Healing experiences at resort hotels (HERH): Conceptualization and scale development

Abstract

Anchored in healing experiences literature and therapeutic landscapes theory, this study aims to develop a Healing Experiences at Resort Hotels (HERH) scale. Study 1 comprises an extensive review and culminates in the initial identification of five dimensions. Subsequent intensive interviews with ten interviewees yield 170 statements, which are refined into 26 items spanning five dimensions. In Study 2, through exploratory structural equation modeling using 280 survey responses, results are refined to 22 items across four dimensions: sensory healing, social healing, wellness and cultural healing, and natural healing. With another 574 survey responses, Study 3 then confirms the scale’s reliability, construct and discriminant validity, and criterion-related validity. This four-dimensional 22-item HERH scale constitutes a groundbreaking effort to create a comprehensive scale for healing experiences at resort hotels. As a practical tool, the HERH can be applied by hoteliers to evaluate the quality of healing experiences at resort hotels.