Guests Dissatisfied With North American Hotels

A Story ran in the July 25, 2012 edition of USA Today on page 2 of section B about guests’ satisfaction with hotels is deteriorating.  A survey was done of 61,700 guests who stayed in a North American hotel from June 2011 through May 2012 and the findings show that overall guest satisfaction has declined from a year ago.  That’s bad news for the hotel industry, but good news for Bed & Breakfasts.

Issues centered on the check-in and check-out process, food, hotel services, and facilities such as pools and business centers.  This could be a result of the continuing impact of staffing cuts in the decline of the economy, which still has sluggish recovery.

A recent US Commerce Department’s quarterly report showed weak consumer spending and a stagnant unemployment rate stuck at 8.2 percent. Too few jobs are being added by businesses due to Europe’s financial woes and a US budget crisis retraining businesses and consumers.

A sore spot for many hotel guests was the charging for Internet access.  At the Oakwood Inn, the Internet access is FREE.  We have never charged for this service.  Another perk at the Oakwood Inn is the free lighted off street parking in our parking lot in back. Many hotels charge for this service, some up to $12 per day.  That can add up on your bill.

Other benefits at the Oakwood Inn that may not be available at hotels are:  a homemade breakfast each morning, snacks such as fruit juice, sodas (pop to you Northners J), munchies like chips, corn chips, pretzels; and homemade (from scratch) cookies are all included in the room rate.  Check out my blog post on my homemade Coconut Chocolate Cookies that were featured in the News & Observer back in 2007.
Blog post:  Coconut Chocolate Cookies from the Oakwood Inn B & B posted on 5-27-2008.

We may not have a pool or business center, but we have a great front porch to sit on to relax in a quiet historic residential neighborhood….. with a short walk to downtown  attractions and restaurants.

Since we are a “mom and pop” business, we know the importance of guest satisfaction and returning customers.  We can not rely on high volume to support our business, because we only have six rooms to rent, not a hundred and six.  We strive to make sure your experience with us is a happy one. 

Check us out at www.oakwoodinnbb.com.  Make an online reservation to get the best price.

See You Soon.

Gary