11 Most Popular Hotel Chains, Ranked Worst To Best

When you're booking a hotel using an online platform, it can be tough to know which option to choose — especially when the pricing is comparable. Even when different options feature roughly the same amenities, the quality of your guest experience can vary wildly once you're on-site. That's because most popular hotel chains are franchises, which can mean different owners and different management principles. Visit a hotel in New York City, and you might be shocked at the value for your money. But book a hotel from the same chain on your next trip to a different location, and you could find yourself wondering how these two bookings are even from the same brand.

In the modern era of review bombing, a perfectly good brand can catch a bad reputation thanks to a customer with a sour attitude and a decent number of followers. And that's to say nothing of AI and hard-to-spot fake hotel reviews. Ranking popular hotel chains according to guest satisfaction can be a difficult task. But it is possible thanks to the JD Power 2025 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study, which evaluates guest satisfaction on a score out of a possible 1,000 points, based on check-in and check-out, connectivity, facilities, food and beverage, guest room, staff service, and value. 

The study found customers tend to want a sense of value, great online booking apps for simplifying travel, and smart TVs in their rooms. For the final ranking, we omitted upscale, luxury, and economy hotel brands to focus on mainstream ones more likely to be frequented by the average traveler. We also evaluated guest experience, consulting the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Travel Study 2025 (which gives scores out of 100) and Trustpilot. Finally, we read reviews on sites like Reddit, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Yelp, and Google Reviews.

Rounding out the bottom of the ranking with 631 points from JD Power is Comfort Inn, an upper midscale hotel from Choice Hotels, a parent company with a reputation for offering wildly different experiences from one site to the next. One Reddit user claiming to be a former Choice employee asserted that the parent company tends to care very little about ensuring that property owners support customer experience. "Every other brand has brand support that would force property owners to do the right thing," the user opined. At the same time, another user who reported being a frequent Choice traveler emphasized that there are plenty of nicer locations out there.

Comfort Inn amenities tend to run pretty standard for the affordable hotel chain bracket, offering free breakfast, fast Wi-Fi, and fitness centers at most locations. Breakfasts generally include hot items like scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, and breakfast sausage or bacon. Some Comfort Inns also offer smaller pool areas. 

Some Comfort Inns can also be a bit outdated, but it's not always an indicator of quality, so be sure to check out the reviews before booking. Writing on Reddit, one guest reported: "I stayed at a Comfort property in Durango, CO a few weeks ago. Facility was kinda tired – very late 1990s/early 2000s. Clean though and overall was on par with a Hampton."

With hotels mainly located in suburban areas and airports, Wyndham Garden — ideal for a business traveler — offers a stripped-down version of their higher-tiered hotel chains like Wyndham Grand and Wingate. With a JD Power Index ranking of 643, the upper midscale Wyndham Garden came in as the next-to-lowest-ranking hotel chain on our list. Wyndham Hotels also ranked fairly low overall on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Travel Study 2025, coming in well below benchmarks on everything from entertainment to its loyalty program, with a disappointing 71 (out of a possible 100). 

Reddit is full of unpleasant takes on the chain. Take the Reddit ruser who did not mince words, declaring: "Wyndham, and every brand under its umbrella, from Wyndham down to Microtel, are DUMPS. Filthy, filthy dumps. Wyndham doesn't care about the state of the properties operating under its name as long as they get that fat franchise fee check." But, as is generally the case with franchises, some locations are better than others. Take the Chinatown Wyndham Garden, which fares pretty well overall on its Google, Tripadvisor, and Priceline reviews. 

These hotels typically feature a bar, a fitness center, a business center, and free wifi. The chain has also come a long way in terms of technology upgrades, adopting improvements like digital room keys and mobile wallets over the past couple of years. Easy booking through the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts App streamlines the booking process, whether you're heading to Lake Buena Vista or Miami Springs. And it even includes a road trip planner and mobile check-in.

With a JD Power ranking of 646, the upper midscale Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and midscale Best Western are tied for the next step up on our ranking. Like other lower-ranked hotels on the list, reviews for Country Inn, which falls under the parent company Choice Hotels, tend to be a fairly mixed bag of terrible, middling, and great reviews. Warning others about the Ithaca, New York Country Inn, one Reddit user reported: "It will skeeve you out. ... Moldy shower, stains on the carpet, chipped and beaten-up furniture. TV from the 1990's."

Amenities like in-room coffeemakers and complimentary breakfast are a step above the lowest entry on the list, and warm, tasteful decorations greet guests upon check-in in some of the nicer locations. Choice was also named U.S. News & World Report's 2025 pick for Best Loyalty Program, which also took Wallethub's Number One Best Hotel spot in 2026.

Tied with Country Inn with a JD Power ranking of 646, Best Western is another staple midscale hotel guests can count on to be either fantastic, terrible, or somewhere in-between depending on the owners. Best Western's ranking on the ACSI reflects its lower mid-range quality, sitting at a below-benchmark 74.

While Best Western is hardly luxurious and far below prestigious, they do tend to be a bit nicer than other hotels in their class — even if guests tend to spin the wheel of fortune when booking. "Consistently Inconsistent," summed up one Reddit user. Another user reported, "In my experience they were independent hotels that have bought into the Best Western brand. There isn't much consistency among them, so I've had mixed experiences." Negative reviews on Trustpilot tend to revolve around an overall lack of cleanliness, with more positive takes focusing on customer service.

Best Western amenities include free Wi-Fi, a coffeemaker in the room, complimentary breakfast, and access to a guest computer and printer in the lobby. Rooms are designed in a simple, contemporary style. They've also got an easy-to-use app for booking and stay management. And the budget-friendly Choice Hotels loyalty program offers points that never expire.

Moving up the customer service index is the midscale Holiday Inn, coming in with a JDP index rating of 653. ACSI ranked Holiday Inn with a score of 74, falling below benchmarks in areas like amenities and room cleanliness. But if you dig a little deeper into more recent online reviews, it seems the hotel chain may just be on track to improve its image.

In a Reddit post titled "Changing unpopular opinion on Holiday Inn," one Reddit user recalls feeling frustrated that their job's travel company had booked them at a Holiday Inn only to be completely blown away by the quality of their experience. Dismissing that first experience as an "anomaly," the poster was once again pleasantly surprised on a later trip. "Stupid little things like having to have status with Hilton and Marriott to get two free bottles of water and the Holiday Inns just give them. Later check outs, and no problem with my 'early check in'...is Holiday Inn really just better (or getting better) overall?"

Holiday Inns tend to feature a lot of amenities for an affordable family hotel — think pools, onsite restaurants, kitchenettes, and fitness centers. Although the brand's Trustpilot reviews are ranked lower due to complaints about the chain's timeshare program, if you ignore those, they appear much more favorable — particularly when it comes to European Holiday Inn offerings.

With a JPD ranking of 656, Wingate is a slightly higher-ranked Wyndham property in the midscale range. Peruse Yelp and Google reviews for some of their hotels and you'll find a good deal of appreciation for the brand's generous amenities, which include free breakfast, fast wifi, and an onsite fitness center. Many Wingate hotels also feature pools. Positive feedback tends to focus on room cleanliness, while negative reviews tend to stem from concerns about location and its impact on safety and overall experience.

"Cheap. Clean enough," reported one Troy, Michigan Wingate guest on Booking.com. Another review advised checking out your room to ensure everything is fine before settling in for the night. "Got a room, with no heat, the TV remote was not set for the TV and the ceiling was leaking water," the wrote, but emphasized that once this was pointed out to the staff, they were quick to get their guest moved to a more acceptable room.

Jumping up dramatically to a cool 665 JDP rating is Best Western Plus. The upper midscale hotel chain also performed better on the ACSI index, coming in higher than the standard best Western at an index point of 77. A pretty decent brand overall, Best Western Plus is designed to give a more relaxing overall experience than the standard Best Western brand, which primarily focuses on convenience and economy. Best Western Plus adds amenities like fitness centers, guest laundry, and business centers, with many sites also featuring hot tubs, spas, and on-site restaurants and bars.

Comb through a few subReddits, andit quickly becomes apparent that Best Western Plus is a guest favorite for a reliable, comfortable hotel with satisfactory amenities and customer service. In a review that seems exemplary of the standard Best Western Plus experience, one Reddit user praised the "very nice breakfast setup." They went on to note that the hotel has small pool, gym, and laundry areas, a microwave and mini fridge in guest rooms, and snacks available in the lobby. "Room walls are thin though," they noted, adding, "I could hear a dog barking in the room next to mine."

Scoring incrementally higher with a 667 on the JDP index and a 78 on the ACSI is the upper midscale Holiday Inn Express. These hotels tend to review very highly on most online review sites, with guests praising the overall value for the money.

In a world where "free breakfast" typically means you'll get a disappointing selection of cold bagels and cereal, this no-frills hotel chain offers a hot breakfast that includes options for kids. "The free breakfast was delish," wrote one Tripadvisor user. "The hot cinnamon rolls were so yummy and the pancake maker was awesome!" Other guests reported omelets, various breakfast meats, and biscuits and gravy, if of fairly standard-grade quality. The hotels also serve freshly ground coffee around the clock. Guests also tend to report attractive lobbies and comfortable rooms. After spending the evening tucked away reading in a chaise lounge chair they said they'd like to order for home before crawling into bed, one guest reported on Reddit, "The bed was fluffy and comfortable."

With a 678 JDP rating, Fairfield came in nearly at the top of JD Power's upper midscale ranking. Fairfields offer very basic amenities for a pleasant, affordable experience designed to compete with hotels like Holiday Inn Express or Hampton Inn. When compared with other, similar Marriott chains, guests say Fairfields tend to run on the nicer side.

Aside from their Asia Pacific hotels, Fairfield offers complimentary breakfast for guests that includes both hot options and health ones. Rooms include free wifi and comfortable, flexible workspaces to make working on the go easier. Reviewing a handful of California Fairfields in 2024, one Reddit user announced the brand was their new favorite hotel chain. "Of course there is no room service, wine welcome gift for elites, or eggs benedict for breakfast. ... For what they do offer, including the basic free breakfast, they delivered very well on their intended mission." To get the best Fairfield experience, other users advised searching on Google Maps to double-check if the property has been renovated. If it has, you're golden — go ahead and book.

Coming in at the very top of the ratings for upper midscale hotels is Hampton by Hilton. The chain's JDP ranking jumps up nearly 20 points above everything else in its category for a score of 694, despite its relatively lower score of 75 on the ACSI. And in 2025, Newsweek ranked Hampton their top brand for Best Customer Service in the mid-range category.

Famous for their Hampton Waffle — the make-your-own waffle that sparked a trend across hotel chains everywhere, Hampton offers one of the best free breakfasts in the hotel industry to help guests get the day started. And many say the overall value is what makes this hotel chain one of the best in the biz.

Outlining some of the key differences between Hampton and Hilton in a Reddit post, one regular guest wrote, "My wife prefers Hamptons to Hiltons. They tend to be incredibly consistent, good value, located everywhere and with a decent breakfast. Consistency is their brand." Other than that, they shared, the main differences are that Hiltons tend to have restaurants, meeting spaces, and slightly nicer bathrooms.

Don't let the understated exterior fool you — Tru by Hilton is an outstanding value, in its class or otherwise. With its 723 JD Power ranking, Tru is leaps and bounds above many upper midscale hotels while sitting comfortably at the top of the midscale chart just above Wingate.

One of the fundamental differences with Tru is its innovative lobby, something that is far from standard in the industry. Unlike conventional hotel lobbies, which consist of some seating and televisions with a coffee urn or two thrown in if you're lucky, Tru lobbies have been reimagined as larger, more functional public spaces. Now, instead of either being stuck in their rooms, chilling on the balcony, or hanging out at the pool, guests have the option to play foosball, shoot pool, or take advantage of the speedy wifi in a super comfy shared workspace. Although Tru's guest rooms do tend to be a bit on the smaller side, the hotel features a modern fitness center that goes beyond the standard treadmill graveyard at many budget hotels and has a complimentary hot breakfast like most other Hilton resorts.