South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa is the winner of the Q3 2010 Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI), having ranked highest in customer satisfaction among Casino

SAN RAFAEL, CA  – Meetings and events are critical to many hotels and vital to the casino industry. So keeping these guests delighted is crucial, especially for the struggling casino industry. While meeting and event satisfaction with all hotels improved slightly (+.4 to 82.1), meeting and event satisfaction at casinos improved significantly (+2.4 to 83.0) in the third quarter. The top scoring brands among all casinos for meeting and event satisfaction were Mohegan Sun (90.2), Treasure Island (89.3), and Bellagio (86.4). Meeting and event customers at casinos were especially pleased with the improved food and beverages served at their events (+4.4 to 84.5), which is a key driver of repeat business for this segment.

Across the hospitality industry, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, British Airways and Enterprise ranked number one in hotel, airline and rental car industry customer satisfaction, respectively for the third quarter.

Hotels and Casinos 
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, a Honolulu-based upscale hotel chain, received the top score (+2.3 to 92.3) across all hotel segments. With service scores nearly 10 points higher than competitors, guest rave about their “fantastic staff” who were “incredibly attentive to our needs, and went out of their way to make sure our stay was good.” Outrigger outscored even luxury hotels by exceeding guest expectations more often than any other hotel chain.

Rising guest perceptions of value (+0.3 to 82.2) helped improve satisfaction scores among most segments including: Economy (.42 to 78.7), Casinos (+0.3 to 83.1), Midscale w/o F&B (+.22 to 83.7), Upscale Casinos (+0.06 to 84.3), and Midscale w/ F&;B (+.04 to 81.7). Satisfaction with Timeshare Accommodations (-0.5 to 86.9) declined the most with Hilton Grand Vacation (-2.0 to 85.4) showing the largest drop among brand scores. Other segments posting declines in customer satisfaction for the third quarter include: Luxury hotels (-.05 to 85.7), Upper Upscale hotels (-0.22 to 84.3), and Upscale Hotels (-0.15 to 84.7). Customers were happier with their airline experiences (+0.7 to 76.5) but slightly disappointed with their car rental experiences (+0.1 to 79.3) in the third quarter of 2010.

Market Metrix Hospitality Index – Q3 2010 Winners
WINNER		SEGMENT
Hotels
Mandarin Oriental Kimpton Hotels Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Holiday Inn SunSpree Resorts Drury Inns Microtel Inns & Suites	90.0 90.6 92.3 84.9 90.3 84.0	Luxury Upper Upscale Upscale Midscale w/ F&B Midscale w/o F&B Economy
Casinos
Mohegan Sun South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa	89.9 89.3	Upscale Casino Casino
Web Sites
Omni Hotels Hotwire.com	89.5 77.8	Hotel Brand Web Site Hotel Travel Website
Airline
British Airways	84.0	Airline
Car Rental
Enterprise	82.0	Car Rental
Timeshare	91.8	Timeshare Accommodations

About MMHI
Based on 35,000 customer interviews conducted each quarter, the Market Metrix Hospitality Index (MMHI) is the largest and most in-depth measure of hospitality company performance available today. Our annual MMHI Awards are coveted by lodging and travel enterprises around the world. These benchmarks, delivered through our flagship product Customer Metrix™, enable Market Metrix clients to compare their results to competitors by STAR segment, AAA classification, Brand, SMSA, industry averages, performers in the top 10% and other classifications. The MMHI is also available by subscription.

About Market Metrix
Market Metrix has been helping leading hospitality companies turn feedback into performance since 1996. Combining award–winning research with powerful products, Market Metrix gives clients essential information, guidance and tools to make informed business decisions. Software–as–a–Service (SaaS) based products help clients save money, improve guest and employee loyalty and gain control over the new social media wave. For more information, visit www.marketmetrix.com.

Contact Mike Pharis
1-800-239-7515.