Search Results (171)

The implementation of Digital Twins (DTs) in hospitality facilities represents a significant opportunity to optimize front-end services, enhancing guest experience and operational efficiency. This paper proposes an ontology-driven approach for DTs in hotel reception areas, focusing on integrating IoT devices, real-time data processing, and service optimization. By modeling interactions between guests, receptionists, and hotel management systems, DTs enhance resource allocation, predictive maintenance, and customer satisfaction. Simulations and historical data analysis enable forecasting demand fluctuations and optimizing check-in/check-out processes. This research provides a structured framework for DT applications in hospitality, validated through scenario-based simulations, showing significant improvements in check-in time and guest satisfaction. Validation was conducted through scenario-based simulations reflecting real-world operational challenges, such as guest surges, room assignment, and staff workload balancing. Metrics including check-in time, guest satisfaction index, task completion rates, and prediction accuracy were used to evaluate performance. Simulations were grounded in historical hotel data and modeled typical peak-period dynamics to ensure realism. Results demonstrated a 25–35% reduction in check-in time, a 20% improvement in staff efficiency, and significant enhancements in guest satisfaction, underscoring the practical value of the proposed framework in real hospitality settings. Full article

This study addresses a gap in hospitality research by investigating how employees’ perceptions of green intellectual capital (GIC) influence their satisfaction with both career and life. Although sustainability has become increasingly relevant in organizational strategies, limited research has examined how such job resources affect employees’ attitudes. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework, the study proposes a model in which organizational embeddedness (OE) mediates the relationship between green intellectual capital (GIC) and satisfaction outcomes, while thriving at work (TAW) moderates this pathway. The analysis is based on data collected from 371 employees working in four- and five-star hotels in Turkey. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The findings show that positive perceptions of green intellectual capital (GIC) are associated with stronger embeddedness, which, in turn, enhances career and life satisfaction. Moreover, this indirect effect is more pronounced among employees who report higher levels of thriving. The results emphasize how sustainability-oriented practices can serve as meaningful resources that improve employee outcomes in the hospitality industry. Full article

Tourist satisfaction models typically assume that service performance dimensions carry the same weight for all travelers. Drawing on Bourdieu, we reconceptualize age, gender, and region of origin as demographic capital, durable resources that mediate how visitors decode service cues. Using a SERVPERF-based survey of 407 international travelers departing Quito (Ecuador), we test measurement invariance across six sociodemographic strata with multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. The four-factor SERVPERF core (Access, Lodging, Extra-hotel Services, Attractions) holds, yet partial metric invariance emerges: specific loadings flex with demographic capital. Gen-Z travelers penalize transport reliability and safety; female visitors reward cleanliness and empathy; and Latin American guests are the most critical of basic organization. These patterns expose a boundary condition for universalistic satisfaction models and elevate demographic capital from a descriptive tag to a structuring construct. Managerially, we translate the findings into segment-sensitive levers, visible security for youth and regional markets, gender-responsive facility upgrades, and dual eco-luxury versus digital-detox bundles for long-haul segments. By demonstrating when and how SERVPERF fractures across sociodemographic lines, this study intervenes in three theoretical conversations: (1) capital-based readings of consumption, (2) the search for boundary conditions in service-quality measurement, and (3) the shift from segmentation to capital-sensitive interpretation in emerging markets. The results position Ecuador as a critical case and provide a template for destinations facing similar performance–perception mismatches in the Global South. Full article

Understanding and promoting guest satisfaction is central to the economic sustainability of the hospitality industry. Satisfaction influences consumers’ booking intentions, hotel choice, loyalty, and the reputation and performance of accommodation establishments. Thus, accurate decision making by hotel managers relies on trustworthy and easily accessible information on the variables that affect guest satisfaction. Nowadays, this information is available through reviews and ratings provided by online platforms, such as TripAdvisor. Indeed, much research into guest satisfaction uses TripAdvisor reviews. However, this study aims to analyse guest satisfaction using only TripAdvisor ratings. These ratings can be more succinct and tractable indicators than reviews. A sample of 118 hotels in Cape Verde and the Azores, two archipelagos belonging to Macaronesia, and a descriptive, predictive, and discriminant methodology are employed for this purpose. Four main results are obtained. First, the rated items on TripAdvisor are consistent with the scientific literature on this topic. Second, TripAdvisor ratings are valid and reliable. Third, TripAdvisor ratings can predict guest satisfaction based on the perceived quality of hotel services. Fourth, there are significant differences in ratings depending on the tourism destination chosen. These results are of interest to researchers, tourists, as well as hotel, destination, and platform managers. Full article

This study highlights the importance of managing and analyzing customer reviews to gain a competitive advantage and improve customer experience in the hospitality industry. In this context, a deep learning-based sentiment analysis system of hotel customer reviews is developed to evaluate service quality within the scope of sustainable tourism. The study analyzed 15,522 customer reviews of five-star hotels in Antalya using text mining, topic modelling, and deep learning-based sentiment analysis. The reviews were classified as positive, negative, or neutral. The findings show that Hotel HB2 has the highest performance, with an F1 score of 97.9%. Overall customer satisfaction is 91%, while emotional satisfaction stands at 77%. Key factors, such as cleanliness, food quality, and staff professionalism, were found to play a critical role in customer loyalty. Additionally, this study integrates sustainability-orientated themes by identifying customer feedback related to environmentally friendly practices and sustainable hotel operations. The results provide evidence that customer satisfaction is not only influenced by service quality but also by the perceived environmental and social responsibility of the hotel. Machine learning techniques have emerged as effective tools for analyzing large-scale customer reviews, offering valuable insights to rapidly and accurately capture customers’ emotions, expectations, and perceptions. As a comprehensive application of sentiment analysis and text mining, this research offers hotel managers a practical framework to enhance service quality, foster customer loyalty, and develop sustainability-orientated strategies. This study contributes to the literature by linking AI-driven sentiment analysis with sustainability practices in the tourism sector. Full article

As sustainability becomes an essential approach in the USA hospitality sector, green certifications like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) are increasingly adopted by hotel developers. However, the extent to which different LEED certification levels influence guest satisfaction remains unclear. This study investigates how the LEED certification level interacts with the relationship between a hotel’s sustainability performance and guest satisfaction in the United States. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining Random Forest Regression and the Process macro on a dataset of LEED-certified USA hotels with normalized guest satisfaction scores. The Random Forest model identified Energy and Atmosphere (EA) and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) as the most influential LEED categories in predicting satisfaction. Additionally, the results reveal that the positive effect of sustainability on satisfaction is strongest at the lower LEED levels (Certified and Silver), but shows diminishing returns at higher levels (Gold and Platinum), suggesting that an increased sustainability performance does not uniformly improve guest experience. These findings support all three hypotheses and offer practical insights for hotel developers, operators, and certification bodies seeking to align sustainability strategies with guest expectations. Full article

This study examines how Chinese tourists perceive the value of sustainable practices implemented in five-star hotels in Phuket, Thailand, through the lens of the perceived value theory and the service experience framework. While luxury hotels increasingly adopt green initiatives, research exploring how tourists evaluate these efforts across the full guest journey is limited. Addressing this gap, this study aimed to examine how attitudinally distinct tourist segments perceive sustainable practices across three service stages: pre-consumption, consumption, and post-consumption. A cross-sectional survey of 400 Chinese tourists was conducted, applying k-means clustering to segment respondents by sustainability attitudes, followed by multi-group structural equation modeling. Two segments emerged: environmentally engaged travelers and conventional comfort travelers. The results indicate that the emotional value dominates during the stay, the functional value drives pre-stay decisions, and the ethical/social value shapes post-stay reflections. Environmentally engaged tourists were more responsive to ethical and social cues. The findings highlight sustainability as a multidimensional, stage-specific construct moderated by guest attitudes. Theoretically, this research extends perceived value frameworks by mapping sustainability perceptions across the guest journey. Practically, it offers actionable insights for hotel managers seeking to design value-aligned green strategies and segmented communication. Tailoring sustainability initiatives to tourist profiles can enhance satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy in the luxury hospitality sector. Full article

In response to escalating societal and environmental expectations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has evolved into a strategic imperative rather than a voluntary or peripheral activity. This study investigates the effect of employees’ CSR perceptions on job performance, with corporate reputation (CR) examined as a mediating variable. Drawing on Social Identity and Social Exchange Theories, the research explores how CSR, as an element of business innovation and sustainable organizational practices, fosters internal stakeholder engagement and performance enhancement. Data were collected from five-star hotel employees in İstanbul/Türkiye, a service sector context where customer satisfaction is highly dependent on frontline employee behavior. Using PROCESS Macro for SPSS 27, the findings reveal that CSR perceptions significantly and positively influence employee performance both directly and indirectly through the enhancement of CR. This mediating effect underscores the role of CSR not only as an ethical framework but also as an internal mechanism that strengthens employee commitment and output. The study contributes to CSR and the organizational behavior literature by empirically validating that internal CSR perceptions shape strategic outcomes such as employee performance, especially within high-contact service environments. Theoretical implications emphasize CSR’s integrative function in reputation-building and performance systems, while practical insights recommend embedding socially responsible practices into HR and internal communication strategies to achieve sustainable outcomes and societal well-being. These findings offer meaningful contributions to the scope of business innovation by linking CSR with strategic performance indicators in labor-intensive industries. Full article

The end of the pandemic has been officially declared; however, the requirement to ensure hygienic living conditions in tourist accommodations remains a top priority for all hotel establishments and a prerequisite for every customer. Our systematic review studied the level of effectiveness of existing technological means and practices in order to limit COVID-19 infections and to protect customers from other factors aggravating their health, focusing on hotel restaurants. The PRISMA-S method was used. Database research (ABI/INFORM, ProQuest, Scopus EBSCO Business Source Premier, CBCA Business, Pubmed, and Embase) was undertaken between 6/2020 and 4/2024 with keywords comprising “hotels restaurants”, “health and safety”, “effectiveness/efficacy”, “primary analysis”, secondary analysis”, etc. In total, 1110 articles were initially identified, but eventually, 20 papers were selected comprising customer-level questionnaires, systematic reviews, and expert opinions/surveys. Different criteria were used for study assessment according to the type of study. So far, only a very limited number of studies have focused on the effectiveness of different health and safety measures in hotel restaurants. Even though the studies focusing on AI, robotics, and further technological means for enhancing customer satisfaction and the overall level of cleanliness are quite limited, the constant investment of hotels and restaurants in new technologies appears to be a one-way road. Full article

Hotel business performance has been traditionally measured through financial metrics. Nevertheless, recent research emphasizes the increasing relevance of non-financial metrics such as sustainability, stakeholder perceptions, and strategic management practices. This study assesses the evolution of the measurement of hotel business performance within the scientific literature to identify trends and theoretical frameworks that shape performance measurement. The methodological approach employs qualitative and quantitative analysis, through a bibliometric analysis, to track the development of performance metrics in the field. The findings suggest that the assessment of hotels’ business performance shifted from the use of pure financial metrics to a more integrated perspective, including factors such as social responsibility, customer satisfaction, and sustainability. Furthermore, external factors such as economic crises could also significantly influence hotel performance. Future research should further explore the role of technology and regional variations in shaping hotel business success. Full article

This study explores the impact of green transformational leadership (GTL) on employee retention in the hospitality sector, with a specific focus on the mediating roles of employee satisfaction and perceived green organizational support (PGOS). Grounded in self-determination theory and organizational support theory, the research examines both the direct and indirect effects of GTL on employee retention. GTL fosters a sustainability-driven work environment, motivating employees through shared environmental values, which enhances their job satisfaction and perceived organizational support. These factors, in turn, strengthen employees’ commitment and willingness to stay within the organization. Using SmartPLS 3 for structural equation modeling (SEM), data collected from hospitality employees were analyzed to assess the hypothesized relationships. The findings confirm that GTL positively influences employee retention, both directly and indirectly, through the mediating effects of employee satisfaction and PGOS. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable leadership by highlighting the crucial role of green leadership practices in improving employee retention in environmentally conscious organizations. Implications for managers and policymakers in the hospitality sector are discussed, emphasizing the need for sustainability-driven leadership approaches to enhance workforce stability. Full article

Although integrating smart technologies into service encounters can provide hoteliers with a competitive advantage, managing customer satisfaction in smart hotels remains challenging due to limited knowledge of how to prioritize improvements across smart service and traditional service. Therefore, the study aims to evaluate customer satisfaction with both smart and non-smart technology attributes in smart hotels, identify attributes with high improvement priorities, and uncover factors contributing to customer dissatisfaction. This study proposes a prioritization method for service improvement in smart hotels by analyzing online reviews from 42 smart hotels. The findings reveal that customers’ technological needs are well met in smart hotels, but smart hotels need to promptly address three key issues: long check-in wait times, staff attitude and competence, and breakfast quality. To maximize customer satisfaction, managers should adopt a hybrid service model that strikes the right balance between technology and human interaction. Full article

This study explores the motivations of students pursuing a university degree in hospitality and tourism and their intention to build a career in the sector. The research focused on students and recent graduates (up to two years post-graduation) from two universities in Portugal’s largest cities, Lisbon and Oporto, offering Hotel/Tourism Management programs. A quantitative study was carried out, and out of 610 questionnaires distributed, 346 valid responses were analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings indicate that personal motivations, as well as macro and micro perspectives, influence the decision to pursue a degree in hospitality and tourism. Younger individuals with no prior industry experience tend to have a more optimistic outlook compared to older students or those with work experience. A key challenge is sustaining this optimism throughout their careers, which can enhance job satisfaction and improve retention in a sector known for high turnover rates. Unlike previous studies, this research links students’ motivations to their “Ikigai”—the pursuit of purpose and fulfilment. The desire to create meaningful experiences for others adds another dimension to understanding students’ motivations, particularly when considering differences in age and work experience. Full article

The study investigates how information asymmetry affects customer satisfaction in the tourism industry by examining trust and perceived value as mediating factors. The research implements an integrated model to test and prove information asymmetry’s direct and mediating effects on customer satisfaction by examining the literature gap. The research used a quantitative approach based on opinion polls distributed to 408 customers of hotels, tourism companies, and travel agencies who were in Egypt. SmartPLS 3 software implemented the data analysis process using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Previous studies have developed scales to measure information asymmetry and its related constructs, including customer trust, perceived value, and customer satisfaction. Multiple tests showed that the measurement tools possess both reliability and validity. Results strongly support all hypotheses: information asymmetry demonstrated significant direct negative effects on customer satisfaction (β = −0.187), trust (β = −0.520), and perceived value (β = −0.453). Conversely, customer satisfaction received significant positive direct effects from both trust (β = 0.273) and perceived value (β = 0.263). Importantly, trust (indirect effect β = −0.142) and perceived value (indirect effect β = −0.119) acted as powerful mediators, confirming that information asymmetry diminishes satisfaction largely by eroding these crucial factors. Crucially, the results demonstrate that the negative impact of information asymmetry on customer satisfaction is significantly mediated jointly through two parallel pathways: the erosion of customer trust and the impairment of perceived value. The research adds theoretical support to information asymmetry theory with its findings while also extending trust theory, perceived value theory, and expectancy disconfirmation theory in the field of e-commerce. E-commerce entities must establish clear communication to gain customer trust and create perceived value that helps compensate for information asymmetry to create enhanced customer loyalty and superior market position. Full article

Hotels are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the tourism industry, and sentiment analysis plays a vital role in improving business performance and supporting sustainable practices. This paper proposes a novel framework combining topic mining and aspect-based sentiment analysis to examine 29,334 hotel reviews in Henan province in China, with the aim of informing strategies for sustainable hotel development. Our results reveal six key attributes of customer concern, particularly emphasizing family experiences, which reflect Henan’s appeal as a family tourism destination. Additionally, we uncover sentiment quadruples, including categories, aspect terms, opinion terms, and polarities, thus enabling a dual-dimensional evaluation of factors influencing customer satisfaction. The results reveal that service mainly influences overall category-level satisfaction, while bed, front desk, and breakfast primarily drive aspect-level satisfaction. This study provides valuable insights into customer feedback, offering empirical support for optimizing services and guiding the sustainable strategic development of regional hotels. Full article