The Hospitality Industry covers four main segments – Food and Beverages, Travel and Tourism, Recreation, and today’s focus, Lodging. Five companies heavily involved in the Lodging segment will compete for the little gold trophies today to determine which company offers the best company culture to its employees. We’ve changed things up a little bit today, as the five companies aren’t directly comparable in terms of what they do. Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott are all chains that offer relatively luxurious hotels across the nation. Best Western is a less luxury-forward brand but they’ve been part of the bedrock of the industry for decades. And Airbnb is our disruptor, who have changed the way people stay when they’re away from home. So let’s see which company is the most prestigious, most luxurious, and most groundbreaking behind the scenes, then, courtesy of Comparably’s deep stock of anonymous employee feedback.
OVERALL CULTURE
The day’s first victory goes to Hyatt, who scored an A+ from their employees for the quality and substance of their company culture. Airbnb was second-place to the long-established hotel chain, illustrating that good cultures come in all shapes and sizes. Hilton and Marriott both earned respectable B ratings, but last-place Best Western – who, it should be noted, charge much less than Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott – still has no excuse for letting their employees fester in a less-than-healthy culture.
Airbnb: “They know when quick changes are necessary and also when to evaluate all sides of an area to implement a slower, lasting change.”
Best Western: “There are no benefits, complete lack of organisation as well and chain of command. Its a free for all.”
Hilton: “They’re working on being more work-life balance friendly. We still see stories about people who return to work the day after their wedding, or picking up every shift, so what’s being recognized is still 24/7 commitment to the company.”
Hyatt: “Good relationships, family oriented, respect for each other’s standards in each department, consistency.”
Marriott: “HQ is very meeting centered so people are always running around and talking to each other. It is easy to make friends. We have a casual dress code (jeans). Work from home and flexible work schedules are dependent on your manager so some people have more strict schedules than others. It feels like a very flexible environment but there is still a lot of corporate hierarchy and politics.”
CEO
Hyatt’s Mark Hoplamazian takes the trophy for Best CEO, beating out hot competition from well-liked chief execs at Airbnb (Brian Chesky), Hilton (Christopher Nassetta), and Marriott (Arne Sorenson). Best Western’s David Kong is not as popular with his employees, and at least one employee (see below) feels Kong needs to go before substantial improvements can be made.
Airbnb: “Leadership are constantly improving, transparent, care about a grander vision.”
Best Western: “Board needs to start acting in the best interests of the shareholders and take corrective action in removing CEO that consistently underperforms when compared to bank peer group.”
Hilton: “Most employees don’t have an opinion. Thinking is all focused around property level. Huge disconnect from property to property to corp.”
Hyatt: “Compassion and empathy is a key component to management culture. They understand work is just a portion of our lives and not everthing.”
Marriott: “We like Arne Sorenson. No improvement needed.”
COMPENSATION
We could be seeing the makings of a rout for Hyatt, who win a third trophy with a B+ for Compensation from their employees. Marriott, Airbnb, and Hilton saw undistinguished scores, and once again Best Western seems to show little care for retaining its employees beyond a summer job.
Airbnb: “Those that work in remote offices dont get the same perks as those in the SF office.” An SF employee notes, “3 meals a day if you are in SF.”
Best Western: “I am being paid barely above minimum wage and I am consistently a top performer and have many years of experience relevant to my field.”
Hilton: “The rate is low compared to other areas and companies but worth it for the ability to work remote and have supportive managers and leads.”
Hyatt: “The pay is competitive. The raises have been bad the last few years.”
Marriott: “Well, I’m not a housekeeper anymore. I’m in another role which is less strenuous and i believe I’m paid fairly for this job.”
PERKS & BENEFITS
The winner here is the youngest company of the bunch, Airbnb, scoring a B+ for the suite of Perks & Benefits they offer employees. Hilton wasn’t much of a threat here in second place, and hot-streak Hyatt seems to have met its match in this category – they were outscored by Marriott by three percentage points. Last place again is reserved for Best Western, which seems designed to offer customers and employees a similarly n0-frills experience that focuses on practicality rather than security and comfort.
Airbnb: “Great benefits – medical, dental, etc all covered by Airbnb.”
Best Western: “We don’t get any compensations. The only good thing is that we do get paid vacation depending on how long you’ve been with the company”
Hilton: “401k (first 3% is matched 100%, second 2% is matched 50% so total 4% match if you contribute 5%). PTO is very generous, 20 days for the first year, 25 days for 2-9 years, 27 days for 10-14, and 30 days for 15 years or more. Hotel benefits are great, $35 for focus service, up to $55 for full service for team member travel. Family gets 50% off.”
Hyatt: “12 free comp nights a year IF you can find someplace you actually want to go that has available dates you can get off work!”
Marriott: “The best hotel discounts. That included the resorts and other business like cruises.”
DIVERSITY
Hyatt regains its mojo in the Diversity category, running away with a sterling A+ score. Second-place goes to Hilton, followed closely by Marriott and Airbnb. Best Western scored better than usual here, but still has a way to go before it needs to make room on its dashboard for one of our heavily desirable no-prize trophies.
Airbnb: “Ethnically diverse, but zero diversity when it comes to ‘political beliefs’ – estaff and down are all very anti-Trump and make it publicly known, virtually no conservative views at the company. If you champion yourself as a company based on diversity, then you must also be inclusive to views that differ from your own.”
Best Western: “There are all kinds of people employeed by Best Western.”
Hilton: “There is plenty of diversity.”
Hyatt: “A LOT of diversity at Hyatt.”
Marriott: “Well, at my particular Marriott we have both Caucasian and African American. No other races employed there in my 4 months of being there.”
OUTLOOK
Airbnb: “There are constaantly exciting things to work on. I’ve worked at a number of other companies and nowhere else have I been excited about what i’m currently working on and the next 3 projects i have lined up after that.”
Best Western: “I believe that the guests appreciate all the different departments BW has and the most unappreciated and most speculated is the breakfast department. They do a phenomenal job and should be recognized for such.”
Hilton: “I love being able to help customers and resolve their issues. And being able to interact with my team and discuss how we all can be great and provide our guest’s awesome experiences.”
Hyatt: “I appreciate the people you meet on this job and I’m excited about the opportunities for growth.”
Marriott: “We are growing in all directions. We have merged with Starwood and have over 30 brands now.”
With a final win in the Outlook category – which measures how employees see the future of their company – Hyatt wins again and takes the whole competition. Marriott, Hilton, and Airbnb also scored well for Outlook, and even frequently doghoused Best Western managed a solid C. We’ve certainly proven here that outward fashionability or disruptor status doesn’t necessarily guarantee a satisfied workforce. Those interested in securing work in the Hospitality Industry would do well to check out options at Hyatt or Airbnb first, according to the respective sentiments of their employees bases.
