For the second time in a month, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world’s leading operator of luxury hotels, received the highest ranking in a J.D. Power and Associates Study, this one measuring guest satisfaction. The company got the highest marks in the luxury hotel segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2002 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction StudySM, released August 29, 2002.

The announcement by J.D. Power and Associates is a repeat achievement for Four Seasons, who ranked highest in its segment in last year’s study as well. This is only the second time that the luxury hotel category has been awarded. “Consistency and excellence of guest experience are the standard against which we measure our performance, and it is rewarding to see our efforts succeed,” said Wolf Hengst, president, worldwide hotel operations, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “We are delighted that our guests have recognised the outstanding achievements of all our North American hotel employees, who work so hard to exceed guest expectations every day.”

The top three contributors to guest satisfaction for respondents who participated in the survey were the guest room, departure process and pre-arrival/arrival experiences. These accounted for 70 percent or more of guest satisfaction in each of the six market segments, followed by hotel services, and food and beverage. Four Seasons rated especially well in the areas of pre-arrival/arrival, hotel services and departure.

.D. Power and Associates 2002 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction StudySM was based on a national sample of 12,840 individual evaluations from a national representative sample of business and leisure hotel guests. Fifty-two hotel chains in six market segments are included in the study. 52 percent of guests within the luxury segment report that they visited a hotel for leisure purposes, staying an average of 1.85 nights.

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