.com).

5. Wingate by Wyndham

With starting rates of less than $100 per night (and free breakfast!) in many areas, you can’t beat the price of a standard room here. The brand also has a unique loyalty program that allows you to redeem some of your points for discounts on your stay. (Fall rates for a room with two double beds start at $129 per night; wingateatlanta.com).

Best Mid-Priced Chains

1.       Embassy Suites Hotel by Hilton

Every room is a suite here, so forget about splurging on an upgrade for more space and privacy. Additional perks include a free nightly snack and drink reception, training for all staff on interacting with kids, and a new program offering baby care essentials at some locations. (Fall rates for a suite with two double beds start at $189 per night; embassysuites.com).

2.       Loews Hotels & Resorts

From receiving early admission to Orlando theme parks so they can beat the crowds to attending “Farm School” at an organic farm to care for local animals and vegetables in San Diego, families take advantage of the coolest partnerships to keep the kids happy. (Fall rates for a room with two double beds start at $249 per night; loewshotels.com).

3.       Omni Hotels & Resorts

Omni has a knack for taking old, historic resorts and restoring them into family meccas with plenty of adventure. Kids will have tons of fun with the free photo book and game-filled backpack they receive at check in. (Fall rates for rooms with two double beds start at $229 per night; omnihotels.com).

4.       Hyatt House

Many locations offer two-bedroom, two-bathroom suites for what you’d pay for a single room at a higher-end chain. Plus, all room types come with a full kitchen and all the tools you need to cook and eat a great meal. (Fall rates for a one-bedroom suite start at $159 per night; hyatthouse.com).

5.       Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

Sheraton offers the same features as its pricier Starwood cousins, Westin and Aloft, like “sweet sleeper” beds and cribs, pools, and an all-inclusive dining program for kids 12 and under. (Fall rates for suites start at $249 per night and a room with two double beds at $189 per night; starwoodhotels.com/sheraton).

About Parents

Parents was founded in 1926 and, along with American Baby, FamilyFun, Parents Latina and Ser Padres, makes up The Meredith Parents Network portfolio of parenthood brands.   Parents is the leading voice for a community of more than 15 million moms who are engaged and inspired by the brand’s trusted content. In turn, these moms enlighten and inspire others by joining ongoing conversations about parenthood via Parents.com as well through Parents’ robust presence on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.  Parents is dedicated to engaging and inspiring moms with the information they need, wherever they go.

J.D. Power Reports: Hotel Guest Satisfaction Reaches All-Time High; Incidence Of Problems Hits Record Low

The Ritz-Carlton; Omni Hotels & Resorts; Hyatt Place; Drury Hotels; Wingate by Wyndham; Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham; Homewood Suites by Hilton; and Candlewood Suites Each Rank Highest in Guest Satisfaction in Their Respective Segments

Hotel guest satisfaction has risen to a record high, while the number of guests experiencing problems during their stay has dropped significantly, according to the J.D. Power 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study^SMreleased today.

The study, now in its 19^th year, measures overall guest satisfaction across eight hotel segments: luxury; upper upscale; upscale; upper midscale[1]; midscale; economy/budget; upper extended stay; and extended stay. Seven key factors are examined in each segment to determine overall satisfaction: reservation; check-in/check-out; guest room; food and beverage; hotel services; hotel facilities; and cost and fees. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale. 

Overall satisfaction in 2015 reaches an all-time high with a score of 804, up 20 points from 2014. This is the first time satisfaction has surpassed the 800-point mark. The record-high performance is driven by a significant 20 percent reduction from 2014 in the number of guests who report experiencing a problem during their stay, the lowest incidence since 2006. Staff interactions with guests have a great impact on mitigating problems. There is a 50 percent reduction in the average number of problems experienced when staff members greet guests with a smile “all the time,” compared to when guests are only greeted with a smile “sometimes.”

Hotels have an opportunity to substantially improve satisfaction by proactively addressing guest needs. While service recovery is often emphasized as a strategy to regain guest loyalty, it’s even more important to prevent problems from occurring in the first place, which is underscored by a 310-point satisfaction gap between guests who say they “strongly agree” that the hotel staff anticipated their needs and those who “strongly disagree” with this statement (912 vs. 602, respectively). 

“Hotels that proactively meet guest needs have the ability to create a positive guest experience,” said Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. “While service recovery is extremely important in the hotel industry, it’s most effective when the entire guest experience is a positive one. Hotel staff members need to maintain a proper balance between proactively addressing needs and responding to problems effectively. Doing so can help guests feel good about their selection of the hotel brand and increase the likelihood they will return for another stay or recommend it to others.”

KEY FINDINGS

Among hotel guests who are “delighted” with their experience (an overall satisfaction rating of 10 on a 10-point scale), 80 percent say they “definitely will” recommend the brand to a friend, relative or colleague, compared with only 2 percent of those who are “disappointed” (ratings of 5 or below). Additionally, among hotel guests who are “delighted,” 66 percent say they “definitely will” stay again, compared with only 4 percent of those who are “disappointed.”

There is a strong relationship between guests’ perceptions of how well the hotel brand   meets their needs and overall satisfaction. Among Scrutinizers—guests who thoroughly research their hotel choice to ensure it meets their specific needs—56 percent say the hotel brand they selected was “perfect for them.” Satisfaction among Scrutinizers is 898, which is the highest among all guest groups. In comparison, among Price Buyers—guests who select their hotel based primarily on price—only 15 percent say the hotel brand they selected was “perfect for them.” Satisfaction among Price Buyers is 740, the lowest among all groups.

Hotel Segment Rankings

The following hotel brands rank highest in guest satisfaction in their respective segments:

Luxury: The Ritz-Carlton

Upper Upscale: Omni Hotels & Resorts

Upscale: Hyatt Place

Upper Midscale: Drury Hotels (previously ranked highest in the Midscale segment for 9 consecutive years)

Midscale: Wingate by Wyndham

Economy/Budget: Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham (for a third consecutive year)

Upper Extended Stay: Homewood Suites by Hilton (for a third consecutive year)

Extended Stay: Candlewood Suites (for a second consecutive year)

The 2015 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study is based on responses gathered between June 2014 and May 2015 from more than 62,000 guests in Canada and the United States who stayed at a hotel in North America between May 2014 and May 2015.

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info

About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com 

[1] The two midscale segments were re-structured in 2015 to upper midscale and midscale segments (formerly midscale full service and midscale segments), in accordance with the chain scale classifications of Smith Travel Research (STR). This change resulted in brands changing segments, with all segment-level trending based on the new segmentation.

Bedford Springs Resort & Spa: A Part Of American History

Few properties can boast the historic significance of Bedford Springs Resort, located in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania. For more than 200 years, the eight mineral springs located on the resort's property served as an important gathering place. Eventually, the resort would be the site of many significant moments in American history, hosting a long list of celebrities, wealthy clientele, corporate magnates and dignitaries from around the world. To date, the resort has hosted 10 US Presidents, seven of whom visited during their presidency.

The Native Americans first used the mineral springs for their curative properties, and in the late 1700s they shared the powers of the springs with a doctor named John Anderson. In 1796, Dr. Anderson purchased the 2,200-acre property on which the resort now stands. He built a home on the property and as word spread of these unique waters, visitors arrived from around the globe to experience them. He housed the guests in tents and offered custom prescriptions based upon their needs. Dr. Anderson and Dr. William Watson prescribed a regimen of diet, exercise and many pints of the spring water.

The Bedford Springs Resort is truly an American original. With its growing list of wealthy clientele, it gained a reputation as a luxury destination and was proclaimed as the Most Popular Resort in the United States. Bedford Springs became home to one of first golf courses in America, originally designed by Spencer Oldham (and later redesigned by A.W. Tillinghast and then the renowned Donald Ross). In 1905, the resort opened one of the nation's first indoor pools fed by the property's spring waters. With its alluring surroundings and high-profile guest list, Bedford Springs' role in history was already in the making.

As more and more guests came west to "take the waters", Dr. Anderson decided to build a hotel. The Stone Inn was built in 1806 from stone quarried atop the mountain located adjacent to The Springs and carried down the mountain by oxen. Guests making the trek to the hotel encountered a rugged journey. They often arrived by train in Cumberland, and then made the 21-mile trip through the Cumberland Valley to Bedford Springs.

The popularity and reputation of Dr. Anderson's treatments grew throughout the early 19th Century and by 1809, there were three buildings on the site, including The Stone House, Crockford and a precursor to the Evitt House. According to a travelogue by Joshua Galpin in 1809, these buildings included a "large frame lodging house and several smaller ones for families warm and cold baths and a billiard room." In 1824, Bedford Springs was hailed as the "Montpelier of America" in a column in the July edition of the National Gazette & Library Register, which noted with praise the waters, accommodations, activities, food and wine.

The popularity of the resort also benefited from the emphasis on outdoor life in the mid-nineteenth century as east coast American cities became increasingly industrialized and polluted. The establishment of stops in Bedford for the B&O and Pennsylvania Railroads beginning in 1872, provided easy accessibility from cities such as Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York.

Bedford Springs became an attraction for politicians and, in addition to serving as the "Summer White House" for President James Buchanan from 1857 to 1861, also served as a getaway and meeting place for other presidents such as William Henry Harrison, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor, as well as a multitude of senators and congressmen and their families. The first transatlantic calls sent from England to the United States was received by President Buchanan at the hotel on August 12, 1858.

In 1905, a major renovation of the complex included a monumental double-decked colonnade, which connected the hotel's main dining room to a columned pavilion at the Magnesia Springs as well as a new building with a spring-fed indoor pool, reportedly the first such facility in the United States. In the 1930s, the hotel's resident physician, Dr. William E. Fitch, established the "Bedford Cure," a health regimen that required a three-week stay at the resort, which operated successfully throughout the 1930s and 1940s. During World War II, the hotel and its grounds were used by US Navy as the Naval Training School and then later as a detention center for interned Japanese diplomats.

The decade of the 1950s saw numerous improvements and renovations to the property, including the installation of modern environmental controls and sprinkler systems. Bedford Springs was also open year-round for the first time in 1950. However, tastes in leisure travel had changed significantly over the years and the property eventually shut its doors in 1986. Two years later, a flash flood severely damaged several buildings at Bedford Springs and the resort fell into disrepair. Even so, the site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

The Bedford Springs Hotel, one of the most visible landmarks of the region's past 200 years, received new hope when restoration of the facility to new glory was announced at a ceremony on the front lawn of the historic landmark in 2005. The Bedford Springs Resort reopened to guests in July 2007 as the Bedford Springs Resort & Spa as one of the premier resorts in the United States. In January 2009, the resort became known as the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa, when Omni Hotels became the long-term operator.

This article has been excerpted with the author’s permission from the book, "Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi," AuthorHouse 2013. The author, Stanley Turkel, is a recognized authority and consultant in the hotel industry. He operates his hotel, hospitality and consulting practice specializing in asset management, operational audits and the effectiveness of hotel franchising agreements and litigation support assignments. Clients are hotel owners, investors and lending institutions.

Source: hotel-online.com

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