Guest satisfaction soars as hotels cut back
The guest experience isn’t what it used to be at the Wyndham Austin Garden Hotel in Austin, Texas. Individual copies of USA Today are no longer delivered to each door, high-end water bottles have been replaced by less expensive brands from Sam’s Club, and complimentary bathrobes no longer hang in every guestroom closest. Such cutbacks to once-standard amenities abound at the property, underlining perhaps the biggest change of all: improved guest satisfaction. Call it doing more with less. Amid a historic industry downturn that has cut revenues to the bone, hotels are trimming operating expenses to follow suit, refocusing on those parts of a hotel stay that matter most to guests.
