Hotel Chains Research Articles

Tourism destination events classifier based on artificial intelligence techniques

Identifying client needs to provide optimal services is crucial in tourist destination management. The events held in tourist destinations may help to meet those needs and thus contribute to tourist satisfaction. As with product management, the creation of hierarchical catalogs to classify those events can aid event management. The events that can be found on the internet are listed in dispersed, heterogeneous sources, which makes direct classification a difficult, time-consuming task. The main aim of this work is to create a novel process for automatically classifying an eclectic variety of tourist events using a hierarchical taxonomy, which can be applied to support tourist destination management. Leveraging data science methods such as CRISP-DM, supervised machine learning, and natural language processing techniques, the automatic classification process proposed here allows the creation of a normalized catalog across very different geographical regions. Therefore, we can build catalogs with consistent filters, allowing users to find events regardless of the event categories assigned at source, if any. This is very valuable for companies that offer this kind of information across multiple regions, such as airlines, travel agencies or hotel chains. Ultimately, this tool has the potential to revolutionize the way companies and end users interact with tourist events information.

Incorporating Data Analytics in Management Accounting: A Teaching Case on Cost Estimation

ABSTRACT Management accounting tools are based on the idea that total costs are composed of fixed and variable components. Textbooks usually teach five methods to identify fixed and variables costs, including two that are outdated (scatterplot and high-low). Account analysis and industrial engineering are sometimes useful, but regression is best for its objectivity. Despite its importance, few cases address cost estimation using regression. This case requires students to use regression analysis to estimate a cost function from 108 monthly observations of unit-level data from a hotel chain. Although the case is intended for use with R or Python, instructors can also use Excel. Students learn how to address important data and model specification issues, including outliers, autocorrelation, and inflation. Students are excited to acquire relevant tools and skills they can apply to future work projects.

Self-Adjustment Strategies of International Chain Hotels in Surabaya during the New Normal Era

The Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted Indonesia's tourism industry, resulting in a sharp decline in hotel room occupancy rates in Surabaya. To recover, hotels adopted strategies. This article examines how hotels affiliated with international brand networks coped with the pandemic. The study focuses on Quest Hotel and Holiday Inn Express Surabaya CenterPoint, both renowned for their star ratings and business hotel concept in the city centre. Research revealed a significant drop in room occupancy rates during the pandemic. Strategies included strict adherence to health protocols, salary adjustments without altering service charge calculations, limited use of hotel facilities, showcasing health and cleanliness certifications on promotional materials, flexible booking periods, room price promotions, and non-room product sales. These measures aimed to prioritize guest safety, increase revenue, and adjust to the pandemic's impact. Implementing these adaptations, the hotels aimed to position themselves for recovery and success in the new normal era.

Stop clicking around and book direct: Impact of best rate guarantee on hotel pricing

Hotel chains sell their rooms through both their own distribution channels and third-party online travel agencies (OTAs). However, with the growing popularity of OTAs over the last decade, major hotel chains have started to fight against OTAs for control and market share by offering Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) in an attempt to incentivize customers to bypass OTAs and book directly with the hotels. BRG ensures that guests who book direct will get the best price. We study a stylized model where a hotelier that works closely with an OTA offers BRG to its customers to maximize its revenue over a selling horizon. Motivated by common practices in the hotel industry, we model the hotelier-OTA decision making process as a sequential game. We focus on the case where there is a sufficient inventory, derive closed-form optimal solutions for the problem, prove some structural properties, and identify necessary and sufficient conditions under which offering BRG always benefits the hotel (resp. the OTA). While in general BRG makes the hotelier better off and the OTA worse off, we show that when the commission rate is high, BRG can make both channels better off. On the other hand, when the commission rate and the fraction of swing customers who claim BRG are both low, BRG can make both channels worse off. We also consider the case with a limited inventory in the appendix and derive various managerial insights regarding the impact of BRG through computational tests. Our findings will shed some lights for hotel managers when deciding whether to practice BRG and what relevant actions to take when BRG is practiced.

Yield Management, Risks and Consequences for the Customer: Perspectives on the Moroccan Chain Hotel Industry

In a competitive environment marked by a digital revolution in the service industry, Yield Management (YM) has become an essential tool for many companies, particularly in the hotel industry. Over the last twenty years, this pricing practice has been strengthened by digital technologies.

Balancing short-term gains and long-term success in lodging: The role of customer satisfaction and price in hotel profitability model

This study examines the relationship between revenue and profit drivers and long-term financial performance in the hotel industry based on 17-years data (2004–2020) of six US hotel chains. The analysis creates, tests, and analyzes a cross-level model that examines the complex endogenous relationships, underlying long-term financial performance of hotels. Specifically, we examine the interaction of room price (ADR) and customer satisfaction (ACSI) within a sales-volume-driver framework that impacts financial performance through profitability, measured at both the operating and accounting levels. This study seeks to advance our understanding of these relationships, their characteristics, and their implications for long-term financial performance in the hotel industry. The findings reveal that customer satisfaction is more important than price in achieving long-term financial success in the hotel industry, whereas room nights sold is significant positive driver of all performance levels.

Influence of Strategic Change on Employee Performance Case of Hotels in Western Kenya Circuit

The hotel industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economies; its significant contribution is seen to be on an upward trend, as evidenced here in Kenya where international hotel chains are opening its branches within developed towns to reap the market rewards from this competitive industry. The current rapid growth in hospitality industry has triggered stiff competition which requires exemplary service to be able to attract and maintain loyal customers during any tourist season. Thus, interest to the Western Kenya Circuit which is still virgin in nature and development. This study aimed at determining the influence of strategic change organizational mission on employee performance, case of hotels in western Kenya circuit. The study adopted Lewin’s model and Contingency theories of change on theoretical framework. A correlation survey was adopted to conduct research where questionnaires were used to collect primary data while secondary data sourced from relevant reviewed literature. The study assessed hotels in Western Kenya circuit. The study population was 585 employees from different levels working in the hotels. Total of 116 were selected as the sample size using stratified random sampling procedure with different level of employees forming basis of strata. Data was tested for validity via exposure to experts and reliability by Cronbach’s Alpha test on pilot data from 12 respondents. Reliability results indicated all three scales reliable at .801, .777 and .825 a change in organization mission (β=.415>0.05). A statistical model with the two as independent variables accounted for 26.1% of variation in employee performance (Adjusted R-Squared = 0.261>0.05). The study found that altering organizational culture didn't significantly impact employee performance, whereas changing the mission led to improved employee and organizational performance. A shift in mission enhanced feedback, efficiency, productivity, and competency. Western Kenya Circuit Hotels' employees value mission changes, showing greater motivation and effort when the purpose evolves. The implication of this finding was any efforts towards enhancing employee performance should focus primarily on aspects of hotels mission that are equally important to employee for overall performance. While acknowledging the importance of organizational change on performance, managers and stakeholders should reorganize the significance of each aspect of organization strategic change on mission in influencing employee performance and that of the organization.

The practice of Yield Management in the chain hotel industry in Morocco: An exploratory study

In a competitive environment marked by a digital revolution in the service industry, YM has become an essential tool for many companies, particularly in the hotel industry. Over the last twenty years, this pricing practice has been strengthened by digital technologies. On the other hand, several studies have shown that YM Pricing (YMP) produces negative consumer feelings that influence his behavior.

Causes of High Employee Turnover in the Jobs of the Hospitality Industry

According to Amah,et al (2009). While hospitality is a form of social relationship with an anthropological dimension, the hotel business is a modern innovation whose development has been encouraged by the invention of the Grand Tour. In other words, for a long time, it would seem that welcoming the other or the host did not constitute the content of dedicated professions. Indeed, for centuries, hospitality has been socially embedded in customary practices, opening its home to foreigners in accordance with ordinary courtesies that can be declined according to the rank of stakeholders. The nobility has long been able to organize reciprocal receptions, ritualized around a relationship that has been developed in castles or mansions. These private establishments knew how to compete in finery and prestige, serving the glory and reputation of the welcoming owner, and whose hosts also came to break idleness, thus becoming pretexts for play and social life. The tourism, hospitality and travel sector is growing rapidly all over the world. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 1.3 billion international tourists in 2017. France is the leading host country for tourist flows, followed by Spain, the USA, China and Italy. Tourism accounts for 7% of world exports worth $1,400 billion. It directly and indirectly accounts for 10% of global GDP and 10% of global employment. By 2030, the number of international tourists is expected to reach about 1.8 billion people. Hospitality and travel and tourism accounted for 334 million jobs worldwide, directly or indirectly, accounting for 10.6 per cent of total global employment (Alleyne et al,2006). During any crisis, the industry that suffers the most is hotel industry as it is the most sensitive to crises such as terrorists’. attacks, SARS epidemic, bird flu and COVID-19 pandemic. The present paper investigates the negative influence of epidemic COVID-19 upon both of the resort’s employees and management practices in Egyptian resorts during Corona pandemic spread. during COVID-19 crisis the Sheraton hotel chain namely working environment, staff management and the relations with customers had been affected negatively. The human capital in any organization is the real asset because it’s the heart beating which drive to success when compared with other resources like financial or intangible resources. So, all other resources than HR make things possible but only human capital make things happen. The importance of HRM “Human Resources Management” has been elevated recently especially with the outbreak of coronavirus for organizing all the remaining resources for the touristic organizations and improving the employees’ performance has been affected accordingly as the turnover rate had increased because of customers decline and the closure of the touristic agencies.

Who’s asking? Social platform and research sponsors’ identity biases in guests’ hospitality experience-reviews: a case study of Spanish hotels

ABSTRACT The study here assesses the systematic variability of service performance assessments in customer reviews placed in alternative online social media platforms in the travel industry as well as responses to the firm’s requests for customer evaluations. The research includes an empirical study conducted by a national (Spanish) hotel chain of nine corporately-owned properties (hotels). Data-analyses were performed of data collected for the nine hotels from TripAdvisor and Booking.com, as well as internal data from the hotel chain’s customer data files. The findings support the general conclusion that hotel reviews on different social media platforms vary in systematic ways. TripAdvisor reviews consistently include the largest share of detractors across all social media platforms in this study, ranging from 11 to 51%. This study contributes useful benchmarks for the relative differences in performances in customer experience assessments across different social media platforms.

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Purpose: The purpose of the academic paper is to study the tendencies and practice of applying innovative methods of managing labor potential in the hotel and restaurant business in changing environmental conditions. Theoretical framework: Considering labor shortages in the hospitality industry and the necessity to attract employees after the pandemic, the EU hospitality and restaurant businesses have been changing their methods of managing the labor workforce. Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology is based on a systematic approach to studying trends and the practice of applying innovative methods of managing labor potential in the context of the external environment’s challenges. Based on the Eurostat panel data for 2020, linear regression models of the dependence between turnovers, employment, and labor productivity in the field of hospitality in EU countries were constructed. Secondary data from interviews with owners of the largest EU hotel chains were used to identify methods of managing labor potential after the pandemic. Findings: The results demonstrate the existence of challenges toward the EU hotel and restaurant chains related to the labor shortage in the conditions of spreading the pandemic, the set of skills and low-skilled migrants. In order to solve the problems outlined, network managers hire and quickly train employees without work experience from various social categories (young people, students, specialists from other sectors, migrants, etc.). Moreover, hotels’ and restaurants’ managers offer employees housing, additional wages, social insurance, bonus payments in order to attract the workforce. Research, Practical & Social implications: The research demonstrates a positive change in the employees’ working conditions in the hospitality industry in the EU states due to the problem of their shortage, which arose with spreading the pandemic and the labor force movement to other economy sectors. Originality/value: The practical value of the research lies in the possibility of using the knowledge about the identified trends of managing labor potential in the EU hospitality industry by small and micro enterprises of the industry.

Online Complaints on Hotel Services in Indonesia: A Comparison Study of Asian and English-Speaking Country Visitors

Communication in the Indonesian hospitality industry impacts on the growth of domestic and foreign tourists’ number who visit the country. And one of the communication forms in this business is visitor review on hospitality platforms. This review offers several advantages since, for example, hotels will be able to find out customers' levels of satisfaction, needs, or complaints on hotel services and facilities. And these aspects can be used to evaluate the business’ performance in gaining profit. Based on that urgency, this study aims to investigate the complaint structures and strategies written by Asian and English-speaking country visitors on both domestic chain hotels (DCH) and international chain hotels (ICH) in the TripAdvisor page, an international-based travel site. Furthermore, a qualitative descriptive research method is employed along with note-taking as the data collection technique, and the theory used is the complaint speech act strategy presented by Trosborg. The results of this study indicate that the complaint structure consists of several components, namely: title, opening sentence, content (complaint sentence), closing sentence, and parting or valediction. In detail, the structure component that appears the least is parting since it is only found in Asian visitor reviews on ICH. While, the most common complaint strategy used by DCH and ICH visitors is annoyance. It can be concluded that there is no significant difference in the use of complaints strategies between Asian and English-speaking country visitors in both DCH and ICH. It happens due to globalization where the world communities carry out high mobility between cultures even though they have geographical boundaries; thus, they are able to influence each other frequently

STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR TIME

Problem Statement and Purpose. The hotel and tourism industry is one of the most attractive sectors of the economy for investment due to small initial capital investments, the ever-growing demand of society for tourism and hotel services, a high level of profitability and the average payback period of projects. The hotel and tourism industries stimulate the development of related sectors of the national economy, primarily construction and trade, and contribute to the creation of new jobs. The hotel and tourist industries actively influence the economy of the city (region, country in general), in particular, the spheres of economic and social activity. Military actions on the territory of Ukraine since the beginning of 2022 have significantly affected the demand and supply of hotel services in the country. The destruction of accommodation facilities damaged by shelling and their loss as a result of the occupation was the result of a decrease in the supply of the hotel market. As a result, number pools were emptied in many regions. The hotel industry of the northern, eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, as well as the city of Kyiv, suffered the greatest negative impact. The best situation in the hotel business is currently demonstrated in the western part of Ukraine, where accommodation establishments are operating in full and in fact at 100 percent capacity. As for the hotel sector in other parts of the country: companies have faced difficulties in providing services. The main goal of accommodation facilities was to adapt companies to the realities of wartime, taking into account curfews and air raids. Searching for new forms of service and re-equipment of establishments according to safety requirements became important tasks of hotels. Data & Methods. The research used data from official websites and articles from Ukrainian web magazines. Empirical research methods (observation and monitoring of hotel services) and the forecasting method were used to achieve the goal. Results. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the country’s tourism industry has significantly decreased It is also complicated by the fact that Ukraine, like many other countries of the world, has not yet fully “recovered” from the coronavirus pandemic. For these very reasons, foreign tourism is not developing. First, a large number of citizens have increased expenses and decreased incomes. Secondly, conscripts cannot go abroad with their families, even if they have the means to do so. Third, there are logistical problems. Besides, there will be no flow of foreign tourists until the country becomes safe. And today’s visit to Ukraine is this mainly representatives of foreign mass media and industry workers who move around the country for work. In such difficult conditions for the Ukrainian hospitality sector, as martial law, service failures are an unpredictable state, where work standards are very important and demonstrate service to the guest. That is why accommodation establishments must be able to identify possible problems that may be caused by external factors and develop options for behavior in the event of their occurrence (as in the case of a power outage – hotels operate with the help of generators). It is also very important to “show concern for the guest”. This applies to such details as: the mode of operation of various services, the format of check-in and check-out, the operation of room service and, as relevant, the mode of operation of the generator, and what services are available with it. Currently, the western part of Ukraine continues to function actively (which will continue to be popular over the next 5 years, due to the need to restore infrastructure in other parts of the country) and domestic tourism is developing. I can assume that in the future, after the liberation of the state from the occupiers, inbound tourism will be active and will be associated with business trips and the involvement of European countries in the reconstruction process. There will also be the resumption of work of some hotel chains and the launch of accommodation facilities that have suspended their opening due to martial law. Regarding the speed of restoration of the hotel industry, such two factors as the duration of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine and the level of migration of the country’s citizens abroad can testify. So far, the guests of accommodation establishments are mainly Ukrainians (99%), the latter (1%) – foreign journalists, military personnel, volunteers and representatives of international organizations.

Application of Innovative Methods of Managing the Labor Potential in the Hotel and Restaurant Business Establishments

Purpose: The purpose of the academic paper is to study the tendencies and practice of applying innovative methods of managing labor potential in the hotel and restaurant business in changing environmental conditions.
 
 Theoretical framework: Considering labor shortages in the hospitality industry and the necessity to attract employees after the pandemic, the EU hospitality and restaurant businesses have been changing their methods of managing the labor workforce.
 
 Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology is based on a systematic approach to studying trends and the practice of applying innovative methods of managing labor potential in the context of the external environment’s challenges. Based on the Eurostat panel data for 2020, linear regression models of the dependence between turnovers, employment, and labor productivity in the field of hospitality in EU countries were constructed. Secondary data from interviews with owners of the largest EU hotel chains were used to identify methods of managing labor potential after the pandemic.
 
 Findings: The results demonstrate the existence of challenges toward the EU hotel and restaurant chains related to the labor shortage in the conditions of spreading the pandemic, the set of skills and low-skilled migrants. In order to solve the problems outlined, network managers hire and quickly train employees without work experience from various social categories (young people, students, specialists from other sectors, migrants, etc.). Moreover, hotels’ and restaurants’ managers offer employees housing, additional wages, social insurance, bonus payments in order to attract the workforce.
 
 Research, Practical & Social implications: The research demonstrates a positive change in the employees’ working conditions in the hospitality industry in the EU states due to the problem of their shortage, which arose with spreading the pandemic and the labor force movement to other economy sectors.
 
 Originality/value: The practical value of the research lies in the possibility of using the knowledge about the identified trends of managing labor potential in the EU hospitality industry by small and micro enterprises of the industry.

Brand personality of global chain hotels, self-congruity, and self-discrepancy on customer responses

The current study examined the brand personality of global chain hotels and how it is related to individuals’ image congruence. It also explored what impact self-congruity has on people’s responses, namely brand attachment, intention to revisit, and intention to recommend. In addition, this study considered self-discrepancy to be a potential moderator of the image congruence effect on brand attachment. Following quantitative procedures, we successfully assessed the brand personality of four representative global hotel companies. Among five facets of brand personality, competency was the strongest facet, followed by sophistication, sincerity, excitement, and ruggedness. Competency contributes the most to Marriott, Accor, Wyndham, whereas sophistication contributes greatly to Hyatt. The results showed that brand personality affected image congruence, which was classified as actual self-image congruence, ideal self-image congruence, social image congruence, and ideal social image congruence. Ideal self-congruity and ideal social self-congruity were determinants of brand attachment, which in turn increased behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the significant effects of ideal self-image congruence and ideal social self-image congruence on brand attachment were strengthened for the group that perceived a higher level of self-discrepancy.

Why are the cook chefs always male: Research on the cook chefs who works at hotel cuisines

The purpose of this study is to determine the reasons; “why are chefs always male” in the kitchens of hotels. Food cultures of countries, cooking techniques, eating styles are some of the subjects in the study area of gastronomy science. Chefs are one of the primary elements that contribute to the development of food culture. Cook chefs are at the center of the present study. The scientific discipline “Workforce in Working Life” continues to do research about Cook Chefs. In this study, the gender and reasons of chefs working in the kitchens of 4 and 5 star hotels serving in the field of tourism in the world were researched demographically. Four continents, five countries from each continent, two cities from each country and ten international 4 and 5 star chain hotels in each city were selected. In the first section of the study, it was observed that most of the chefs working in hotels were male. In the second section, the reasons why most of the chefs are male were examined scientifically. As a result, it was determined that the working conditions of chefs are difficult for women hence the high number of male chefs.

Hotel working conditions and challenges in a time of crisis: Perceptions of Spanish women managers

The health crisis caused by Covid-19 is also driving a social and economic crisis that has a powerful effect on the hospitality sector. The large number of women employed in the sector means that the consequences of the crisis may have a disproportionate impact on female employment in hospitality. The objective is to analyse the experience of women hotel managers, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of theories that consider gender as a social construction.We have applied a qualitative methodology based on the analysis of 19 semi-structured interviews with women in positions of responsibility in hotels and hotel chains in Spain during the coronavirus pandemic.There are gender conditioning factors shaped by social construction, which have influenced the working conditions of women managers in the hotel sector, both before and during the pandemic.

Guest Loyalty Programs of Chain Hotels: The Case of Turkey

The increasing competition among companies has forced them to adopt new marketing methods and develop new strategies to retain customers. One such strategy is the use of loyalty program cards, which were initially used as a benefits program but have now become a popular marketing strategy used by many hotel chains in Turkey. Loyalty programs are designed to encourage customers to continue using a company's services or products by offering rewards, discounts, and other privileged services. This study aims to conduct a content analysis of the websites of 10 hotels in Turkey to explore the facilities these hotels offer through their loyalty programs. The content analysis focuses on the services offered by these hotels, which are designed to retain customer loyalty. The data was collected by visiting the websites of the selected hotels and analyzing the content using the content analysis method. The findings were presented descriptively, highlighting the similarities and differences between the services offered by the hotels under the name of the loyalty program. The study found that the loyalty programs offered by hotel chains in Turkey have both common and different characteristics. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the loyalty programs offered by international hotel chains in Turkey. By analyzing the content of the websites, the study highlights the key facilities offered by these hotels to retain customer loyalty. The findings of this study could be useful to hotel managers and marketers in designing effective loyalty programs that meet the needs and expectations of their customers.

Innovation Mechanism in the Hospitality Industry: A Mediated-Moderated Model

This study examines the relationship between empowered leadership (EL), intrinsic motivation (IM), job complexity (JC), and innovative employee behavior (EIB) in the hospitality industry. The study specifically investigates how EL affects EIB and how IM mediates this connection. Furthermore, this study explores the moderating impact of JC on the direct interconnected linkages between EL, IM, and EIB. Our sample comprises 506 employee-supervisor dyads from 45 five-star hotels in the Middle East, representing a variety of international hotel chains. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the study finds that EL significantly impacts EIB, which IM subsequently influences. Additionally, we discover that IM acts as a mediator for EL and EIB. Moreover, we find that JC has a moderating impact on the strength of these relationships. Our findings have both theoretical and practical implications for hotel managers and researchers interested in fostering their subordinates' IM and promoting their innovation. We also emphasize the importance of JC in positively influencing the strength of these relationships in the hotel industry. Managers can develop strategies to increase their businesses' competitiveness in this dynamic and competitive sector by better understanding the factors that drive EIB.

Multi-competency development: strategy to strengthen the resilience of human capital from unpredictable global disruption

This research was conducted with the aim of building a new competency development strategy for workers so that they have multi-competence capabilities in an effort to survive in a situation of uncertainty. The object of this research is the four Wyndham hotel chains in Bali, Indonesia where an in-depth exploration is carried out on the Human Capital Aspect which includes Threshold Characteristics and Differentiation. Threshold Characteristics are essential characteristics consisting of Knowledge and Skills, while Differentiation characteristics which are superior distinguishing aspects consist of Self-Concept, Motives, and Treats. Using a mixed method research with an exploratory sequential approach, the researchers carried out three stages of research from qualitative research, and quantitative research to validating research results through Focus Group Discussions with policymakers from the four Wyndham hotel chains in Bali involved. Through all the stages of the research, the researchers developed a model of Multi-Competency Development, that is in accordance with the characteristics of Wyndham hotel employees. The model, which is named the Sundae Multi-Competency Development, consists of 6 steps including (1) Identification of Competency Trends; (2) Competency Recommendations; (3) Internal Intent Analysis; (4) Training and Development; (5) Certification; and (7) Own Multi-Competency. The research results in the recommendation of relevant new competencies to be developed in the Wyndham hotel chain in Bali, including Teaching, Marketing, and Cooking competencies.