Investigating the importance of positive hotel design

Abstract

• This study extends the positive design framework to the hotel design context. • The role of positive design factors on customers’ well-being is identified. • The positive relationship between positive design factors and customers’ self-brand connection is identified. • This study investigates another way of enhancing customers’ brand loyalty through the positive design framework. Despite customers’ attention to well-being, scant research has examined the role of positive hotel design to enhance customers’ well-being and brand evaluations. Derived from the positive design framework and Stimulus-Organism-Response model, this study investigated effects of positive design factors on customers’ responses in the context of the hotel industry. Findings from this study identified that corporate social responsibility to environment, escapism, and compatibility positively influenced customers’ well-being; whereas, only escapism and compatibility influenced self-brand connection. Both well-being and self-brand connection led to customers’ brand loyalty. Results provided suggestions to hotel managers in developing meaningful customer experiences through the lens of positive design.