Spectral splitting due to the exciton response of a three InGaAs quantum well active region placed in various high contrast semiconductor microcavities is observed near room temperature. The planar microcavities consist of one-wavelength thick cavity spacers surrounded by AlGaAs/GaAs along with high contrast distributed Bragg reflectors formed fromAlxOy/GaAsand MgF/ZnSe. Microcavities having different loss rates are characterized over a range of temperatures using reflectance, transmission, and photoluminescence. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.