Atrium Hospitlaity reigns supreme in customer service delivery, according to the J.D. Power 2025 North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark. Atrium manages 73 hotels, totaling 18,404 rooms, across 25 states.
The J.D. Power Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark is based on J.D. Power’s Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study survey, which collects guest feedback for branded hotel stays during the months of May to April/May each year across every STR segment. The survey captures satisfaction ratings across the entire stay experience with multiple elements, including staff service, guestroom cleanliness, F&B operations, public space facilities and technology.
J.D. Power noted the rise in operating costs putting pressure on third-party hotel management companies as they work to meet guest expectations. According to the survey, guest satisfaction has dropped year over year in food and beverage quality and facilities maintenance. This year’s results are based on 5,022 guest responses for stays at branded hotels between May 2024 and May 2025.
“In hotels where the owner is not operating the property, guest satisfaction ultimately rests with third-party management companies that operate on behalf of hotel owners,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead at J.D. Power. “While these companies are all focused on bringing a level of standardization and consistency to the guest experience, we’re starting to see some challenges emerge where guest satisfaction is faltering, particularly for quality of food and beverage and hotel facilities upkeep, which can often indicate rising costs.”
The benchmark highlights declines in food and beverage satisfaction, even as more guests choose to dine at hotels. Seventy-seven percent of guests in branded hotels managed by the largest third-party operators dined on-site, up from 73 percent in 2024. Despite the increase, satisfaction fell in areas such as food quality, cleanliness of dining spaces, presentation and overall ambiance.
Maintenance of hotel facilities also showed weaker results. Satisfaction with exterior appearance, grounds and upkeep of amenities like pools, fitness centers and laundry areas declined significantly compared to last year.
In contrast, staff service and guest room condition met guest expectations. Ratings for staff interactions and overall appearance of guest rooms remained consistent with 2024.
Alpharetta, Ga.-based Atrium Hospitality recorded the highest overall guest satisfaction with a score of 722 on a 1,000-point scale. Crescent Hotels and Resorts followed with 708, while Columbia Sussex and Davidson Hospitality Group tied for third at 703.
For 2025 the benchmark was redesigned, making overall satisfaction scores not directly comparable with previous years. Now in its sixth year, the study measures guest satisfaction at branded hotels operated by the largest third-party management companies. It evaluates seven dimensions: guest room, hotel staff service, value for price paid, check-in and check-out, hotel facility, food and beverage and hotel connectivity. The benchmark includes operators managing more than 14,000 branded rooms.
J.D. Power, founded more than 55 years ago, provides consumer insights, advisory services and analytics for industries worldwide. The company applies big data, artificial intelligence and algorithmic modeling to understand consumer behavior. Businesses use these insights to guide strategies across customer-facing operations.