Book Accommodation Research Articles

Hotelvp: swimming with sharks

Subject area This case is written for those people who are interested in entrepreneurship, and to generate discussions on the Lean Start-up methodology, as well as other topics related to entrepreneurship and innovation. Study level/applicability It can be used with senior undergraduates, MBAs, EMBAs and senior executives. Case overview In August 2011, Mars Ren and Gene Deng created a technology-based venture, Shanghai Tianhailu Network Information Technology Ltd. Filled with passion, they aspired to be the first “factory outlet” in China' hotel booking industry. To achieve this goal, they developed the Hotelvp app for mobile users. After 6:00 p.m. every day, users could book accommodation online in hotels above three-star standard for that same night at significant discounts. Hotels also benefited because they could sell their unsold room nights at the last minute and improve their revenue management. Ren and Deng were convinced that this win-win idea would take off. Unfortunately, it failed to fully satisfy either the users or the hotels. In spite of the founders' passion and energy, it was still acquired by a much more powerful player in the online sector, JD.com, in early 2014. This case is designed to stimulate in-depth discussions based on the question: What are the key obstacles when launching a startup and how to overcome them? Expected learning outcomes Through class discussion, it aims at teaching the student how to define and practice a start-up idea successfully by following the “Lean Start-up” methodology and/or take advantage of a practical tool, discovery-driven planning. Specifically, this case intends to teach students how: To identify and define a good start-up idea; To take actions based on the idea/opportunity, iterate and modify it along the way to create new start-ups, and finally lead the new start-ups to grow and succeed; To understand the key concepts, frameworks and theoretical logics of Lean Start-up methodology, and apply it in practice. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Making Room at the Inn

This article analyses a recent decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal, Australia, involving religious owners of a resort who refused an accommodation booking by an LGBT youth organisation. Using the case as an anchor, the author focuses on the widespread pressure placed on same-sex attracted people to cover their sexual identities. He argues that instead of forcing us to mute our identities, Australian anti-discrimination law should support self-expression.

Analysis of hotel enterprises competitiveness aspects in modern business

In terms of global competition, which is characterized by constant improvement of existing and the emergence of new tourist destination, tourism is nowdays one of the initiators in development of the national economy. It is important to point out that the relation of tourists toward travelling changed with greater differentiation and the emergence of new market niches. The reason for this relationship lies in the fact that tourists, due to the greater application of information and communication technologies (ICT), have become very well informed about the tourist destinations they visit, their cultural and other facilities, as well as hotels and the services they offer. In order to meet the demands of their customers, hotel companies have to follow market trends and implement new management concepts into their business practices. Hotel companies today take into account not only their customers, but also the society in which they operate. The issue of sustainable development has become the sphere of interest for hotel companies, and they are paying a lot of attention to the following areas: environmental protection, waste management, application of clean technologies and the alike. The ICT applications have a significant role in hotel industries operations since they accelerate communication with customers and also reduce operating costs through the use of different software solutions for accommodation bookings. Nowdays, customers demand quick information and the use of the internet in hotels allows this service.

Rural tourism and the development of Internet-based accommodation booking platforms: a study in the advantages, dangers and implications of innovation

Over the past decade, the use of global Internet-based reservation systems for accommodation has grown massively. This development appears particularly relevant for rural properties, empowering even very small enterprises to reach a large global customer base cheaply and easily. However, a limited number of reservation platforms now dominate the market, with consequences for existing, often locally owned non-profit, national and regional reservation systems. Price comparability listings, ratings and customer reviews (key features of online booking platforms) could impact inter-business competition, quality management, marketing strategies and revenue flows. This paper reviews these issues and researches their impacts on rural accommodation providers in Western Norway, using a series of semi-structured interviews to determine when and why they became involved with Booking.com, the world's largest reservation platform, and how this affected their operations. Results indicate that Booking.com now has a significant role in reservations in rural Norway, with a range of implications for destinations and businesses. While individual businesses seem to benefit overall, Internet-based booking platforms abstract revenues from national and regional booking organisations which also provide advice, training, lobbying and image-enhancing destination marketing. Ideas are presented for new roles for national and regional organisations.

Accommodation in pediatric oncology: parental experiences, preferences and unmet needs

For families of children diagnosed with cancer, proximity to the treatment center and staying close to immediate family members are essential for proper patient management. Accommodation services are therefore a key consideration in pediatric oncology. This descriptive study explored the accommodation used, and preferred, by parents of pediatric cancer patients at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick (SCH), Australia, and investigated their accommodation and practical needs. Forty-two parents from 25 families participated in individual semi-structured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded line-by-line. Coding was facilitated by data analysis software QSR NVivo v8 (www.qsrinternational.com). Emergent themes were numerically assessed to minimize the potential for researcher bias. Nine families (36%) lived near SCH and were able to stay at their own residence during treatment (mean distance of 15.4 km from SCH). The remaining families were categorized 'local, but requiring accommodation' (n=3 families represented by five parent interviews; mean distance of 82.22 km from SCH),'inner regional' (IR) (n=8 families, 15 parent interviews; mean distance of 396.75 km from SCH) or 'outer regional' (OR) (n=3 families, 5 interviews; mean distance of 547.4 km from SCH) according to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) remoteness ratings. Accommodation provided for families from both IR and OR areas was mixed, with several families using multiple accommodation options during treatment, including Ronald Macdonald House (RMH), private accommodation or a rental property close to the hospital for the duration of the treatment. Six IR and one OR family utilized hotel or motel accommodation as an alternative to RMH due to unavailability of rooms. The majority of parents (37/42) preferred to stay on the hospital campus, near their child. Seven out of 11 IR and OR mothers preferred self-contained accommodation, while three out of nine IR and OR fathers preferred accommodation shared with other parents (ie communal). Difficulties with booking accommodation were a clear source of stress for IR and OR families, and despite subsidies, accommodation and travel caused a heavy financial burden. All IR and OR families (n=11) paid a minimum of $200 travel costs per trip to the hospital (with a maximum of $600 per person per trip). Despite this cost, only four IR (50%) and two OR (66.7%) families reported receiving financial aid for travel. With a large percentage of families travelling long distances for treatment at SCH, it is important to assess their accommodation needs and experiences. Although parents positively appraised the accommodation options they utilized, they also provided useful suggestions for enhancing the experiences of future families. There is a clear need for greater access to accommodation specifically tailored to suit the needs or preferences of families from rural and remote locations.

The Need for an E-Commerce Platform for India

Tourism and technology are synonymous with each other. There is no operation in the tourism industry which so far has not been technologically driven. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT), Government of India launched an ecommerce platform on July 25, 2007 in collaboration with Eviivo, a UK based online solution provider. This allowed domestic and international tourists to access information and book facilities online. The existence of a search engine on the home page of incredibleindia.org facilitated information search and upon selection, online booking facilities helped customers to book accommodation facilities. However, various tourism associations opposed the move of the MoT, Govt. of India. The associations, under the banner of a joint action group, demanded withdrawal of the e-commerce platform and cancellation of the appointment of Eviivo, UK. Subsequently, the government withdrew the decision owing to the pressure of the associations. As a result, the incredibleindia.org site at present does not have any flash banner for online booking. However, any such decisions of withdrawal or approval should be based on some survey and research. In this regard, in the present article the perception of operators as well as perspective tourists have been studied. The samples of operators and tourists in the Union Territory of Puducherry were selected as per the convenience of the researcher. The data collected through structured questionnaire were compared based on the Student’s T-test. The findings present the existence of significant difference between the operators and perspective tourists on the issues related to information search and property management solutions whereas there is no difference of perception of tourists as well as operators on issues such as online booking and payment gateway services, online market place for buyers and sellers and online marketing. Thus, the samples in Puducherry seem to have supported the move to have an e-commerce platform of the entire country as opposed to the move of their associations at national level. The findings have been substantiated with the related literature in the field

Complaining in Cyberspace: The Motives and Forms of Hotel Guests' Complaints Online

Traditionally, consumers who have been dissatisfied with service have typically complained to the frontline personnel or to a manager in either a direct (face-to-face, over the phone) manner, indirect by writing, or done nothing but told friends and family of the incident. More recently, the Internet has provided various “new” ways to air a grievance, especially when little might have been done at the point of service failure. With the opportunity to now spread word-of-mouth globally, consumers have the potential to impact the standing of a brand or a firm's reputation. The hotel industry is particularly vulnerable, as an increasing number of bookings are undertaken via the Internet and the decision process is likely to be influenced by what other previous guests might post on many booking-linked sites. We conducted a qualitative study of a key travel site to ascertain the forms and motives of complaints made online about hotels and resorts. 200 web-based consumer complaints were analyzed using NVivo 8 software. Findings revealed that consumers report a wide range of service failures on the Internet. They tell a highly descriptive, persuasive, and credible story, often motivated by altruism or, at the other end of the continuum, by revenge. These stories have the power to influence potential guests to book or not book accommodation at the affected properties. Implications for managers of hotels and resorts are discussed.

Capturing the Mature Traveler: Assessing Web First Impressions

Introduction IPK International (2008) has identified the take up of the internet as one of the four main drivers of global travel and tourism growth. Various empirically based reports confirm the growth and use made of the internet in tourism and destination marketing by providers and travelers, and reinforce the importance of the internet as a marketing distribution channel. Studies confirm that more people are researching the internet for travel related information; more people are booking travel products using the internet. The European Travel Commission (2008) found that * Over 70% of USA internet users nominated the web as their main source for travel research * More than half of internet users in France book their travel online * In the UK the internet is the preferred method to book holidays In the Australian state of Victoria (Tourism Australia, 2008): * In 2007, 68% of international leisure visitors planned their trip on line to get internet information and 43% booked Online. * 41% of international leisure visitors got their information from the internet, 29% from a friend or relative in Australia, 24% from a Travel Agent, 20% from a travel book and 17% from a past visit compared with 2% from the electronic media, print media or tour operator. * Just over half, 53% of interstate leisure visitors get their information from the internet, 4% from airlines, 3% from motoring associations, a tourist office or travel agent respectively. Nielsen (Aussie internet usage ..., 2008) estimates that of the top ten uses of the internet in Australia 44% of users will purchase air tickets and 37% will book accommodation. The use of web sites has become a vital marketing distribution channel for the tourism industry, that enables travelers or their intermediaries to research, book travel, make hotel reservations and hire a car amongst other things. The importance of destination websites has become a given. Given the commercial importance of web sites we would expect significant research to be available indicating how a web site could be improved or identified as less than ideal. Park and Gretzel (2007) have conducted an extensive meta-analysis of the literature studying hotel web site characteristics and their effectiveness. They found that the most used factors among the published research community are: * information quality, * ease of use, * security/privacy, * responsiveness, * customer service, * interactivity, * accessibility, * navigation, * appearance, * personalization, * trust, * brand/reputation, * incentive (in order) Molich, Ede, Kaasgaard, and Karyukin (2004) found that professional usability organizations gave wildly different views of sites. In a study of nine organizations 232 out of 310 found were only reported by one organization. Only two problems were reported by more than six organizations. This apparent difficulty in determining the value of a web site is further exacerbated by another fact. Lindgaard, Fernandes, Dudek, and Brown (2006), in a study investigating how quickly people form an opinion about web page appeal, found that the visual appeal of a website is judged within 50msecs (a 20th of a second). This seemingly instant response was found to match with the opinion of the same person after longer periods of study. Kim and Fesenmaier (2008) proposed that the more inspiring a web page is the more likely it is to result in a favorable first impression. They cite Thrash and Elliot (2003) who studied as a Psychological Construct, where is defined as an infusion of an idea, purpose, feeling or impulse. In the Kim and Fesenmaier (2008) study inspiration is a potential factor that contributes to a users' first impression formation. …

Determining website content for small businesses: assisting the planning of owner/managers

This paper examines the development of a model to assist small businesses in their online Business-to-Consumer (B2C) interactions with customers, predominantly in relation to determining website content that matches overall business strategy. The model was developed to assist small business owner/managers to plan for the implementation and use of websites for these interactions by encouraging an examination of the business (in the form of a modified SWOT) analysis, where internal factors (such as employee skills levels, available capital and business strategy) and external factors (such as the needs of customers and strategies of competitors) are examined, leading to decisions about appropriate website content for the business. Developed initially between 1998 and 2002, the model is updated to take into account recent developments in the usage of internet technologies. There have been two significant recent developments in relation to small business use of the web. The first relates to the realisation that small businesses will often alter their websites over a period of time. There is some debate as to whether they use a staged approach to develop their websites, starting simple and then adding more complex features as they become more confident ?or whether this representation is too simplistic. The second relates to those small businesses that extend their web presence through the 'Extended Web', typically with portal sites that offer extra services such as accommodation booking services or shopping carts. An updated version of the model is presented and an example of its practical conversion into a usable handbook for small businesses is provided. The model is then refined according to responses from a series of interviews with researchers in the small businesses arena.

Analysis of Hoteliers' E-Commerce and Information Technology Applications

Numerous research studies are being conducted that are related to e-commerce and information technology (IT) applications in the hospitality industry with regard to operational, profitability, productivity, and management perspective. The focus of this study is to examine current e-commerce and IT applications in the hospitality industry and to identify the business travelers' perceptions and needs relative to advanced e-commerce and IT applications to improve customer service. Hoffman and Chung (1999) stated that what customers want most is not what restaurants and hotels are necessarily implementing. This study discusses the typical problems and obstacles of implementing e-commerce and IT applications in hospitality, using the lodging e-commerce and IT applications to satisfy customers, and developing the lodging e-commerce and IT applications as a corporate competitive advantage. Moreover, this study investigated a variety of e-commerce and IT applications related to customer service, satisfaction, and retention as well as e-commerce and IT applications as a distribution channel for receiving travelers' information and accommodation booking. This study provides valuable implications for the hospitality practitioners about customer perceptions and needs relative to e-commerce and IT applications.

Analysis of E-commerce and information technology applications in hotels: Business travelers' perceptions

Numerous research studies have been conducted that are related to e-commerce and information technology (IT) applications in the hospitality industry with regard to business operation, profit, output, and management perspective. The focus of this study is to examine current e-commerce and IT applications in the hospitality industry and to identify the business travelers' perceptions in order to improve customer service. One of the problems in the hospitality industry is that customers want advanced e-commerce and IT applications, but restaurants and hotels are not necessarily implementing them. This study discusses the typical problems and obstacles of implementing e-commerce and IT applications in hospitality, using the lodging e-commerce and IT applications to satisfy customers, and developing the lodging e-commerce and IT applications as a corporate competitive advantage. Moreover, this study investigated a variety of e-commerce and IT applications related to customer service, satisfaction, and retention as well as e-commerce and IT applications as a distribution channel for receiving travelers' information and accommodation booking. This study provides valuable implications for hospitality practitioners about customer perceptions relative to e-commerce and IT applications.

Analysis of Hoteliers' E-Commerce and Information Technology Applications

ABSTRACT Numerous research studies are being conducted that are related to e-commerce and information technology (IT) applications in the hospitality industry with regard to operational, profitability, productivity, and management perspective. The focus of this study is to examine current e-commerce and IT applications in the hospitality industry and to identify the business travelers' needs relative to advanced e-commerce and IT applications to improve customer service. Hoffman and Chung (1999) stated that what customers want most is not what restaurants and hotels are necessarily implementing. This study discusses the typical problems and obstacles of implementing e-commerce and IT applications in hospitality, using the lodging e-commerce and IT applications to satisfy customers, and developing the lodging e-commerce and IT applications as a corporate competitive advantage. Moreover, this study investigated a variety of e-commerce and IT applications related to customer service, satisfaction, and retention as well as e-commerce and IT applications as a distribution channel for receiving travelers' information and accommodation booking. This study provides valuable implications for the hospitality practitioners about customer needs relative to e-commerce and IT applications.

Guest Perceptions and Uncertainty

This research investigates guests' perceptions of the process of booking hotel rooms. To test the hypothesis that guests experience stress during the booking process, 224 guests in two hotels in New Zealand were asked about their experiences when making hotel reservations. The results of a qualitative analysis show that many travellers do find the process of booking accommodation uncomfortable and stressful. Fifty-five percent of guests expressed dissatisfaction with some aspect of the booking process. Lack of information about the hotel and its services were quoted most often as the critical factor, closely followed by dislike of the price negotiation process.

Trust and the online relationship—an exploratory study from New Zealand

This study examines the importance of trust in an online accommodation booking relationship. Specifically, the study seeks to identify the trust criteria that are important to consumers in deciding whether to purchase online and also the trust criteria that the accommodation service providers (i.e. motel/hotel owners/operators) think are important in prompting the consumers to make the online purchase decision. In total 108 consumers and 44 motel/hotel owners/operators in New Zealand were examined. The results showed vast discrepancies between the two parties. For instance, consumers think a Web site should provide a formal guarantee of service and offer a refund of price paid. However, these trust criteria were deemed unimportant by the accommodation service providers. Our study concludes by recommending a number of actions, which the accommodation service providers need to include in their Web sites in order to increase trust, relationship and ultimately online purchases.

Book ReviewsAmbition and Accommodation: How Women View Gender Relations.By Roberta S. Sigel. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Pp. x+240. $48.00 (cloth); $16.95 (paper).

Book ReviewsAmbition and Accommodation: How Women View Gender Relations.By Roberta S. Sigel. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Pp. x+240. $48.00 (cloth); $16.95 (paper).

Intransigeance ou compromis: Sociologie et histoire du catholicisme actuel by Paul-André Turcotte

BOOK REVIEWS 487 gious virtuosi; and their decline as resource deprivation and frame disalignment . Chapters on theory and vocabulary, both religious and sociological, and on the history ofCatholic religious orders and congregations,preface the main section on growth and decline cycles from late classical through the contemporary era. Tables such as "Basic Purposes of Religious Life" as given in sources from the fourth through the nineteenth centuries; and "External Sources of Communal Decline" from the fourth through the eighteenth centuries, supply convenient reference points for the narrative analysis. The volume culminates with consideration of the precipitous decline of religious congregations over the past thirty years in the United States, a process which began manifesting itself inWestern European countries in the years immediately followingWorldWar II. Bibliography is thorough with regard to relevant sociological studies; historical sources cited are of uneven quality, a weakness which does not seriously detract from the book's success in suggesting a fresh interpretation of the profound changes affecting contemporary religious congregations. It is to be hoped that this exploratory effort will lead to further research on rapidly disappearing forms of religious life in the Church today. Karen M. Kennelly, CSJ. Mount St. Mary's College, LosAngeles Intransigeance ou compromis: Sociologie et histoire du catholicisme actuel. By Paul-André Turcotte. [Héritage et Projet, 51] (Quebec, Canada: Editions Fides. 1994. Pp. 464. $3995 paperback). The author combines sociological and historical methods to analyze the problems and opportunities facing the Roman Catholic Church in the Province of Quebec, Canada. This approach alone merits wide readership of the book by professionals in both fields. Its value, however, is not limited to methodology. While the data presented pertain mainly to Quebec, the analysis is a sociohistorical contribution to assessing the impact ofVatican Council II on the universal Church, at least in modern societies. This is a compilation of previous studies, both empirical and theoretical, by the same author which focus on the parish, the school, and the religious order. While linkages are made between the various sections, the presentation suffers somewhat from inadequate integration, especially for readers who are not familiar with the history and religious situation of French Canada. Utilizing the bi-polar concepts of intransigence and compromise as adaptations to the strains of cultural, social, and religious change, the author discusses the parish as the basic institution to maintain religious faith and practice, the school as the primary mechanism of religious socialization, and finally the religious order as an intermediate type of group at the intersection of traditional 488 BOOK REVIEWS commitment and accommodation. Discussion in each of these sections is guided by Ernst Troeltsch's typology of Christian groupings within the context of Peter Berger's theories on the social credibility ofreligion in an environment characterized by increasing secularization and religious pluralism. It should be mentioned that the author is acutely aware that insights from sociology and history do not exhaust religious experience. He admits that they can clarify issues but insists that the relationship between these approaches and theology or other sciences should also be taken into account. A general confusion emerges to the effect that compromise is observed most often among intermediary agents rather than among top officials preoccupied with maintaining traditional identities. The problematic of intransigence or compromise is set up by the very nature of a religious grouping born of a prophetic impulse, namely, the tendency to maintain its initial vision and the tendency to institutionalize it. Here the author relies heavily on the work of Max Weber. The book is an invitation for readers to shed simplistic interpretations of the tensions facing Roman Catholicism and to realize that the relationship between society, culture, and religion is complex. More is involved than the bare opposition between tradition and modernity. For example, in the Province of Quebec, French Canadian marginalization and nationalism are major factors helping to explain the tensions experienced. For the professional historian and sociologist the last section, a sort of methodological appendix on the advantages ofusing sociological techniques in the study of historical data, is especially valuable. The book is highly recommended to anyone who can read French without difficulty. The qualification is important. Because of the author's style and...

A NEW UNIVERSITY PROSPECT

‘THhis,’ wrote Mr Mackenzie a few weeks ago, ‘is the first formal report on the working of the Library; it covers a period of rather less than a year—from 16th September, 1963, when the Librarian arrived in Lancaster with half a dozen books in his brief‐case, until 31st July, 1964, when an effective library was in operation with a stock of over twenty thousand volumes.’ There, if we forgive Mr Mackenzie for his poet's licence, is the essence of the accommodation problem with which each new university is being faced. We are not being asked to expand existing book and reader accommodation, or to replace it by new building. We have started with nothing and we have to be operational a year or eighteen months afterwards.

Travel and Accommodation Bookings

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 39, Issue 11 p. 441-441 Travel and Accommodation Bookings First published: November 1963 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1963.tb04186.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume39, Issue11November 1963Pages 441-441 RelatedInformation

Summer Schools in Health Education

THE Central Council for Health Education will conduct two summer schools in England this year. One will be residential, during August 4–13, at Kings-moor School, Glossop, Derbyshire; the other will be non-residential, during August 15–29, at Chelsea Polytechnic, Manresa Road, Chelsea, London, S.W.3. The Glossop school will be directed by Mrs. F. A. Ogden, and the London school by Mr. L. J. F. Brimble. The schools are intended primarily for those who have to do with the training and care of children and young people—teachers, youth leaders, health visitors, school nurses, educational and medical administrators—but would also be of interest to general practitioners. The object of the schools is to review the principles of mental and physical health and development, to discuss the main health problems confronting the individual and the community, and to consider the methods of health education, including sex education. Those wishing to book accommodation or to be supplied with further details about the schools should write to the Medical Adviser and Secretary, Central Council for Health Education, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London, W.C.1. The Scottish Council for Health Education is holding a residential summer school at the University of St. Andrews during August 18–September 1. The directors of the school are Prof. Andrew F. Skinner, of the University of St. Andrews, and Prof. A. D. Peacock, of University College, Dundee. Courses and lectures will be given under the headings of physiology, psychology and social medicine. Further information concerning the Scottish school can be obtained from the Secretary and Treasurer, Scottish Council for Health Education, 3 Castle Street, Edinburgh, 2.