Hotel Websites Research Articles

Clean and green: the relevance of hotels' website quality and environmental management initiatives for green customer loyalty

PurposeCustomers' focus increasingly turns to the green practices of firms. Organizations need to rethink their strategies and position themselves concerning their environmental responsibility. The idea behind this study is to observe the influence of hotel website quality and hotel environmental management initiative (HEMI) on green customer loyalty in the Pakistan hotel industry with the mediating role of green trust (GT) and green satisfaction (GS).Design/methodology/approachThe study is quantitative, and partial least squares structural equation modelling followed to test the proposed hypotheses. A total of 542 questionnaires were used for analysis through SPSS 25.0 and SmartPLS 3.2.9.FindingsThe findings confirm the proposed positive influence of hotel website quality and HEMI on green customer loyalty. Moreover, GT and GS significantly mediate the relationship, further enhancing the relevance of green practices for hotels.Practical implicationsHotel management can get maximum customer loyalty to concentrate on hotel website quality, HEMI, GT and GS.Originality/valueThis study aims to develop a research model to incorporate hotel website quality, HEMI, GT, GS and green customer loyalty by using signalling theory and natural resource-based view theory that prior studies ignored.

What Determines Tourist Adoption of Hotel Websites for Online Hotel Bookings?

The online purchase through web channels regarding travel related product services have really taken an unprecedented growth. The objectives of the study is to determine how information quality available on the websites of the hotels influence the intentions of customers of online bookings. Furthermore, the study also seeks to analyze how etrust as mediator influence the customer online booking intention.A simple random sampling technique used to collect the data with help of a questionnaire as the data collection tool to survey the customers in Delhi. The total valid sample size was 400. The framework and hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM empirically. The paper found significant and positive relation between information quality and online hotel booking intentions of users whereas the relation between source credibility and online hotel booking intentions found insignificant. In addition, etrust partially mediate between information quality and online booking intentions through hotel website and no mediation between source credibility and online hotel booking intentions.

Uticaj demografskih varijabli na zadovoljstvo korisnika digitalnih usluga hotela

The development of information and communication technologies is fundamentally transforming the tourism sector and tourism suppliers are widely using modern technologies to improve their business. Hotels are increasingly relying on digital technologies in an effort to reach their business objectives, improve the experience and satisfaction of their guests and achieve a competitive advantage. The aim of this research is to determine the statistical significance of the impact of demographic variables on customer satisfaction when using digital services, such as: the hotel website, online reservations, internet services, as well as social media. Empirical research on customers' attitudes and their satisfaction with digital services that 4and 5star-hotels provide on the territory of Serbia was conducted in 2021 and the results were processed using statistical methods and the Chi-square test. The research results have shown that there is a statistically significant difference in customer satisfaction with digital hotel services depending on their gender and age. The research indicates that it is necessary to take in account the demographic categories of customers when developing digital hotel services and make adjustments to them accordingly.

360° Virtual Reality Video Tours Generation Model for Hostelry and Tourism based on the Analysis of User Profiles and Case-Based Reasoning

This paper proposes an adaptive software archi-tecture focused on hotel marketing based on immersive virtual reality (VRI) with 360° videos, which includes a component based on Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) to provide experiences that correspond to the analysis of user profiles. For the validation of the system, considering that the use of VR can trigger experi-ences in several dimensions, affective, attitudinal and behavioral responses, as well as the cognitive load were evaluated using visu-alizations of 2D photographs contained in hotel websites , which were compared with 360° videos in a VRI environment. To test the hypotheses, a quasi-experimental study was conducted with an independent sample group, in which subjects were randomly assigned to the two types of visualizations. The contribution of the article lies in the incorporation of marketing concepts and approaches in VRI experiences with 360° videos through virtual objects that are used by the software architecture, as well as in the proposed validation of the effectiveness of the proposal.

The Influence of Hotel Website Performance on Customers' Booking Intention-- A study of Atlantis Online Official Website in Sanya

With the continuous development of the Internet and the continuous rise of e-marketing, the form of consumer reservation has changed from face-to-face booking or telephone booking to Internet booking. As the main place for customers to book online, the official website has become an important online marketing platform for Sanya Atlantis Hotel. Nowadays, how to increase the attention of the website and increase reservation revenue is the the problem that Sanya Atlantis has to think. This needs to constantly improve their own website according to the development trend of the times, optimize the website performance.

Reconnoitering enablers of travelers' online hotel booking intention: moderation of service affordability and perceived pandemic risk

PurposeThe meddling of foreign players into the Indian hotel industry has triggered fervent competitiveness, and therefore, consumers' attitude, intention and behavior have been the epicenter of all activities. This study endeavors to explicate enablers of online hotel booking intention (OHBI) in the Indian hospitality industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study examined OHBI of 560 travelers during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India using structural equation modeling and an extended technology acceptance model. Direct and indirect associations were explored using mediation and moderation.FindingsThe results manifest that hotel website credibility, perceived website interactivity and perceived ease of use (PEU) aggrandize perceived usefulness (PU), which, in turn, considerably magnifies travelers' OHBI. PEU and PU partially mediate the relationship in the model. Into the bargain, service affordability reinforces the relationship, while perceived pandemic risk enfeebles the relationship between PU and OHBI.Research limitations/implicationsThe study unfurls pressing determinants of PEU, PU and OHBI that may facilitate hoteliers to lure travelers and enhance profitability.Originality/valueThere is a paucity of literature on “hotel website credibility” and “perceived pandemic risk” in the hospitality industry. Hence, the study enriches literature by assimilating underlying constructs through an epigrammatic conceptual model. The study is distinctive because it unearths the possibilities of mediation and moderation amongst the aforementioned constructs and posits the calamitous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism and hospitality sector.

Ocena jakości usług hotelarskich przez użytkowników portalu booking.com a działania organizacyjne podejmowane przez menedżerów – na przykładzie Lublina

The aim of this study is to present the correlation between guests’ evaluations and opinions about the quality of hotel services and decisions made by managers of selected hotels in Lublin. The results of the search indicate that three-star hotels predominate in the city, therefore the study focused on objects of this category. Several methods were used in the research procedure, including Internet query of hotel websites, the contextual analysis method, which is the equivalent of Text Mining, in the field of analyzing comments left on the booking.com portal and a diagnostic survey using an interview questionnaire addressed to hotel managers. In terms of quantitative assessment (on a scale of 1–10), of the hotels in Lublin included (Focus, Locomotiva, Victoria and Willowa), the Focus Hotel was rated highest (mean score of 8.8). Considering all hotels, in qualitative assessment, the following variables received the most positive opinions: level of service and cleanliness of room (in Focus, Victoria and Locomotiva hotels), location (in Victoria Hotel). Almost half of all negative comments concerned the parking area. The survey conducted with managers shows that the comments of guests have a large influence on the changes implemented in the hotels (e.g., breakfast serving time in Willowa Hotel or extension of buffet offer in Locomotiva Hotel). The contextual analysis method, which can be equivalent to the SERVQUAL method, is of particular research value especially under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic when it is impossible to conduct interviews in person.

ANALISIS PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN STRATEGI PEMASARAN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI PADA BISNIS PERHOTELAN DI KOTA BATAM

The development of the hospitality business in Batam is increasingly making competition and competition between hotels tighter. Competition and competition make the management of hotels must have good marketing strategy skills so that they can increase the sales volume and room occupancy rate of their hospitality business. The reason of this observe is to discover how information technology can improve the ability of marketing strategies in terms of sales volume and room occupancy rates in the hospitality business. The sampling method of this research was performed through the usage of purposive sampling with the wide variety of respondents as many as 50 people who were taken intentionally. The conclusion tool used is SWOT analysis to take benefit of possibilities and maximize strengths, lessen weaknesses and additionally avoid threats. The Strengths-Opportunities (SO) strategy is implemented using brand positioning through the development of hotel websites, maximizing cooperation with travel agents by providing easy booking using online technology applications. In the ST strategy, it is applied by conducting a comparative analysis of room quality and room prices with star-class hotels through information technology, using promotional media supported by technological advances. In the WO strategy by minimizing weaknesses by analyzing cost components, renovating rooms with the help of using information technology. Then the WT strategy that is carried out is to improve the quality of service by using mobile check-in).

The impact of positioning on click-through-rates in hotel metasearch engines

The recent arrival of the metasearch as a distribution channel within the hotel industry has the potential to provide hotels less dependency on online travel agencies. Metasearch engines display different reservation options for the same hotel in the same interface, which might include online travel agencies and the official hotel website, establishing an apparent level playing field. In this context, it remains unclear if there will be a presentation-order effect of the different options when price and cancellation policy are the same due to two reasons. First, hotels compete against popular and trustworthy online travel agencies. Second, the minimalist and functional design of metasearch platforms might help consumers differentiate among the options, possibly impacting the decision-making process. Accordingly, the present study aims at investigating the relationship between a hotel's site position and a higher click-through rate in a metasearch whilst competing directly and on the same page with a well-known online travel agency. To this end, an experiment was conducted in which participants had to finish the booking process for a given hotel on a major metasearch engine, where they could choose between the hotel's official site and a leading online travel agency. The main finding implies that occupying the top position increases the click-through rate for unknown hotels, whilst hotels associated with well-known chains are not subject to this effect.

Determinants of online hotel booking intentions: website quality, social presence, affective commitment, and e-trust

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effect of hotel website quality, social presence, affective commitment, and e-trust on travelers’ online hotel booking intentions. Smart-PLS software was applied to test the hypotheses. The results of this study explain how hotel website quality, social presence, affective commitment, and e-trust have a significant relationship with online hotel booking intentions. This study identifies how hotel website quality is a critical driver in developing affective commitment, e-trust, and online hotel booking intentions. Travelers who enjoy the social experience with the hotel website platform are more motivated to book a room at that hotel. This study confirms the vital role of social presence in enhancing e-trust and online hotel booking intentions and provides evidence of the importance of the holistic model in understanding travelers’ decision-making processes, especially when booking a hotel room.

The influence of banner position and user experience on recall. The mediating role of visual attention

Purpose This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of a static promotional banner located on a hotel reservation website in terms of capturing the visitor’s visual attention by exploring how this impact depends on the user’s degree of internet experience. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was conducted using the eye-tracking methodology, in addition to a self-administered questionnaire. Through eye-tracking technology, eye movements were recorded whilst participants explored a generic hotel website. The factors used in the analyses were the position of the banner on the website and participants’ experience as internet users. Findings The findings showed that positioning a banner at certain locations on the webpage may lead to a better recall, which, in part, seems to result from the visual attention that such locations attract. The mediation analysis showed that the bottom-right and bottom-left positions have a negative effect on banner recall due, in part, to the shorter attention times and the smaller number of fixations those positions induce. Although the visitor’s level of internet experience affected his/her visual attention towards the banner, its impact on banner recall was non-significant. Results are discussed considering which variables produce greater effectiveness in capturing the user’s attention. Practical implications The paper draws several implications for the marketing literature, hospitality management and society in general. Originality/value The study is the first to analyse the impact of the position of a static ad on users’ visual attention and memory, considering the user’s degree of internet experience.

How diverse is hotel website accessibility? A study in the central region of Portugal using web diagnostic tools

Accessible tourism is a very important growth market that should not be ignored by the tourism industry, not only due to legal obligations and social responsibility but also because of business opportunities. However, people with special needs face various constraints in accessing tourism products. The absence of accessible information is one of the main barriers that people with special needs face when they intend to travel. The Internet represents one of the most important information sources in tourism. However, a limited number of studies examine the use of the Internet in the accessible tourism market, specifically website accessibility. To extend knowledge in this field, this study aims to analyse the website accessibility of hotels and Pousadas de Portugal located in the Central Region of Portugal. A sample of 306 websites was analysed based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, using automatic web diagnostic tools (AccessMonitor and TAW). This analysis was performed considering the A, AA and AAA conformance levels of WCAG. Findings reveal that the web accessibility level of the hotels analysed is low, with the ‘Perceivable’ and ‘Robust’ guidelines being the most critical. Moreover, there are differences in the web accessibility levels in terms of hotel category. Contrary to what was expected, the higher category hotels present the lowest level of web accessibility. These results can help hotel managers and web designers to improve communication with an important growth market – accessible tourism.

Perumusan Strategi Bersaing pada Grand Malabar Hotel

The industry 4.0 revolution era, the hotel competitive rivalry competition, and the covid-19 pandemic are challenges for every industry to compete, especially the hospitality industry. Faced with this situation, a strategy is needed in winning the competition. This study is aimed to formulate a competitive strategy at the Grand Malabar Hotel in the midst of fierce competition in Bandung hospitality industry. This study uses primary and secondary data collected through observation, questionnaires, interviews, literature studies and related journals. This study combaines quantitative and qualitative approaches at the same time to optain optimal results. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) and Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) are used as the methods of this study. The result of this study shows that currently the Grand Malabar Hotel is entering into red ocean. There are 13 competitive factors analyzed, 3 of which must be eliminated, 1 factor must be subtracted, and 7 factors must be increased. The nnovation has been made by creating 6 factors, including: (1) cooperation with travel agents, (2) creating hotel website, (3) information on tourist attractions, (4) utilization of IoT, (5) self service check-in kiosks, (6) rooftop cafe. The strategy formulation has been tested and commercially feasible to be implemented by Grand Malabar Hotel.
 Keywords: Blue ocean strategy (BOS), competitive strategy, hotel, importance-performance analysis (IPA), value innovation.

Price effects of search advertising restrictions

Some suppliers prohibit their distributors from advertising on search engines if the consumer searches for the supplier's brand name. Such restrictions are referred to as “non-brand bidding agreements” (NBBAs). This paper investigates the effect of NBBAs on retail prices in the Dutch hotel sector, where some hotels impose NBBAs on online hotel booking platforms. An NBBA may protect the hotel's own website against competition from hotels on booking platforms because booking platforms cannot target consumers searching for the hotel with a search ad. This may lead to higher prices on the hotel website. However, an NBBA may also generate ad savings, which may lead to lower prices. We use hotel prices from a meta-search site and data on NBBAs from two hotel booking platforms. To correct for unobserved heterogeneity between hotels with and without NBBA, we apply a trajectory balancing approach within a synthetic difference-in-differences framework. Compared to non-NBBA-hotels, NBBA-hotels charge higher prices on their website relative to the price on booking platforms, suggesting a price increase. We identify cases where it is unlikely that consumers benefit from passed-on ad savings.

Facilitators of Online Hotel Booking through Third Party Aggregators: Measurement and Validation in the Indian Context

ABSTRACT The Indian hotel industry is likely to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2020 with 28% (up from 19% in 2018) of all bookings made online. The extant research in this field has been mainly focused on the technical and esthetic aspects of hotel websites. Drawing on information richness literature, we identify and develop customer-centric informative factors (named Facilitators of Online Booking or FOB) that might facilitate online hotel booking. We deployed a two-stage mixed-method study across major tourist destinations in India. In the first stage (n1 = 202), we developed an 18-item scale to measure FOB. In the second stage (n2 = 330), we tested the construct validity of FOB and found support for its relationships with e-trust (as a mediator) and purchase intention.

Advance booking across channels: The effects on dynamic pricing

This research analyzes the effects of advance booking and channel type on hotel rates. While this relationship has been addressed in the literature, most studies take a partial approach by focusing only on one distribution channel or one destination. This study fills this gap by analyzing the price dynamics for four channels and multiple destinations. The data set consists of 39,363 bookings for 1085 hotels over 27 consecutive months. We used two-stage least squares to solve potential endogeneity issues, and the results proved that distribution channel, hotel type and hotel size have an influence on the effect of advance booking on hotel rates. Critical managerial implications are discussed. • Ninety days in advance, OTAs undercut any other channel's price. • Thirty days out, the rates offered by hotel websites, OTAs and GDSs are aligned. • Hotel websites had their lowest price level on the arrival day. • Hotel size appears to have an influence on the general effects of advance booking and channel type.

Examination of Website Language Strategies Adopted by Five-Star Hotels in China: A Corpus Approach

Hotel websites are vital information channels for potential customers. Hence, their readability and attractiveness play a key role in online marketing for hotels. This study attempts to investigate how hotels use language strategies to better market themselves online. This study first proposes an analytical framework on the basis of appraisal theory, which aims to reveal the hidden mechanism by hotels in building interpersonal relationships, and uses such a framework to explore online language strategies used by five-star hotels in China. The general language strategy and the corresponding preference in the use of such a strategy amongst hotels are identified. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are generated on the basis of the findings and analysis. It is among the early studies to modify appraisal theory to analyze tourism and hospitality text data and to adopt the corpus approach to explore the hidden mechanism of language use.

Attraction, Social Presence, Sociability, and Booking Intentions: The Moderating Role of Homophily

It is essential for hotel marketers to better understand how human images—found in website photographs—are perceived by customers, and how such perceptions can affect customers’ website experience and behavioral intentions. Given the lack of empirical studies related to the effects of human images and hotel website photographs, this study first assesses the influence of physical and social attraction evaluations—related to human images in hotel website photographs—on perceived social presence, in order to further examine the relationships between social presence, sociability, and booking intentions. Moreover, the moderating effects of background homophily, on the relationships between physical and social attraction and social presence, are also examined. This study, which adopts structural equation modeling and analyzes data collected from a sample of 417 U.S. travelers who have recently booked a hotel room directly through a hotel website, confirms all of the aforementioned relationships.

SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF HOTEL ADVERTISEMENT

The phenomenon of misinterpretation and the mismatch of the desired meaning in a hotel advertisement gives significant losses to hoteliers in Bali. The purpose of this study is to understand the meaning contained in a hotel promotion advertisement. This study aims to align the problem of conveying meaning in promotional advertisements that are often not understood by tourist targets so that there is a misunderstanding between the wishes of the hotel marketing and the needs of the tourists themselves. This study analyzes (1) ads part segmentation, (2) describes the relationship between signs in the form of markers and signs in hotel advertisements, (3) describes and provides an overview of suggestions regarding the role of the proper meaning in hospitality advertisements. The design of this study uses a qualitative design collected from study subjects in the form of hotel advertisements collected from promotional advertisements (brochures or websites) of hotels in Bali. The objects in this study are in the form of words, phrases, sentences, and images in the advertisements. The study stage begins with data collection on hotel advertisements regarding the advertisements being promoted. Then a picture of the proper meaning of promotional advertising based on semiotics will be drawn up. The results achieved are the connection between symbols and meanings used in a hotel promotion advertisement. Semiotic science variables can be added in the design of a hotel advertisement so that it provides an illustration of the suitability between the application of semiotics and hotel marketing practices as outlined in the advertisement. The exact match between the desires and the meaning to be conveyed can be developed properly to avoid misunderstandings between the hotel and the target market.
 Keywords: advertising; Bali; hospitality; promotion; semiotics

Ratio of the structure of hotel online booking channels and the monitoring of the quality of hotel websites in a multidimensional system

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentials that can positively impact the success of a hotel online business by: (1) exploring the specifics of the internal structure of online booking channels in the hotel business, (2) identifying the value and distribution of the potential to increase hotel bookings through the hotel website, (3) identifying the potential by exploring the space for improving hotel website excellence, and (4) developing an innovative multidimensional metric for monitoring hotel website quality. Methodology: This research was approached in a way that the issue is considered from two aspects. Firstly, the potential to improve the ratio value of the hotel online booking channel structure is observed. The survey in the Republic of Croatia was conducted by regions on a sample of 4* and 5* hotels. Secondly, the potential to improve a hotel business is considered as the possibility to improve the performance of a hotel website. Results: The research results show the value and distribution of the potential which can be used for a positive impact on the hotel business. Furthermore, the use of the presented multidimensional metric model allows a clear recognition of the potential for the hotel website quality improvement. Conclusion: It can be concluded that both aspects of the potential research (in addition to the research findings), open up numerous possibilities for conducting similar or more complex analytical procedures and a new empirical research.