Hotel Group Research Articles

A Study of Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Practices in Tata Group of Hotels and Resorts

Responsible tourism is a form of tourism that aims to minimize negative environmental and social impacts while promoting economic benefits for stakeholders. It involves practices such as reducing waste, conserving energy, engaging with local communities, and promoting cultural heritage preservation. Responsible tourism is becoming increasingly important as travellers seek responsible travel options. Hotel service providers can do this by hiring local staff, offering training and development opportunities, and promoting local culture and customs to guests. By supporting local economies, preserving natural and cultural heritage, and promoting social and environmental responsibility, responsible tourism can help to create a more sustainable and equitable future, in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). This study aims to analyze the responsible sustainable tourism practices of the Tata Group of Hotels and Resorts. The research focuses on understanding the company's approach to sustainable tourism and its impact on the environment, economy, and society. Data was collected through a combination of secondary sources such as company reports and publications. The results of the study show that the Tata Group of Hotels and Resorts has a strong commitment to sustainable tourism, implementing a variety of practices such as energy and water conservation, waste management, and community engagement. The study also highlights the challenges faced by the company in implementing sustainable practices and the need for further research in this area. The findings of this study contribute to the growing body of literature on sustainable tourism and provide insights for other companies in the hospitality industry to adopt responsible sustainable practices.

Research on the Internationalization Process of Chinese Hotel Management Groups<br>—Taking Jinjiang Hotel Group as an Example

Research on the Internationalization Process of Chinese Hotel Management Groups<br>—Taking Jinjiang Hotel Group as an Example

IoT Innovation in Hospitality: A Comprehensive Technical Analysis of Implementation and Impact

This comprehensive technical article analysis explores the transformative impact of Internet of Things (IoT) implementation in the hospitality industry, focusing on key applications, challenges, and future trends. The article examines how leading hotel chains have leveraged IoT technologies to enhance guest experiences, optimize operations, and advance sustainability initiatives. Through detailed case studies of Marriott International, Hilton Hotels, and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the article demonstrates the practical applications of smart room technologies, predictive maintenance systems, energy management solutions, and security implementations. The article analysis encompasses the technical infrastructure requirements, integration challenges, and cost-benefit considerations of IoT deployment in hospitality settings. The article provides insights into how IoT solutions contribute to improved guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and environmental sustainability while addressing critical aspects of data security and system integration. Furthermore, it explores the convergence of IoT with artificial intelligence and sustainable technologies, offering a forward-looking perspective on the evolution of smart hospitality systems and their potential to revolutionize the industry

Utilizing Static Pricing to Boost Room Revenue in Archipelago International Indonesia Hotels Group

Purpose: This research examines the implementation of static rates to increase room revenue at Archipelago International Indonesia Hotels Group. While the majority of Archipelago International management considers that dynamic rates are more effective at increasing room revenue, the impact of global economic events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, wars, and earthquakes (force majeure) has been underestimated. Static rates can be used to respond to economic downturns induced by these occurrences, which reduce demand. Research methods: This research uses qualitative research methodologies to assess current practices and offer ideal static rate models. It is supported by three concepts and theories: static rates, room revenue, and hotel management. This research also uses tourism economy and revenue management as theoretical foundations. Results and discussion: The findings highlight suboptimal implementation challenges and propose two models at Archipelago International Indonesia Hotels Group: (1) Static Rates Stand Alone: managed by the channel manager for a minimum two-night stay, beneficial for remote or pre-opening hotels, during low occupancy or economic downturns; and (2) Bundle Packages: combining room rates with other services to increase revenue and promote additional facilities. Implication: These models provide consistent pricing, improved forecasting, and increased brand awareness. Implementing these models can help Archipelago International optimize its revenue plans and financial performance.

The changing institutional logics behind sustainability reports from the largest hotel groups in the world in 2014, 2018 and 2021

We develop a content analysis framework that uses a pattern matching technique and a priori coding of stakeholder inclusiveness and engagement, and materiality of sustainability reports. Our analysis identifies the institutional logics behind the sustainability reports of the largest 50 international hotel groups in 2014, 2018, and 2021. We find that the quantity (under 60%) of sustainability reports barely increases over the eight years, but the quality improves. While multiple logics coexist, reporting evolves from a predominant market logic towards a more stakeholder logic, which results in greater transparency and more compliance with increasingly regulated reporting requirements. A longitudinal analysis shows that materiality orientation changes first, followed by stakeholder orientation, and, finally, transparency. We exemplify the values of institutional logics to analyze the multiple and conflicting rationales for the largely subjective and ambiguous practices that shape the quality of sustainability reports.

Employee burnout in the tourism industry during a cultural shift: the role of change uncertainty, change information and meaning-making

PurposeBased on the job demands-resources theory, the objective of the current research is to investigate the influence of contextual (i.e. change information), as well as, personal (i.e. meaning-making) change resources on the perceived change uncertainty (PCU) and employee burnout (i.e. emotional exhaustion, cynicism, professional efficacy) relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines (1) whether PCU is related to burnout, (2) the extent to which change information and meaning-making are directly associated with burnout and (3) whether change information and meaning-making moderate the relationship between PCU and employee burnout. The research data were collected (in three sequential phases) from 293 employees of a group of Luxury Hotels and Resorts located in Southern Greece that has undergone a major cultural change.FindingsThe research findings suggest that change information is related to exhaustion and cynicism, as well as, that meaning-making is directly related to all of the burnout components. Change information buffered the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion and between PCU and cynicism. Meaning-making moderated the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion.Practical implicationsThe results support that leaders and managers will benefit significantly if they realize how important is to ensure that these change resources (i.e. change information and meaning-making) are in place during organizational changes and constantly evaluate the factors that can increase their employees’ well-being.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in the finding that change information moderated the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion, as well as, PCU and cynicism; and that meaning-making moderated the negative relationship between PCU and exhaustion. Further, the study refers to the Greek tourism industry (9th in the word in terms of international tourist arrivals) which plays a pivotal role to the Greek economy. Finally, the research findings contribute to the uncertainty reduction theory, as well as, other related notions.

The impact of point policies on hotel “sleeping” guests: awakening model construction

PurposeThe conventional customer lifecycle fails to acknowledge the “sleeping” stage between regular patronage and churn, particularly prevalent in the hospitality industry. This study constructs an awakening model to regain “sleeping” guests.Design/methodology/approach342 questionnaires from Macau using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were analyzed. The model was compared across different membership levels through multigroup analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that the point policy can awaken “sleeping” guests by influencing their perceived value, regret, and integrated satisfaction with a shorter “sleeping” period. Two path coefficients showed significant differences among basic and elite members.Practical implicationsCompanies with loyalty programs should implement a transitional period before resetting points, leveraging altruistic point policies to awaken “sleeping” guests via direct communication. This strategy mitigates the negative impact of finite point expiration policies, enhancing customer re-engagement and point utilization.Originality/valueOur study focuses on a crucial facet of hotel marketing—customer regain strategies. By identifying customer segments who have not revisited the hotel group for more than twelve months, we confirm the concept of “sleeping” guests. This term offers a nuanced perspective, distinguishing “sleeping” guests from generic lost customers. The “sleeping” guest segment provides valuable insights for enhancing targeted and effective marketing activities in the highly competitive hotel industry.

How does customer satisfaction change after hotels start using self-service kiosks?

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated Self-service Kiosk (SSK) use in hotels, altering the composition of service packages and affecting customers' overall perception of service quality. However, SSKs' impact on customer satisfaction (CS) with the overall services remains uncertain. This study examines the impact of SSK use on CS and its underlying mechanisms using a large dataset at both the customer-hotel level for a large hotel group while comparing the impact before and amid the pandemic. Findings suggest that the adoption of SSKs has a positive impact on CS in which perceived utilitarian and hedonic values play a mediating role, and membership level plays a moderating role. Comparative analysis also indicated that SSKs had additional positive customer feedback amid the pandemic. These findings provide new understanding regarding the practical application value of SSK and help guide hotel management decisions regarding SSK implementation.

Analysis of Environmental Reporting Practices in Hospitality Industry in Ghana

Environmental reporting is a crucial tool for organisations to effectively communicate their environmental performance to stakeholders, foster transparency, and mitigate potential negative impacts. The study’s goal was to investigate environmental reporting practices in Ghana’s hospitality industry. The hospitality industry, despite its economic significance and environmental impact, is an excellent institution for environmental reporting studies due to Ghanaian problems and hospitality opportunities. This research employed a quantitative analysis of environmental disclosures from 192 hotels in Ghana. The researcher gathered data from annual reports, utility bills, and water bills, then conducted a systematic evaluation of these documents to gauge the extent and calibre of environmental reporting. The data was categorised into five groups using the Index of Environmental Disclosure (IED). Descriptive and inference statistics, such as measures of central tendency and dispersion, was employed to quantify and summarise the environmental disclosures. This allowed for a comprehensive assessment of present practices and the identification of opportunities for improvement in the Ghanaian hospitality industry. The study’s findings reveal the hostels’ environmental performance, with a high score of 75.52% for Environmental Policy and Initiatives. However, the study identified poor pollution management and reduction efforts at 38.44%. The Environmental Reporting Elements category scored 27.89%, which suggests more transparent reporting. The Environmental Audit and Compliance category scored 39.96%, indicating partial compliance. It emerged that a very modest positive correlation (r) of 0.12531 exists between hotel age and total disclosure, suggesting that as hotels age, their total disclosure increases marginally. The result shows significant variances in overall disclosure among the four hotel groups, with star ratings explaining much of the diversity: 2-star hotels have the lowerst mean total disclosure percentage, 3-star slightly higher, 4-star significantly higher, and 5-star highest. This positive correlation between hotel star ratings and environmental transparency shows that 4-star and 5-star hotels are more environmentally conscious. Sustainability in the hospitality industry requires environmental reporting to track progress, create standards, and drive continual improvement. This study offers valuable guidance to hotels, lawmakers, and other individuals or groups interested in promoting sustainability and transparency in the industry.

The role of strategic behavior in enhancing content marketing an analytical study on a group of first-class Iraqi hotels

The role of strategic behavior in enhancing content marketing an analytical study on a group of first-class Iraqi hotels

教育部供需对接就业育人项目优秀案例：河北经贸大学与华住酒店集团定向人才培养培训项目

河北经贸大学与华住酒店集团共同申报教育部供需对接就业育人项目，开展定向人才培养培训项目合作，重点在人才培养模式、校企合作模式、产教融合模式及就业引领模式等领域进行探索和创新。双方共同建设“华住数字文旅现代产业学院”，引进华住集团“领航计划”管培生项目，组建“华住英才班”，面向酒店业未来数字化转型升级发展需求，着力培养酒店数字化运营管理本科人才。双方秉承“为学生创造优质成长平台，为企业培育优秀商科人才”的人才培养目标，注重对于学生的价值引领和职业赋能，创新“订单培养－管培模式－企业授课－顶岗实践－定向就业－职业引领”的校企协同培养模式，构建基于校企生与产学研一体化的“MT-PM”职业愿景引领体系，取得了丰富的项目成果及创新经验，于2023年12月获评“教育部供需对接就业育人项目优秀案例”（全国共35项）。 Hebei University of Economics and Business and H World Hotel Group jointly applied for the Ministry of Education's supply and demand matching employment and education project, carried out targeted talent cultivation and training project cooperation, focusing on the exploration and innovation in the fields of talent training mode, school-enterprise cooperation mode, industry-education integration mode and employment guidance mode. The two sides jointly built the “H World Digital Culture and Tourism Modern Industry College”, introduced the “Navigation Program” management trainee program of H World Group, set up the “H World Class of Excellent talents”, aiming at the future digital transformation and upgrading development demand of the hospitality industry, and focused on cultivating undergraduate talents of hotel digital operation and management. Adhering to the talent training goal of “creating excellent growth platforms for students and cultivating excellent business talents for enterprises”, the two sides paid attention to the value guidance and occupational empowerment of students, innovated the school-enterprise collaborative cultivation mode of “order training - management training - enterprise teaching - internship practice - targeted employment - occupation guidance”, and construct a “MT-PM” career vision guidance system based on the integration of school-enterprise-student and industry-university-research, which achieved rich project results and innovative experience, and was awarded as the “Outstanding Case of Supply and demand matching Employment and Education Project of the Ministry of Education” (a total of 35 cases in China) in December 2023.

Sustainability and the environmental impact of the tourism industry: An analysis of the hotel sector in Catalonia, Spain

Purpose: This research examines policies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the hotel sector in Catalonia, Spain in 2020 and how they are communicated to stakeholders through corporate websites. It applies academic criteria to identify key aspects that are relevant to tourism.Design/Methodology: This study conducts a descriptive analysis of Catalonia's hotel sector in 2020, utilizing SABI (Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System) data. It selects the top 48 companies in the hotel sector that are legally required to report their annual accounts in the regular format. The study then systematically evaluates their websites to assess the availability and transparency of information on environmental sustainability.Findings: Sustainable tourism, marked by non-financial indicators such as environmental impact, energy/water usage and waste generation, is a very important issue for stakeholders in the hotel industry, including governments, owners, investors, and customers. The sector's reporting methods are crucial for effectively communicating environmental policies to these parties. While many companies have implemented strategies to assess and reduce their environmental impact, there is still considerable room for improvement, particularly in communicating these efforts to the various stakeholders.Research limitations/implications: This research, while rigorous, has certain limitations that suggest directions for future studies. A primary constraint involves data reported at a group level by hotel companies, which complicates obtaining specific data for the Catalonia region, particularly for hotel groups with an international presence. Another significant limitation is the reliance on indirect data collection, based on the companies' self-reported environmental policies posted on their websites.Practical implications: By identifying and knowing the environmental policies of the hotel industry over the analyzed period, we can help the industry itself to improve the sustainability of its environmental efforts and make it more attractive to all stakeholders.Social implications: The study highlights the importance of environmental policies and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the hotel industry. This industry plays an important role in achieving the UN SDGs, which offer significant benefits for business, such as access to new markets, better risk management and long-term sustainability, as well as social benefits. This is increasingly expected by both consumers and investors.Originality/Value: This study examines the commitment and information transparency of the Costa Brava hotel sector in terms of environmental sustainability, as well as its communication strategies. This is achieved primarily through the analysis of corporate websites, comparing the information and indices to those of other entities in the sector. The relevance and value of this analysis stems from the recognition that, despite the efforts made to improve the sector, further progress needs to be made in order to make it more attractive to stakeholders.

Enhancing compliance assessment through regenerative transformations – A food waste perspective

Addressing food waste is a growing priority for hotel groups. However, aligning corporate sustainability goals with the practicalities of individual hotels is challenging. While hotels increasingly adopt certification programs to enable transparency on sustainability performance, there is a risk that compliance-based assessment systems may not fully capture the nuances of each hotel’s local context. The notion of regeneration, emphasizing reinvestment in people, place and the natural world, offers the potential to bridge the gap between corporate waste targets, hotel operations and local outcomes. Food waste, recoverable through a biological cycle, aligns with the principles of regeneration. This study explores the perspectives of practitioners involved in certification and benchmarking and those advocating for regeneration in the tourism sector. This study explores whether compliance assessment systems are sufficient to account for the challenges associated with hotel food waste and whether regenerative enhancements could be conceptualised. Through in-depth interviews, the research reveals a divide between compliance assessment and regeneration across key areas. A conceptual framework is introduced, highlighting areas of convergence that could enhance existing certification programs – with the ultimate aim of helping hotels reconsider their relationship with food waste and their local ecological system.

Optimizing Hotel Financial Processes with Blockchain Technology: A Case Study of T Group

Blockchain technology, with its decentralized and tamper-proof features, provides new solutions for optimizing enterprise financial processes. This study takes T Group, a leading Chinese hotel group, as an example to explore the application value of blockchain in the hotel finance field. Through a mixed-methods approach combining case analysis and questionnaire survey, we deeply analyze the current state and problems of T Group's financial processes, design blockchain-based solutions, and evaluate their cost-effectiveness and implementation challenges.The study finds that blockchain solutions can significantly improve financial efficiency, reduce costs, and streamline processes for T Group, but still face obstacles in technological maturity and organizational awareness. The survey shows that management has higher acceptance of blockchain, while poor process status quo is the main driving force. This research aims to provide theoretical guidance and practical references for financial transformation in hotel enterprises, promoting the innovative application of blockchain in traditional service industries.

Instagram as a Digital Marketing Tool of a Hotel Brand

Social media marketing is increasingly seen as one of the main ways of communicating with consumers, platforms where visual content is the main form of communication, such as Instagram. The human brain is programmed to not only pay attention to individual resources, but also to the stories that these resources tell. Stories allow humans to relate, inspire, motivate, and often be persuaded, because they mix information with emotion. In marketing, this concept of storytelling focuses mainly on details of a brand's branding. Therefore, although content shared on social networks can reach a large audience, that same content can be abandoned in the same instant, and so marketers must consciously create content that is relevant and interesting to their target audience, that tells the story of the brand and that engage the target audience with the brand. The presence of hotel units on social media, particularly Instagram, is increasingly seen as one of the main tools in the hotel industry's digital strategy. This exploratory study evaluates the role of visual marketing by analyzing how it can impact the performance of Instagram posts from a five-star hotel group brand in the city of Porto, Portugal. 77 Instagram posts were analyzed according to the following categories: day of the week of publication, content creator, engagement dimensions (number of likes, number of comments and number of hashtags), presence of people, topic, visual content analysis method (objects identified and predominant tone), color (description of color and tone) and finally, storytelling (the presence of storytelling in the publication and the type of story). The Google Vision API platform was used to analyze the visual content and color of all the publications collected. This study reveals that hotels should analyze the colors, type of stories, photographic content and topics that have the most positive effect on consumers - making the most of the interaction with consumers, leading them to make a reservation at the hotel. In this sense, the main aspects of visual marketing that are most effective are suggested, in terms of color, topic and storytelling, as well as identifying good visual marketing practices.

Managerial Digitalisation Cost in the Hotel Sector: The Case of Northern Greece

The main purpose of the research is to measure the managerial digitalisation cost of the hotel sector in Northern Greece. Taking into consideration the impact of the pandemic crisis on business management and the lack of rich relevant literature, the study focuses on the cost of managerial digitalisation and its possible relationship with certain hotel demographic characteristics, like star ranking, period of operation, size and accommodation type. The population consists of 2187 hotel units, based on the register of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and other local associations such as Chalkidiki Hotels Association. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, registered in Google forms, and sent by e-mail or alternatively via social media like Facebook. The main finding concerns the low amount of investment related to revenue, as the majority of hotel units spend less than 2.5% of their annual turnover on managerial digitalisation. In addition to this, members of hotel groups, seasonal and summer accommodations invest more in the adoption of digital managerial tools. A positive correlation with the number of employees was also detected. As digitalisation cost in the Greek hospitality sector is a completely unexplored scientific field, this is the first effort to deal with it. Furthermore, as Northern Greece is not as popular a tourist destination as other parts of Greece (i.e., the Aegean islands), the present research is a unique attempt to focus on the hotel sector of a less well-known Greek tourist region.

Job quality and health conditions in the hotel industry: the case of housekeeping workers

ABSTRACT Following a qualitative research design, the article investigates the world of high-end hotel housekeeping in Milan (Italy). On the one hand, the job quality and its impact on the health of workers are analysed through semi-structured interviews with housekeepers and the oral reporting of trade union officials and union delegates. On the other hand, the changes that occurred in the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic are investigated through semi-structured interviews with key informants. Results show that hotel housekeeping is a low-quality job, which negatively affects the physical and mental health of workers. The pandemic brought to light several negative aspects of the industry, and housekeepers experienced a further deterioration of their working conditions. Measures that could be implemented by hotel groups and cleaning companies to improve the job quality of hotel housekeepers are suggested.

Trends in Digitalized Hospitality Services: Accor Hotels Group’s Digital Transformation

As hotel digitalization has become a dominant paradigm, the hospitality industry is entering a critical phase of digital transformation. Hospitality practitioners are expected to provide more holistic and thoughtful services to meet the intricate demands of their patrons in the fiercely competitive industry. This research aims to explore how hotel operators within the Accor Hotel Group develop strategies to address their guests’ intricate service expectations while advancing their own digital transformation. This study analyses the digital initiatives of the Accor Group via a mixed-method approach. The effectiveness and benefits of the Accor Group’s digital overhaul are examined to gain insights into future trends in hotel digitalization. The study reveals that in the fiercely competitive hotel industry, Accor Group’s investment in hotel digitalization can produce tangible economic benefits. From a macro perspective, hotel digitalization, as a general trend in the industry, not only brings economic benefits to operators but also improves customer loyalty and personalized service experiences. However, further research is needed to address the application challenges and limitations of digital technology.

Research on Human Resource Efficiency Improvement Strategy in Modern Hotel Groups

Research on Human Resource Efficiency Improvement Strategy in Modern Hotel Groups

INTERNATIONAL HOTEL SERVICE INDUSTRY TRENDS

Objective. The objective of the article is an overview of the current state of the global market of hotel services, an analysis of trends in the hotel industry. Methods. Data from international hotel companies, data from hotel groups by the number of rooms, and the main global trends in the hotel industry were used in the study of trends in the world market of the hotel industry. Results. The article examines the current state of the world market of hotel services and analyzes current global trends in the hospitality industry using data from international hotel companies, data from hotel groups by number of rooms, as well as the main international trends in the hotel industry. The results of the article are that the hotel industry has undergone enormous changes and destruction over the past two decades. In order to survive in the conditions of modern competition, hotel companies began to introduce innovations and monitor trends in the hotel industry. Hospitality international companies represent an industry in constant flux, where major hotel companies compete with innovation and growth strategies to remain competitive in the global hospitality industry market. The development of international hotel companies is the result of the expansion of the world market of hotel services and reflects the general trend towards globalization. The modern global hotel industry is characterized by several key trends - deeper specialization of services, the use of information systems for technological support and marketing, the creation of hotel chains, the integration of capital with other sectors of the economy, the use of scientific management and the development of a network of small hotel enterprises.