Hotel Location Research Articles

The factors influencing the decision on the location of hotels depending on their size in Poland

The factors influencing the decision on the location of hotels depending on their size in Poland

Conditions of Business and Holiday Hotels Location. Dolnośląskie, Opolskie and Śląskie Voivodships Case Studies

From the economic point of view the choice of a hotel location is the most important decision for an investor, made at the pre-investment stage of a business project. An attractive building location and a service programme appropriately matched to it determine the profitability level and as a result the development prospects of the hotel. An attempt to determine the most important factors of the location of newly built business and holiday hotels is the aim of the paper as well as the use of documentary and statistical methods in the empirical domain. The spatial scope of the survey comprised Dolnośląskie Voivodship, Opolskie Voivodship and Śląskie Voivodship, while the time covered the years 2000–2009. The analysis of the survey results have shown that the most important factors for business hotel locations comprised transportation access, investment incentives of a planning-administration nature, the supply of tourist services, the level of economic development, the degree of economy internationalization as well as availability of investment areas. In addition, in the analyzed group of holiday hotels the tourist (natural) values, access to skilled hotel staff, investment incentives (of a planning-administration nature), an increase in competition in the hotel sector as well as the supply of tourist services turned out to be statistically significant location factors. After the survey, numerous leads appeared, which in the authors’ opinion should become the subject of further consideration of issues related to hotel location selection conditions.

Investigation into ivory trade in selected markets and hotels in Lagos, Nigeria

The market growth for wildlife trophy collection is gradually leading to a decline in animal population. Thus, trade in ivory constitutes a potential threat to biodiversity conservation. The extent of this treat was therefore investigated via a 3-month survey of trade in ivory in selected markets and hotels in Lagos, Nigeria. The study showed that ivory trade flourishes in some parts of Lagos State with woodwork and beadwork being used as cover ups, especially in hotels where they are easily accessible to foreign buyers. Ivories are sold secretly to customers in order to avoid arrest. Bar-beach market and Eko Hotel and Suites are the two major locations where ivory are sold in Lagos. However, the Bar-beach market was preferred by buyers for the simple reasons that are not far-fetched. Prices of ivory in Eko Hotel and Suites are considerably higher than ivory items in the Bar-beach market. This may be due to the location of the hotel, which is situated in the up-scale business district of the Lagos Island and is patronized by very wealthy clientele. The use of ivory replacement such as the synthetic products should be encouraged as this will greatly reduce the pressure and demand for wild animal tusks, horns and skin. Keywords: Ivory collection, Elephant tusk, Souvenirs, illegal trade, Prices, Preference by buyers

Clustering benefits for upscale urban hotels

PurposeThe aim of this paper is twofold. First, clustering patterns of urban hotels are explored, and, second, clustering effects on performance for upscale urban hotels are estimated.Design/methodology/approachLocal indicators of spatial association (LISA) were computed using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Clustering for the entire population of hotels in Madrid was explored visualizing LISA statistics. Then, a system generalized method of moments regression was applied to test a set of hypotheses about the performance effects of LISA statistics for a sample of upscale urban hotels.FindingsTwo significantly distinct types of clusters are identified: dense “cold spots” or clusters containing many low-priced hotels and quiet “hot spots” or clusters only containing a few high-priced hotels. And, estimates confirmed two important results: evidence of adverse selection when clustering and evidence of positive location economies for upscale hotels.Practical implicationsThis study has a number of relevant implications for making better hotel location decisions. Specifically, the paper shows the applicability of GIS to find statistically significant clustering in the data. In the hotel sector, knowing exactly where hotel clustering occurs and of what type is of vital importance.Originality/valueThis paper’s novel application of LISA based on GIS techniques for hotel clustering sheds light on the effects of clustering on performance to convey the subtle nuances of the relationship for upscale urban hotels.

Multiple criteria decision making in hotel location: Does it relate to postpurchase consumer evaluations?

Hotel location is an important attribute in tourist behaviour and decision making. Using a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) method, preference selection index (PSI), this paper identifies those criteria which are influential on tourists' hotel location choice. The prioritization of hotel location criteria as well as the ranking of hotels by location is demonstrated. Ranking of hotels by the PSI procedure based on objective metrics is compared with the ranking publicized in a global travel web site (Booking.com) based on subjective tourist evaluations. Rational decision making in hotel location is closely associated with tourists' postpurchase evaluations (PPE), and Tourist Attractions is the most important locational determinant. This study demonstrated the relationship between rational decision making in hotel location and tourists' postpurchase evaluations (PPE) by employing preference selection index (PSI) method that has previously not been utilized in tourism literature.

Understanding Guest Satisfaction with Urban Hotel Location

In this article, we unveil determinants of guest satisfaction with urban hotel locations and disclose what types of locations are preferred by guests. Using data from 8,185 online reviews of 220 Los Angeles hotels checked in during a 1-year period, we apply a mixed-effect ordered logit model to investigate factors determining location evaluation scores. We classify all location-related factors into three categories: accessibility to points of interest, transport convenience, and surrounding environment. Our results suggest that a property’s accessibility to attractions, airports, universities and public transportation, as well as green spaces, bodies of water, and local businesses are significant determinants. Free parking and airport shuttle bus service could mitigate disadvantages related to inferior airport accessibility. Moreover, we underscore different hotel location satisfaction effects across travelers’ experiences and types of travel described in the online reviews. Lastly, different types of travelers demonstrate heterogeneous location preferences related to different tourist attractions.

비즈니스호텔의 최적 입지 결정에 관한 연구

The Facility location challenge has been widely addressed by using various mathematical models since 1960s. However, there are not sufficient Operation Research perspective approaches on the location problems throughout the hotel industry. In this study, we developed a mathematical model to optimize the location and size of new business hotels within their budget restrictions. As a solution approach, a genetic algorithm was developed. A proposed mathematical model and a genetic algorithm were tested using the real data of head offices and using hypothesis hotels data in Seoul metropolitan city. A Proposed mathematical model and a genetic algorithm were examined via numerical example by deriving the optimal location and size of new hotels in a reasonable time.

Antecedents of Business Travelers’ Satisfaction

The concept of business travelers’ satisfaction is acknowledged as the most important component to the success of hoteliers around the globe. Yet, the extant literature is largely focused on the context of Western countries. A better awareness of business travelers’ satisfaction in non-Western countries could help scholars and hoteliers to understand the full picture of business travelers’ satisfaction. This study, therefore, investigates and discusses the antecedents of business traveler’s satisfaction in Latin America, specifically Panama. A total of 216 business travelers’ reviews and feedback on the TripAdvisor website were reviewed and content analyzed. The findings suggest that physical hotel facilities, bedroom attributes, hotel facilities, staff attributes, restaurant attributes, hotel location, and price factors are responsible for generating business travelers’ satisfaction in the Panamanian context. Limitations of this study and the avenues for future study are also discussed.

Intra-metropolitan location choice of star-rated and non-rated budget hotels: The role of agglomeration economies

In this study, we aim to investigate the role of agglomeration economies, which include both urbanization economies and localization economies, in determining the hotel location choices within a metropolitan setting. Using a sample of 110 star-rated hotels and 535 non-rated budget hotels established in the urbanized area of Beijing over the period 2005–2012, we estimate a mixed logit model of hotel location selection. The results suggest that both star-rated and non-rated budget hotels are enticed by externalities rising from localization economies to choose locations with a high concentration of hotel incumbents. Also, an inverted-U-shaped relationship exists between hotel incumbent concentration and location probability for both types of hotels. Furthermore, budget hotels prefer locations that offer advantages of urbanization economies. Lastly, our results suggest that both star-rated and budget hotels are more likely to choose locations around Beijing Olympic Park, especially in and before 2008. We discuss several policy implications of these findings.

Product diversification and property performance in the urban lodging market: The relationship and its moderators

In this study, we investigate the relationship between product diversification and hotel property performance as well as the moderators of this relationship in the urban lodging market. Using stochastic frontier analysis with panel data, we calibrate the efficiency scores of 377 urban hotels in Beijing from 1994 to 2005. We then investigate the impact of product diversification on performance as measured by efficiency score. Results from panel data models indicate that the degree of product diversification exhibits a positive relationship with hotel performance. Hotel location, diversification expansion rate, and foreign ownership/operation are found to be significant moderating factors determining the effect of product diversification. Specifically, hotels that (a) are located farther from the city center, (b) expand diversification more slowly, and (c) are domestically owned are more likely to leverage the benefits stemming from product diversification. We provide a series of practical evaluation modules to help hoteliers improve performance.

Impacts of political instability on the tourism industry in Ukraine

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this research paper is to learn about how the tourism industry in Ukraine has been hit by the political instability in the country and how it has reacted to mitigate its negative consequences. The data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire completed by 102 hotel managers and 73 travel agency managers in Ukraine. Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis χ2 test, and t-test were used to analyse differences in respondents’ answers by category, size, location, region, and chain affiliation of hotels. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to investigate the differences in travel agency managers’ responses on the basis of licence type, region, main market segment, and IATA certification of the agency. The findings confirm previous research results that political instability leads to negative impacts on the tourism industry of a country – decreased revenues, plummeting numbers of tourists and overnights, and increased costs. This was valid not only for the regions that were neighbouring the conflict areas, but for the rest of country as well, although the former were more severely hit by the political instability than the latter. The findings further revealed differential effect of the political instability on the accommodation establishments and travel agencies on the basis of their characteristics. This is the first-known survey of the tourism industry in Ukraine following the political turmoil of 2014 that illustrates the impact of the political instability to the tourism industry, as well as elaborates the tactics that hoteliers and travel agency managers in Ukraine are taking to counteract the shock.

Attractiveness of municipalities in South-Western Poland as determinants for hotel chain investments

The selection of a location for a hotel is a decision of paramount importance, and requires a consideration prior to any investment being made. The choice of an appropriate location can meet demand, contribute to the local economy and aid guest satisfaction. This article attempts to identify the principal factors determining the location of hotels belonging to a chain. The data cover a period from 2000 to 2009 in three municipalities in the Lower Silesian, Opole and Silesian Voivodeships in Poland. The results indicate that the following factors were crucial for investors; namely, land prices, level of economic development, and the degrees of internationalization and urbanization at the site.

Brand Experience Anatomy in Hotels: An Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach

Identification of the factors of hotel brand experience (HBE) and the interrelationships shared by them are of interest to both practitioners and academics, as such an understanding would enable hoteliers to deliver superior HBE. However, very few studies have concentrated on brand experience in hotels. This study identifies the factors of HBE and determines the interrelationships among them through the development of a reliable and robust hierarchy-based model using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach. Results show that particular factors (hotel location, attractive and informative hotel website, and active exposure on social media) have a high degree of influence on the development of HBE and exhibit low dependence. The present work has significant implications for hoteliers who could use the findings of the study to provide superior HBE.

Importance of location and exterior of city hotels as elements of guest satisfaction

Business practices and attitudes of tourists show that hospitality represents the primary factor in the development of urban tourism. It is considered that, besides the exclusive appearance, there is no business success for hotel properties without a proper location. It is known that a typical tourist would like to be close enough to tourist attractions, to be able to reach them on foot. This paper deals with the importance of location and exterior of urban hotels on guests decision on the selection and overall satisfaction with hotel products. The survey was conducted in the hotels two largest urban centers in Serbia (Belgrade and Novi Sad). The aim of the research is an insight into the real impact of location and exterior when assessing the guest satisfaction. Descriptive statistical analysis, t-test and regression analysis were used for statistical data processing.

Hierarchical Fuzzy Rule Interpolation and its Application for Hotels Location Selection

Fuzzy rule interpolation offers a useful means for enhancing the robustness of fuzzy models by making inference possible in systems of only a sparse rule base. However in practical applications, as the application domain of fuzzy systems expand to more complex ones, the curse of dimensionality problem of the conventional fuzzy systems became apparent, which makes the already challenging tasks such as inference and interpolation even more difficult. An initial idea of hierarchical fuzzy interpolation is presented in this paper. The proposed approach combines hierarchical fuzzy systems and fuzzy rule interpolation, to overcome the curse of dimensionality problem and the sparse rule base problem simultaneously. Hierarchical fuzzy interpolation is applicable to situations where a multiple multi-antecedent rules system needs to be reconstructed to a multi-layer fuzzy system and the sub-layer rules base is sparse. In order to demonstrate the potential of this approach, a hierarchical fuzzy decision making model for international tourist hotel location selection is provided in this paper. Criteria are acquired from literatures review and practical investigations for selecting the international tourist hotel location. These supportive systems can be directly presented to the tourists requesting a mechanism for selecting the most appropriate hotel, where lack enough information about the important indicators and factors. This model can also support the managers of hotels who are trying to make strategic decisions regarding the most optimized investments on the indicators of selecting a hotel. An empirical study for identifying the international tourist hotel location selection in Chongqing is conducted to demonstrate the computational results and effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Hotels in Łódź city space

The article is an attempt to describe the current development level of the hotel base in Łódź – the third largest city in Poland. The analysis deals with both historical and spatial aspects. The detailed analysis of the hotel distribution in Łódź is based on A. KOWALCZYK’s (2001a) categorisation of hotel location types in urban areas. The Łódź hotel base is compared with other large cities in Poland.

Hotelling revisits the lab: equilibration in continuous and discrete time

We investigate experimentally the impact of continuous time on a four-player Hotelling location game. The static pure strategy Nash equilibrium (NE) consists of firms paired-up at the first and third quartiles of the linear city. In a repeated simultaneous move (discrete time) treatment, we largely replicate previous findings in which subjects fail to converge to the NE. However, in asynchronous move (continuous time) treatments we see clear convergence towards the NE.

Hotel location evaluation: A combination of machine learning tools and web GIS

The need for a reliable, unbiased, and objective assessment of hotel location has always been important. This study presents a new approach to evaluate potential sites for proposed hotel properties by designing an automated web GIS application: Hotel Location Selection and Analyzing Toolset (HoLSAT). The application uses a set of machine learning algorithms to predict various business success indicators associated with location sites. Using an example of hotel location assessment in Beijing, HoLSAT calculates and visualizes various desirable sites contingent on the specified characteristics of the proposed hotel. The approach shows considerable potential usefulness in the field of hotel location evaluation.

Differences in Sustainable Management Between Four- and Five-Star Hotels Regarding the Perceptions of Three-Pillar Sustainability

Although there are a wealth of publications about sustainability in tourism destination management literature, the concept has only recently started coming under examination within the area of hospitality management. This article’s main focus is on capturing the perceptions and practices of hotel management in respect to the concept of three-dimensional sustainability. A literature-based self-administered questionnaire was used and 423 hotels participated in the study. Logistic regression was employed in order to examine four research hypotheses and extract useful findings. The findings suggest that hotel star ratings play a significant role in the perceived importance of financial measures of economic viability, as well as in the application of socially responsible practices by hotel management; the same conclusion does not apply to environmental practices. Furthermore, it was found that hotel location does not play a significant role in shaping perceptions of sustainability dimensions.

Competing over a finite number of locations

We consider a Hotelling location game where retailers can choose one of a finite number of locations. Consumers have strict preferences over the possible available store locations and retailers aim to attract the maximum number of consumers. We prove that a pure strategy equilibrium exists if the number of retailers is large enough. Moreover, as the number of retailers grows large, in equilibrium the distribution of retailers over the locations converges to the distribution of consumers’ preferences.