Hotel Loyalty Research Articles

Looking-forward or looking-back: Feedback strategies in tier-based hotel loyalty programs

This research note examines an important yet unexplored issue in tier-based hotel loyalty programs: how to customize progress feedback to motivate members to retain their tier level. The results show that a looking-back (looking-forward) feedback strategy that emphasizes members’ completed (remaining) progress is effective in motivating low-tier (high-tier) members to retain their tier level. Furthermore, the perceived importance of tier level was confirmed as the underlying mechanism that explains the effect of progress feedback on high- and low-tier members. This study contributes to loyalty program research and practice by verifying feedback framing as an effective strategy that can help hotel firms to retain their members from different tiers.

An Empirical Study of How Both Environmental Awareness and Interest in Artwork Can Be Incorporated into the Interior Design of Urban Hotels

Prior studies on urban hotel service settings show that the positive response to the lobby artwork and interior design in a hotel is a performance determinant since it directly impacts the orientation of green customers’ preferences who form a significant part of the primary and secondary consumers outcome of emotional satisfaction. In addition, it elaborates on the importance of marketing strategy based on hotel interior design for urban hotels intending to increase customer loyalty. For this reason, the present study collected a total of 330 South Korean participants to identify the mediating role of hotel lobby interior design and artworks between green customers’ preferences and hotel loyalty. The survey instrument designed for the current study included 15 questions to test the hypotheses and a path analysis using AMOS 24.0 was conducted as the main tool to determine the relationship key factors. According to our statistical findings, it is acceptable to relate the customers’ environmental awareness with interest in artwork in the hotel lobby due to the first impression created. The artwork gives a general perception of the value and quality that the consumer is likely to gain by interacting with the available products and services. It is also valid to indicate that the customers’ environmental awareness closely relates to their preference for interior design to develop customer loyalty. Therefore, we conclude that the environmental awareness and hotel loyalty factors impact the marketing strategy and segmentation process used for the urban hotels that deal with green customers with unique and exclusive needs.

Can ethical leadership inspire employee loyalty in hotels in China? -From the perspective of the social exchange theory

Based on social exchange theory, this study provides a mediation-moderation model to examine how employees’ perception of ethical leadership may inspire employee loyalty through psychologically related resources. A total of 234 hotel employees in Southeast China were recruited as the research respondents. The results show that there is a significantly positive correlation between ethical leadership and employee loyalty. Psychological ownership and organizational justice are two mediating mechanisms in the linkage. Furthermore, power distance orientation moderates the effect of ethical leadership on these psychological processes. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed accordingly.

Examining Antecedents on Chinese Customer Loyalty in the Boutique Hotel Business

ABSTRACT Recent developments in the hotel business have caused renewed interest in a new category, the boutique hotel, as a means of attempting a new growth stage. It is important to determine a study about relationship marketing in the boutique hotel context. So, this study aims to investigate the effect of perceived value and customer loyalty, and identify the mediating effects of trust and satisfaction between perceived value and customer loyalty in boutique hotels. By using a quantitative approach, this study collected the data from 400 customers in boutique hotels using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that perceived value had no direct influence on customer loyalty, but it indirectly affected customer loyalty mediated by trust and satisfaction in boutique hotels. At present, relationship marketing issue is a significant concept to support business achievement. This study helps academicians understand how the factors affect customer loyalty in the hospitality field, focusing on the boutique hotel business. For managerial implications, marketers can create great strategies to create customer loyalty toward the hotel business based on an increase in perceived value, trust, and satisfaction. Limitations and directions for future study are also addressed.

The Impact of Online Communities-based Social Customer Relationship Management (S-CRM) on Customer Loyalty and Brand Image on Hotels

Despite the enormous importance of social customer relationship management (SCRM), customer loyalty, and brand image in the hospitality sector, research on this element in hotels has been minimal. The present study aims to investigate the impact of implementing SCRM procedures (customer service quality, integrated marketing channels, online communities /use of social media, rewards, and value-added services) to improve customer loyalty and brand image in hotels. Based on the relevant literature and the pilot research, a conceptual framework for the investigation was developed. Questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. Based on prior research, a questionnaire form was created and delivered to hotel guests at twenty different five-star hotels in Greater Cairo. The researchers distributed 400 questionnaires to a random sample of hotel guests in 20 hotels; 277 were valid, with a 69.25 percent response rate. (SPSS V.25) and (AMOS V.20) were used to evaluate the valid data. According to the findings, integrated marketing channels, online communities, and the usage of social media all have a major influence on customer loyalty in hotels. Furthermore, consumer loyalty has a huge impact on the brand's image. Furthermore, social customer relationship management (SCRM) via customer loyalty has a major influence on the brand's image.

The Use of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) Features through Hotel’ Website to Enhance Customer Loyalty and Brand Image

Despite the tremendous importance of electronic customer relationship management (eCRM), customer loyalty, and brand image in the hospitality industry, literature has revealed limited research into this aspect in hotels. The study objectives are to explore the influence of using eCRM practices (ease of use/navigation, information quality, personalization level, payment options, site security and privacy policies, reservation and tracking, price attractiveness, and multimedia features,) to enhance customer loyalty and brand image in hotels. A conceptual framework for the study was constructed based on the pertinent literature and pilot study. The study relied on questionnaires as a tool for data collection. The survey was compiled based on previous studies, and it was distributed to hotel guests in twenty different five-star hotels in Great Cairo. The researchers distributed 400 questionnaires to a random sample of hotel’ guests in 20 hotels, 277 were valid, with an acceptable response rate of 69.25%. The valid data was analyzed through (SPSS V.25) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using (AMOS V.20). The findings revealed that ease of use / navigation, information quality, personalization level, payment options, site security and privacy policies, reservation and tracking, and price attractiveness significantly impact customer loyalty in hotels. Also, customer loyalty significantly affects the brand's image. Additionally, electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) through customer loyalty significantly impacts the brand's image.

Uncovering the relationship between revenue management and hotel loyalty programs

This study investigates the underexplored relationship between revenue management and hotel loyalty programs. Results from a focus group and personal interviews with industry experts reveal that revenue management uses loyalty programs primarily as a tool to track and gather data on the customer, and revenue managers focus more on Average Daily Rate (ADR) than on total guest spend. Additionally, revenue managers are misinformed about the loyalty concept and confuse the connections between transactional, attitudinal, and true loyalty. Suggestions for future research include the investigation of the topic further by conducting a study using quantitative measures and analyses.

호텔 로열티 프로그램의 관계결속요인이 충성도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

호텔 로열티 프로그램의 관계결속요인이 충성도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

Research on the Impacts of Multisensory Marketing on Customer Loyalty Based on Data Analysis

The last several decades have witnessed the wide application of multisensory marketing techniques in hospitality industry. It is widely acknowledged that sensory experience adds value to brand equity. However, the impacts of multisensory marketing on customer loyalty in luxury hotels still remain unknown. This study examines the relationship between multisensory marketing and customer loyalty in luxury hotels. A structural equation model which reveals the relationship between 10 variables of five-sense marketing and 4 variables of customer loyalty was built by AMOS 22.0. Based on the framework, a questionnaire survey targeting on 300 consumers of luxury hotels was conducted. The result showed that visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile and gustative are able to improve customer loyalty in luxury hotels effectively. Meanwhile, it also revealed that tactile (touch) marketing has the most remarkable impacts on the customer loyalty of luxury hotels, followed by visual, gustative, olfactory and sound marketing.

Does love become hate or forgiveness after a double deviation? The case of hotel loyalty program members

Abstract This study aims to (1) examine whether a hotel's loyalty program is effective in weakening the desire for retaliation and perceived betrayal of high-tiered members after a double deviation and (2) determine which recovery tactic is more effective in attenuating their desire for retaliation and perceived betrayal. Scenario-based studies were conducted to achieve the objectives. The findings of this study suggest that high-tiered members are more likely than nonmembers to suppress their desire for retaliation and perceived betrayal during the transition from a single deviation to a double deviation, advocating the “love-is-forgiving” effect. This study also found that financial compensation and apology moderate perceived betrayal among high-tiered members. By contrast, only financial compensation attenuates perceived betrayal among nonmembers. This study contributes to the literature on loyalty programs and customer coping responses with novel findings on how members and nonmembers respond differently to service failure, failed service recovery, and recovery tactics.

호텔 로열티 프로그램의 지각된 가치가 만족도 및 재방문의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구 : 호텔로열티프로그램의 기가입 고객을 대상으로

호텔 로열티 프로그램의 지각된 가치가 만족도 및 재방문의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구 : 호텔로열티프로그램의 기가입 고객을 대상으로

Enhancing customer-brand relationship by leveraging loyalty program experiences that foster customer-brand identification

Purpose This study aims to investigate ways in which hotel loyalty programs can be designed to enhance customer’s identification with a hotel brand and develop a sustainable customer-brand relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a cross-sectional design survey questionnaire for data collection and used structural equation modeling data analysis to test the conceptual model. Findings The three loyalty program experiences proposed (member-to-member similarity, memorable loyalty program experience and loyalty program social benefits) exerted significant positive effects on customer-brand identification (CBI), which, in turn, influences customer-brand relationship elements, including trust, commitment and switching resistance. Originality/value This study expands the scope of CBI literature, which previously focused substantially on brand level experiences, by being the first to explore a new set of CBI antecedents with a focus on loyalty program experiences. Furthermore, the current study’s findings delineate specific strategies to uphold the social and experiential aspects of loyalty programs that can develop sustainable customer-brand relationships.

INFLUENCE OF EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN SHARIAH-COMPLIANT HOTEL

This study set out to determine whether hotel guest perceptions in five aspects of experiential marketing: sense, feel, think, act, and relate and their effects on customer loyalty in Sharia-compliant hotels. Quantitative research methods were used in this study, questionnaire assessments of experiential marketing and loyalty were collected from 100 respondents who stayed at Sharia-compliant hotels in the city of Jakarta, Indonesia. The findings show that experiential marketing was statistically significant (R2 = 0.677) as a predictor variable of customer loyalty in Sharia-compliant hotels.Keywords: Shariah-compliant hotel, Experiential marketing, Customer loyalty, Islamic Hospitality.

Brand tourism effect in the luxury hotel industry

PurposeThis study aims to examine the brand tourism effect observed in luxury hotels. The study assumed that when loyal customers of luxury hotels perceive two different types of non-loyal customers, loyal customers’ perceptions might influence their behavioral intention. In addition, two emotions (i.e. anger and pride) might mediate the relationship between perceptions and behavioral intention.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a scenario-based experimental design. Data from 1,013 responses were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study reveals that when loyal customers view brand tourists, infringement has a positive influence on switching intention, and likability positively effects brand loyalty. This study indicated that loyal customers perceive brand immigrants negatively, whereas brand tourists are comparably positively perceived by loyal customers. Only pride mediates these two relationships, respectively.Originality/valueThe study confirmed the brand tourism effect in luxury hotels by indicating a clearer relation between perception, emotion and behavioral intention. The theoretical implications could suggest insightful guidelines for future studies regarding loyalty in luxury hotels.

THE IMPACT OF CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT COMPONENT ON GUEST LOYALTY TOWARD STARRED HOTEL IN YOGYAKARTA

Purpose: This study aims to identify the overview of customer relationship management, analyze the level of hotel guest loyalty, and analyze the effect of customer relationship management consisting of services for the long term, individual service programs and partner relationships to the loyalty of hotel residents both simultaneously and partially.
 Research methods: This research was conducted in a descriptive and verification manner, while the research method used was a descriptive survey and explanatory survey methods, using samples through probability sampling techniques. Data collection used was interviews using a questionnaire accompanied by observation techniques. Data collection in the field was carried out in 2019. Data analysis used Path Analysis.
 Results and discussions: The results of this study indicate that; indicators of customer relationship management, and customer loyalty in four-star hotels in Yogyakarta City are generally rated well by customers, which means that four-star hotels in the City of Yogyakarta can raise good customer relationships and can provide high value and loyalty to their customer.
 Conclusion: Customer relationship management both simultaneously and partially affects the loyalty of four-star hotel customers in the city of Yogyakarta.

Brand Image as a Determinant of Customer Loyalty in Selected Nairobi Hotels

Loyalty among customers is a major purpose for firms seeking lasting connections with their patrons. Creating and sustaining an acceptable product image with consumers is vital for sustaining a business in today’s spirited markets. The relationship between brand image and customer loyalty in hotels is blurred. Additionally, scholarly works associated with brand image and loyalty in the hotel and hospitality sector in Kenya is inadequate, hence the study gap. The study purpose sought to investigate the effects of brand image on customer loyalty in Kenyan hotels It employed an explanatory research design. From a target population of 1,191 customers, 253 formed the sample size while six marketing executives were interviewed for key information. Purposive, stratified, and systematic random sampling methods were used. Instruments for data collection included self-administered questionnaires and interview schedules. Data was reduced using factor analysis and simple regression conducted to test study hypotheses. Findings indicated that brand image (t=12.747, p<.001) considerably affected loyalty among customers. The study concludes that advancement in the brand image likely results in enhanced loyalty. The study, therefore, recommends that hospitality operations should focus on tangible dimensions of their units, promote staff-guest interactions and increase measures to enhance their corporate image to remain competitive while retaining existing customers and attracting new ones.

Examining an integrated model of green image, perceived quality, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in upscale hotels

ABSTRACT This study considered a comprehensive model for understanding how green image, perceived quality (PQ), guest satisfaction, and trust simultaneously influence guests’ loyalty/behavioral intention. The relationships between the proposed constructs/variables were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on data collected from 200 UK travelers who stayed at upscale hotels in Europe. Results show that green image has an indirect positive effect on guests’ loyalty mediated through perceived quality (PQ) and trust, with PQ in turn influencing loyalty indirectly through satisfaction and trust. These results help to demystify the causal relationships among the investigated constructs/variables, suggesting in particular that a hotel’s green/eco-friendly image positively influences guests’ perception of a hotel’s products and services as well as establishing the role of PQ, satisfaction, and trust as mediators of green image as a determinant of guest loyalty.

Shifts of Guests’ Perception on Drivers of Customer Equity for Loyalty over Time: A Multiple Mediation Analysis

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore a model of customer equity and to examine the moderating effects of relationship age on relation between drivers of customer equity and customer loyalty for chain hotels. Data were collected from 947 guests at five stars of chain hotels which are located in Busan, South Korea and analyzed using structural equation modeling. A developed model endorsed that all three key drivers of customer equity were significant factors to develop customer loyalty in chain hotels and especially guest perceived value equity as the most forceful factor for loyalty development. The guests’ perception on drivers of customer equity for loyalty development shifts over time. Guests with early years of relationship with a chain hotel perceived value equity as the most influential driver for loyalty, those with middle years of relationship considered relationship equity as, and those with mature years of relationship rated brand equity as. This article ends with more of discussions for the implications and directions of future study.

Value co-creation behaviors and hotel loyalty program member satisfaction based on engagement and involvement: Moderating effect of company support

Value co-creation behaviors and hotel loyalty program member satisfaction based on engagement and involvement: Moderating effect of company support

Quality of hotel service, loyalty and purchase intent

El objetivo es evaluar los efectos directos e indirectos de la calidad del servicio hotelero sobre la intención de compra y la lealtad del consumidor mexicano del sector hotelero de tres estrellas a través de la técnica SEM. Se hizo un pilotaje y posteriormente se aplicó una encuesta en línea en estados mexicanos seleccionados. Con los datos capturados, se llevó a cabo el análisis PLS-SEM del modelo propuesto. Entre los resultados se evidencian los efectos de la calidad del servicio y lealtad sobre la intención de compra siendo más significativa la relación indirecta sobre la intención de compra a través de la lealtad. Dentro de las limitaciones al ser una encuesta en línea y aplicarse dentro de grupos especializados, se debe contar con el permiso comunitario. La originalidad de los resultados estriba en la propuesta de un modelo integrador que involucra tres factores previamente explorados en una nueva estructura factorial.