WoodSpring Suites has claimed the top spot in the economy extended stay segment of the J.D. Power 2026 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study for the fifth consecutive year, sweeping all six evaluated dimensions: guest room, hotel facility, hotel connectivity, hotel staff, value for price paid, and check-in/check-out.
Five-Year Streak
The brand first earned distinction as the #1 overall economy hotel brand in the 2022 study, then held the #1 economy extended stay title in each year since the category's introduction — 2023, 2024, 2025, and now 2026. "Earning the top ranking for the fifth time in a row is a powerful reflection of the consistency and dedication our owners, operators, and teams bring to delivering an exceptional guest experience every day," said Matt McElhare, Vice President and Extended Stay Segment Lead, Choice Hotels International. McElhare added that WoodSpring is purpose-built for longer-term guests, with the brand's consistency underscoring its commitment to value, comfort, and reliable service.
For hospitality operators watching the extended stay space, the sustained performance across all evaluated dimensions — not just an overall score — signals that WoodSpring's product-design choices are landing with guests. The brand's all-suite format features in-room kitchens, flexible layouts, on-site laundry, and free Wi-Fi, with affordable weekly and monthly rate structures designed to reduce friction for longer-term stays. Those amenities align closely with what extended stay and select-service operators have identified as the most durable drivers of guest satisfaction in the value tier.
Scale and Pipeline
As of the end of Q1 2026, WoodSpring Suites operates 583 open properties across the United States, with an additional 280 projects in the pipeline and 29 hotels currently under construction. That development momentum positions the brand — and Choice Hotels more broadly — as one of the most active builders in the economy extended stay category at a time when demand from workforce travelers, relocating households, and cost-conscious long-term guests continues to outpace supply in many markets.
The J.D. Power 2026 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, now in its 30th year, benchmarks 104 brands across nine market segments. The 2026 results are drawn from responses from 44,787 hotel guests covering stays between May 2025 and May 2026. The study measures seven dimensions in total; WoodSpring was evaluated across six applicable to its segment.
For franchise owners and prospective developers, back-to-back top rankings carry practical weight: guest satisfaction scores increasingly influence online review averages, OTA placement, and repeat-booking rates — all of which feed directly into RevPAR performance. Operators tracking hospitality brand performance metrics will note that consistency across all evaluated categories, rather than a single standout score, is a harder bar to clear and a stronger proxy for operational discipline across a multi-unit portfolio.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
