The 10 Most Trusted Travel and Hospitality Brands

Morning Consult released its rankings of the Most Trusted Brands in Travel and Hospitality on Thursday. The data intelligence company surveyed 4,400 U.S. adults to gauge their overall trust in the industry in an effort to learn about both how faith is built and broken. Hotel and resort brands dominate the list in 2021, accounting for eight of the top 10 logos travelers look to for a satisfying experience. With travel bouncing back this summer, here's a look at the most trusted names in the industry.

The most powerful travel agency in 2021 also owns one of the industry's most trusted brands. Expedia is the lone online travel company in the top 10, edging out 11th-ranked TripAdvisor, according to Morning Consult's research. While it's never been an important time to book with an experienced travel advisor, it's clear that consumers have few reservations about putting their faith in Expedia.

One of the world's largest hotel companies, Hyatt has certainly earned more trust than it's lost over the last 60-plus years. The brand's pandemic response was equally impressive as it spent the early days and weeks developing cleanliness guidelines and resources and also became the first major hotel chain to offer free on-site COVID-19 testing at all of its Latin American properties.

Perhaps Choice Hotels International's most recognizable mid-scale brand, Comfort has a name that resonates with weary travelers and those booking at the last minute and has apparently done enough to keep guests coming back. Morning Consult's research highlights the fact that guests willing to put their trust in a brand don't always want to be wowed but definitely don't want to be disappointed when it comes to expectations.

Dating all the way back to 1919, Hilton Worldwide's flagship brand, Hilton Hotels and Resorts is unsurprisingly one of the most trusted brand names in travel but it still has some significant ground to make up in order to catch its rivals. Nonetheless, seventh-place Hilton was ranked number one on Fortune magazine's list of the Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2020 based on employee satisfaction.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts is yet another of the hotel brands to rank in the top 10 in 2021. According to Morning Consult's research, three out of five American adults indicated that they tend to trust hotels and that the hotel would have to do something bad to lose that trust. Best Western's placement in the top 10 is a prime example of the benefit of delivering on consumer expectations.

Disney is arguably the most powerful brand on the planet so it might not be all that shocking to learn that Florida's Walt Disney World Resort ranks as the fifth-most trusted travel and hospitality brand in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent worldwide shutdown forced the theme park to make some changes for the health and safety of staff and guests but the family-friendly destination is getting back to normal ahead of its 50th-anniversary celebration this fall.

Out West, the original Disney-themed adventure park, Disneyland Resort in Southern California is even more trusted than its East Coast counterpart. The Happiest Place on Earth has been just that for a majority of guests who seem to know exactly what they're getting when they pass through the turnstiles.

When it comes to trust, low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines fares the best among the Big Four U.S. airlines. Southwest, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, navigated the pandemic as well as could be expected, even limiting capacity on every flight to allow for middle seats to remain open for several months in 2020. Southwest is the only airline in the top 10, with competitors Delta Air Lines (14th), American Airlines (18th) and United Airlines (20th) having a long way to go to overcome its dominance.

The world's largest hotel company by the number of available rooms didn't get there with a lack of consumer trust. Marriott has been around for nearly a century and it's clear the brand has done enough to keep its loyal guests coming back and inspiring trust in travelers who may be checking in for the first time.

The most trusted brand in travel is also one of the most iconic. InterContinental Hotels Group's (IHG) Holiday Inn chain gives travelers the most confidence, according to Morning Consult's latest research. Founded in Memphis, Tennessee nearly seven decades ago, Holiday Inn has become a big part of the culture ever since, working its way into hit songs and earning a reputation as a dependable place to stay all over the world.