Do sustainability considerations impact hotel rankings among American travelers?

A recent YouGov study revealed that for 56% of leisure travellers in the US, green issues are an important consideration when choosing a hotel or other travel accommodation. As per another YouGov poll, 67% of Americans believe that sustainable products are almost always more expensive, while 66% say they would prioritize price over sustainability in their purchase decisions. 

Given this interplay between price and sustainability, and the possibility of higher prices deterring Americans from embracing eco options, this article explores the impact of these price and sustainability considerations on hotel rankings in the US. 

In this study, we’ll look specifically at the Recommendation scores for hotels in the US among two categories of sustainability-minded Americans as per YouGov's proprietary sustainability segmentation:

• Planet Protectors: Consumers who are engaged environmentalists, happy to pay more for products that are good for the environment and interested in issues related to sustainability
• Price Point Green consumers: Those who care about the environment and make an effort to protect it, but the key factor that affects their purchase decisions is price

Top 10 most recommended hotel brands among planet protectors in the US

Data from YouGov BrandIndex reveals that among Americans who are part of the planet protectors consumer segment, Marriott earned the highest Recommendation score - a metric which tracks whether consumers are likely to recommend a brand to family or friends or ask them to avoid it - between October 24, 2022, and October 23, 2023. The American hotel brand scored 36.8 percentage points during the 12-month period. The brand also comes in second place among our comparison group - price point green Americans.

In second place, Hilton Hotels, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, registers a score of 34.3. Courtyard by Marriott, a mid-range hotel brand under the Marriott International umbrella, comes in a distant third with 30.4 points followed by Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn at 28 percentage points each. 

The gap narrows as we move down the table. The last two spots on the list are occupied by two other notable Hilton Worldwide brands - Embassy Suites, its range of up-scale all-suite hotels (23.7) and Hilton Garden Inn, the chain of mid-priced serviced hotels (23.5).

Top 10 most recommended hotel brands among price point green consumers in the US

A look at the data for Price Point Green consumers reveals that Americans who align themselves with this segment on YouGov’s sustainability spectrum are most likely to recommend Holiday Inn. The American hotel chain, a part of IHG Hotels and Resorts, cements its position as a budget favorite among Americans who care about the environment with a score of 38.9 percentage points.

In a close second, Marriott registers a score of 34.9 points between October 24, 2022, and October 23, 2023, followed by Holiday Inn Express (32.8) and Courtyard by Marriott (31.1).

Closing out the top ten list are Sheraton by Marriott International with a score of 22.5 percentage points and Comfort Inn, a brand of Choice Hotels that operates as a franchise model, with a score of 22 points.

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Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Recommendation score is based on the question: Which of the following brands would you recommend/tell a friend to avoid and delivered as a net score between –100 and + 100. The data is based on the interviews of US adults aged 18+ between October 24, 2022, and October 23, 2james023. The figures are based on a four-week moving average. Learn more about BrandIndex.