Not Marriott, Not Hilton: This Brand Ranks Highest For Guest Satisfaction In Upscale Hotels

When booking a hotel for your next upscale vacation, two of the biggest names that come to mind are Hilton and Marriott. While many of their hotels are pleasant to visit, there's actually a hotel brand that ranks higher in guest satisfaction: Drury Hotels. According to a study conducted by J.D. Power, Drury ranks number one in the upscale category, beating out other well-known hotel brands like Best Western Premier and Cambria Hotels across seven categories. Those include check-in and checkout, Internet connectivity, facilities, food and beverage, guest rooms, staff service, and value. In this study, Drury Hotels scored 738 points out of 1,000, which is an impressive feat.

The Drury Hotel chain is completely family-owned and operated and has 150 hotels across 30 states, complete with amenities like free hot breakfast, a free 5:30 kickback menu, free Wi-Fi, and access to pools, gyms, and business centers. So what exactly sets Drury apart? We consulted reviews on TripAdvisor and Google for three of their most noteworthy locations to figure out why Drury is so well loved.

According to TripAdvisor, the top three Drury hotels are the Drury Plaza Hotel Chattanooga Hamilton Place, Drury Inn & Suites Near Universal Orlando Resort, and Drury Plaza Hotel St. Louis St. Charles. These hotels range from 4.7 to 4.9 stars on TripAdvisor and are noted for being accessible to local attractions and highways so we dug into those specifically.

Obviously, many travelers choose Hilton, the most popular chain in the U.S. and for good reason. But Drury had already been on our radar for hotels like the Drury Plaza Hotel in Orlando's Disney Springs, one of America's most affordable August vacations. It's also one of the top hotel chains with the best free breakfast, so here's what we've seen to warrant the high ratings. 

Reviewers often mention how impeccably clean and modern the facilities are, and many call the staff some of the friendliest they've ever encountered. "This hotel is really special," one visitor to the Universal location wrote on TripAdvisor. "What can I say but WOW. All the staff are wonderful, can't do enough for you and nothing is a problem... We stayed in a Queen Suite and it was really clean and comfortable." Another guest at the St. Louis location echoed the sentiment on Google, writing, "Every single person we encountered greeted us with a genuine smile... they really took the time to engage and make sure we had what we needed... it didn't go unnoticed."

The hot breakfast and kickback menus are described as "generous," with many noting how much value these add to the stay. One guest at the Chattanooga location wrote on TripAdvisor, "[The afternoon buffet] saved us time [and] money because we didn't need to go out for dinner!" Hot breakfast includes Belgian waffles, bacon-cheddar scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, yogurt, oatmeal, and a variety of bagels and breads. Their kickback menu begins at 5:30 pm and is available until 7 pm, rotating between different soups, salads, side dishes, and entrees. Guests often say that the combination of consistent quality, welcoming service, and thoughtful amenities make the Drury Hotel collection one to remember.