The Effects of Atmosphere on Perceived Values and Customer Satisfaction toward the Theme Hotel: The Moderating Role of Green Practice Perception

Abstract

Theme hotels are becoming popular because of their fascinating characteristics, within which, theme hotels that feature green practices have become a niche market in the highly competitive hotel industry. Despite past research demonstrating that the cognitive image created by a green hotel exerts strong effects on customers’ favorable reactions, how guest appreciation for green practices affects the relationship between the hotel atmosphere and guest satisfaction remains unknown for hotels of this kind. This research investigated the influence of atmospheric cues on customers’ perceived value and satisfaction and the possible effects of green practices in shaping customer satisfaction. In total, 267 valid responses from persons with experience with theme hotels were used to test the model using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis of the structural equation model. Results of the research indicate that customers’ atmosphere perception of the theme hotel positively affects customer satisfaction, while the perceived value of the hotel mediated the effects of atmosphere on customer satisfaction. The guest’s appreciation of the hotel’s green practices moderated the relationship between atmospherics and customer satisfaction. Academic and managerial implications of the results, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are provided.