Photo: karamysh (Shutterstock)
With so many different hotels, motels, and roadside inns scattered throughout the country, large chains lure travelers off highways with the promise of familiarity and at least some minimum standards. But not all chains provide the same service, amenities, and overall satisfaction—even those in the same relative price range.
In J.D. Power’s recently released 2023 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, hotel chains are ranked based on feedback from guests. Here are what customers determined are the best cheap hotel chains in the United States.
The Best Cheap Hotel Chains in the U.S., According to Guests
To come up with these rankings, the team at J.D. Power surveyed people who were hotel guests between May 2022 and May 2023, asking them to weigh in on a hotel chain’s performance in six areas:
Communications and connectivityFood and beverageGuest roomHotel facilityStaff serviceValue for price.The survey data was used to rank chain hotel properties across nine categories, based on their overall customer satisfaction rating—with 1,000 being a perfect score. The average rating for economy chain hotels is 558 out of 1,000. Here’s how a variety of budget chains ranked:
Americas Best Value InnScore: 637Microtel by Wyndham
Score: 637SureStay
Score: 618Howard Johnson by Wyndham
Score: 610Travelodge by Wyndham
Score: 580Studio 6
Score: 578Red Roof Inn
Score: 576Super 8 by Wyndham
Score: 560Days Inn by Wyndham
Score: 558Knights Inn
Score: 551Motel 6
Score: 533Econo Lodge
Score: 517Rodeway Inn
Score: 499OYO
Score: 487
The best economy extended-stay hotel chains
The J.D. Power survey also asked guests about their experiences at economy extended-stay hotel chains. The average satisfaction score for this category is 585 out of a possible 1,000 points. Here’s how the three chains in this segment fared:
WoodSpring SuitesScore: 609Extended Stay America
Score: 583InTown Suites
Score: 579
Want to learn more? This summary of the the findings contains additional information on the rankings, and the hotel chains that were included in the survey.
