BDRC Continental has revealed the hotel companies which top the charts in profile and consumer perception of their brands.
The Hotel Brand Performance Awards are based on the results of the BDRC Hotel Guest Surveys, conducted annually since 1982 among nationally representative samples of business and leisure hotel guests. Key metrics relate to brand awareness, usage, preference and the guest experience.
Holiday Inn is Most Improved Brand
Out of more than 100 brands assessed, Holiday Inn claims the coveted award for ‘Most Improved Brand’ performance, having recorded year-on-year ranking gains in 5 of the 6 territories, with notable improvements on the survey metrics relating to the guest experience. Other brands performing strongly year-on-year include Radisson Blu and DoubleTree in the upscale tier, Ramada in the mid-market and, in the limited service tier, Ibis, Ibis Budget and Holiday Inn Express.
Hilton retains its Market Leadership Position
On a composite measure of brand performance, Hilton retains its ‘No.1 Brand’ status in Western Europe as a whole, also leading the field in Germany, Britain and Italy. In France, Spain and Benelux, however, local brands occupy the top position, with Accor’s mid-market Mercure brand the No.1 in France, NH Hotels in Spain, and family-owned Van der Valk in Benelux.
| Region | No. 1 Brand |
Most Improved Brand |
| PAN WESTERN EUROPE | Hilton | Holiday Inn |
| Britain | Hilton | Ibis Budget |
| Germany | Hilton | Maritim |
| France | Mercure | Ibis Budget |
| Italy | Hilton | NH Hoteles |
| Spain | NH Hoteles | Marriott |
| Benelux | Van der Valk | Holiday Inn |
‘Brands are what guests say they are’
BDRC reveals that many brands are raising the bar when it comes to the guest experience.
Matt Costin, Managing Director of the agency’s On the Move division, comments, “We have seen widespread improvement on metrics that are sensitive to changes in the guest experience, such as the Net Promoter Score. Hotel companies are increasingly aware that their brands are what guests say they are, not simply how marketers choose to position them.
“Several factors are contributing to higher ratings: a loosening of product improvement purse-strings, an expansion of newer-to-market brands with newer hotels, and brands divesting themselves of weaker inventory.”
About the HGS Awards
The HGS (Hotel Guest Surveys) are conducted annually among nationally-representative samples of business and leisure hotel guests. The research covers more than 30 countries worldwide, including the leading Western European markets of Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Benelux. BDRC assesses the performance of more than 100 brands in each market, including all the major global players, plus brands that are local to each market.
Awards are based on a composite measure of brand health, including indicators such as front-of-mind and prompted brand awareness, usage and leading choice, as well as indicators that are driven by recent guest experiences, such as the Net Promoter Score.
About BDRC Continental
BDRC Continental is an award-winning insight agency that helps its clients get closer to their customers by translating data into actionable business intelligence. This is done through a range of market-leading insight tools, a dedicated suite of advanced analytics and over two decades of experience working with leading service sector brands across the globe.
Established in 1991, BDRC has an unrivalled reputation as a full service research consultancy with specialist expertise across a number of sectors including hotels, meetings & hospitality, financial services, media & advertising, Government & not for profit, culture & leisure, tourism, travel & transport and sports & sponsorship.
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