Conceptualizing visitors’ experience in heritage hotels using big data

Abstract

ABSTRACT The main aim of this study is to conceptualize visitors’ experience in heritage hotels by using organic data in the form of Tripadvisor reviews and ratings of the people who stayed in heritage hotels. The reason is that heritage hotels, a cross-section of heritage and lodging, need to be more adequately studied due to the paucity of empirical research in the field. This study comprehends the sentiments towards heritage hotels, heritage experience value and dimensions, and attribute-based performance models for heritage hotels. It is grounded on sentiment and topic analysis of 6626 online Tripadvisor reviews of heritage hotel visitors. The result defines visitor experience in heritage hotels using heritage, architecture, tradition, beauty, people, and place. The result also shows that people generally have positive sentiments towards heritage hotels. Cultural heritage value, location experience, service experience, hotel, and basic amenities determine heritage hotels’ performance, among which cultural heritage value has a positive impact. Heritage hotel managers, DMOs, and local policymakers can use this contemporary study to define heritage hotels and develop programs and policies to promote them.