Star-rated Hotels Research Articles

Big Data Analytics Capability and Firm Performance in the Hotel Industry: The Mediating Role of Organizational Agility

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on international mobility have negatively impacted the tourism market. Tourism players, particularly the hotel industry, have turned to big data analytics to mitigate uncertainties and offer better products and services. Nonetheless, the central question for researchers and practitioners is how the usage of big data analytics can help the hotel industry improve firm performance. Drawing on the resource-based view and dynamic capability theories, this study analyses the relationship between big data analytics capability and firm performance in the hotel industry. This study expands the current research by examining the role of organizational agility in mediating the relationship between big data analytics capability and firm performance. To empirically test the research model, the author used survey data from 115 star-rated hotels throughout Malaysia. Through partial least square equation modeling, the findings revealed that big data analytics capability positively affects organizational agility and firm performance. The result also demonstrated that organizational agility mediates the relationship between big data analytics capability and firm performance. This study can also guide hoteliers to identify resources required to build big data analytics capability and further highlight the significance of organizational agility in improving firm performance in the hotel industry.

The effect of hotel employee resilience during COVID-19: The moderation role of perceived risk and challenge stressors

The effect of hotel employee resilience during major crises lacks sufficient empirical investigation. This research aimed to develop a conceptual model of hotel employee resilience effects on turnover intentions and service quality with belief restoration as mediation and challenge stressors and perceived risk as moderation variables. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 28 star-rated hotels (including two 3-star, fifteen 4-star, and eleven 5-star hotels) in southeastern, northeastern, central, and western China against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with operational (e.g., front office, food and beverage, housekeeping) and administrative (e.g., human resource, sales, finance) departments. A total of 1318 valid questionnaires were collected. The results showed that: (1) employee resilience predicted employee service quality positively and turnover intentions negatively; (2) belief restoration partially mediated the impact of employee resilience on service quality and turnover intentions; and (3) perceived risk and challenge stressors had diverse moderation effects (e.g., U-shaped, linear) in the impacts of resilience, and they were important external and internal situational factors that influenced the impact of employee resilience. This research revealed the effects and situational conditions of hotel employee resilience during a major crisis, which provides a theoretical basis for establishing hotel crisis response strategies.

Establishing the effect of service tipping on the learning and growth performance of hotels in Kenya based on the balanced score card perspective

This study sought to establish the effect of service tipping on the learning and growth performance of hotels in Kenya based on the Balanced Score Card Perspective. The study adopted a mixed-method including descriptive survey and predictive correlation research designs targeting 183 star rated hotels in Kenya. Data collection was mainly done through physical dropping of the questionnaires by research assistants to hotels around towns and by mail, especially to hotels inaccessible either in towns or away from towns. The study was conducted in a period of one month using structured questionnaires. The study used the drop-and-pick procedure for the required data collection, whereas some of the questionnaires were mailed to the respondents. In addition, the study uses descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviation and percentages and inferential statistics using Regression Analysis. This study concluded that the service tipping statistically and significantly influenced the learning performance of the star-rated hotels in Kenya. Therefore, the study recommended that the hotel owners should also see service tipping as a performance opportunity rather than revenue leakage, just as the findings from this study have statistically proved it. This should make them invest in Service Tipping to motivate the employees, who in turn will offer superior services that attract customers leading to the desired satisfaction. In addition, service tipping should be a strategy adopted by the hotels' managers to enhance their performance.

Influence of Physical Fitness Activities on Productivity of Hotel Managers: Perspective of Star Rated Hotels Within Mombasa County

This study sought to determine the extent to which participation in physical fitness activities found within health and fitness clubs in star rated hotels in Mombasa County enhanced manager’s productivity. Though studies previously carried out concentrated on health benefits, nothing much has delved in productivity benefits, more so for hotel line managers. To address this gap, this study focussed on Hotel line managers found within the twelve star rated hotels within Mombasa County that have Health and Fitness Clubs. A cross sectional design was adapted. Since each star rated hotel has at least ten line managers, one hundred and twenty questionnaire were developed and subjected to the one twenty line managers. Both descriptive analysis and linear regression analysis, were used to analyse the resultant data to establish whether there was a significant difference between the physical fitness activities available in the hotels for the managers and their productivity. There was a high correlation between managers’ physical activities and productivity (R =0.824) which could be explained by 74.1% of the responses. The P=0.026 showed that there is a significant relationship between manager’s participation in health and fitness activity and productivity in star rated hotels within Mombasa County. The regression equation; Managers’ productivity =21.864+ 0.712 (managers’ physical activity) shows that for every additional element of managers’ physical activity, productivity would be expected to increase. As such line managers’ participation in health and physical activities found within the star rated hotels could significantly boost their productivity. Other than bridging the research gap, the eventual results inform industrial policy makers on the need to either enlist line managers to wellness clubs or incorporate wellness clubs within the hotel premises for their use.

An empirical investigation of Service encounter quality, Relationship quality and Perceived value on Customer loyalty in Hospitality industry

This empirical study investigates the relationship between service encounter quality, relationship quality, perceived value, and customer loyalty in the hospitality industry. "Moments of truth," representing customer interactions with service personnel, are critical in shaping customer experiences. The objectives of the research are to explore the impact of service encounter quality on customer loyalty, examine its effect on perceived value, determine the influence of perceived value on customer loyalty, assess the mediating role of perceived value, evaluate the moderating effect of relationship quality, analyze the joint effect of service encounter quality, relationship quality, and perceived value on customer loyalty, and investigate the impact of customer loyalty on word-of-mouth communication. The cross-sectional survey design targeted both local and international tourists and guests in star-rated hotels in Beijing. A pilot study with 100 randomly selected tourists was conducted to minimize sensitization effects. Structured questionnaires were administered to 1000 travelers with a two-week interval. Reliability of the instruments was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha (a≥0.7), and content, convergent, and discriminant validities were established. Hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling with SPSS and Amos Graphics software. The findings supported the proposed nine hypotheses, highlighting the significant relationship between service encounter quality and customer loyalty. Moreover, the combined effect of service encounter quality, relationship quality, and perceived value had a greater impact on customer loyalty than when considered individually. This suggests that hotel managers and decision-makers should focus on improving all three constructs collectively to enhance customer loyalty. This study contributes to the existing literature on service encounter quality and customer loyalty, providing practical insights for policymakers, marketers, hotel management, and tourists.

Assessment of The Level of Adoption of E-commerce by Selected Star-rated Hotels in Nairobi City: A Case of Extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption

E-commerce, particularly internet marketing and website design is one of the emerging strategies in creating competitive advantage in the tourism and hospitality industry. The confidence level of using internet among potential travellers has increased drastically and hence hoteliers have to put efforts to develop website that meets the contemporary emerging trends. This paper aims to evaluate the e-commerce adoption by selected hotels in Nairobi City due to rising growth of the hospitality industry in the city. As a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, many businesses resorted to using e-commerce in providing their services to their esteemed clientele. The study is based on the concept of Extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption (EMICA) in order to compare the website features and performance. A total of 35 hotel websites in Nairobi were examined using leading search engines including- Google, Yahoo Search and MSN. This study established the time and resources efficiency associated to e-commerce in relation to physical correspondence in accessing the hotel services. The study also revealed that hotels in Nairobi lose revenue by providing limited contents on products and services and that a competitor can easily take away the customers online despite property offering more superior products. The study gives reveals how the hospitality industry loose revenue by not offering real-time reservations on their own online platforms. Suggestions are given on the possible ways that hotels can apply to create competitive advantage and have improved revenue. The study also offers recommendations on how tourism and hospitality industry in Nairobi may increase the destination profile online by offering products and services all under one portal instead of transferring potential customers to third party platforms at a booking stage.

Strategi Pemasaran Hotel dalam Masa Pandemi COVID-19 di Kawasan Sanur

Pandemic has devastated the industry and its businesses, including star-rated hotels, causing almost a 50%decrease in occupancy rates. Now that international borders are being re-opened, a rise in tourism demandsoccurred meaning businesses must implement the correct strategy to market and do advertisement in a postpandemicworld. This research aims to address successful marketing strategy to increase occupancy rate forstar-rated hotels in Bali to quickly recover in a post-pandemic world.This is qualitative research, using observation, interview, and documentation to collect data from ARTOTELSanur as an object for the study case. Marketing Mix and Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning (STP)approach are used to identify ARTOTEL Sanur’s marketing strategy. Both primary and secondary data are usedand analyzed through data reduction, data presentation, and verification.The objectives of this research are to find ARTOTEL’s marketing strategy during the COVID-19 Pandemic,and their implementation plan for the post-pandemic market. This research found that ARTOTEL Sanur hadimplemented effective marketing strategies to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and compete in a post-pandemicworld. The strategy involves compelling and effective social-media marketing through Instagram as ARTOTELSanur’s main channel.Keywords: Strategy, Marketing, COVID-19 Pandemic, Hotel.

Competitive Strategies and Performance of Star-Rated Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Competitive Strategies and Performance of Star-Rated Hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Adoption of Halal Tourism Concept in Star Rated Hotels in Mombasa County, Kenya: The Role of Perceived Benefits

Globally, halal tourism has been acknowledged as one of the tourisms segment whose growth is exponential. Halal tourism has been identified as one of the highest spending tourist markets. The hospitality industry is recognising the need to adopt Halal-compliant facilities around the globe. Halal tourism can be understood as the offer of tourist services designed to meet the needs of Muslim tourists following their religious commitments. Halal destinations serve Halal food, have a no-alcohol policy and have gender-segregated swimming and spa areas, among other Halal compliant products. Consequently, in Kenya, the hospitality industry is gradually embracing the Halal tourism concept. Mombasa County has identified Halal tourism as a key growth area. Its rich Islamic influence would make it a preferred Halal destination for Halal tourists worldwide. However, Mombasa County has some restaurants currently only providing Halal food. Subsequently, the country is missing out on the growing global Halal tourism. Hence, the study sought to examine the influence of perceived benefits on the intention to adopt the Halal tourism concept in star-rated hotels. The study population was 15 star-rated hotels in Mombasa County. The respondents consisted of hotel managers, supervisors and operatives. The study embraced a cross-sectional research design where primary data were collected using questionnaires and interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis by computing frequencies and means and inferential analysis using correlation and multiple regression analyses. The coefficient of determination from the multiple regression model showed that perceived benefits explain 62.2% of the intention to adopt the Halal tourism concept. The study found that perceived benefits is a significant determinant of the intention by star hotels to adopt Halal tourism. The study recommended the need for the hotels to undertake a cost-benefit analysis before adopting Halal products and services. Keywords: Halal tourism, halal concept adoption, perceived benefits

Microbial contamination characteristics of centralized air conditioning systems in star-rated hotels based on metagenomic sequencing

Microbial contamination characteristics of centralized air conditioning systems in star-rated hotels based on metagenomic sequencing

Research on the Input-output Efficiency of Tourism Industry in Anhui Province based on DEA Model

As a pillar industry in the tertiary industry, the efficiency of its input and output is crucial to social and economic development. This paper takes Anhui tourism industry as the object of model validation, selects the number of star-rated hotels, the number of travel agencies and the number of tourism employees as input indicators, and the domestic tourism revenue and international tourism foreign exchange revenue of Anhui Province as output indicators, and analyzes the evaluation results of tourism input-output efficiency of Anhui Province from 2005 to 2017 using DEA model. The results of the study show that the technical efficiency and scale efficiency of Anhui tourism industry both show a wave-like rise, and should continue to optimize the allocation of resources and give full play to the advantages of tourism.

Technology acceptance antecedents in digital transformation in hospitality industry

The lack of technology acceptance strategy is one of the fundamental causes of failures observed in Digital Transformation (DT). Hence this paper investigates the implications of technology acceptance antecedents in predicting DT. Grounded on the extended theories of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and predictive antecedents of Behavioural Intention (BI) and Behavioural Expectation (BE), this study scrutinized to assess the impact on both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes represented to predict the use of DT in the hotel sector in Sri Lanka. An online survey was operationalized to collect data from the total sample population among all star-rated hotels (138) in Sri Lanka during the first two quarters of 2021. Findings introduced a novel and validated the model significantly to predict DT with a direct and strong correlation between acceptance antecedents towards the use of DT while indicating that BI and BE are simultaneously supportive in predicting the use of DT.

Organizational Culture Orientations and Employee Turnover Rate among Star Rated Hotels in Nairobi County

Hospitality industry is characterised by intensity of labour all over the world. Curiously, the sector is also dodged with higher employee turnover and slow growth, with many ventures closing down annually. In Kenya, the employee turnover rate remains at over 50% with hotels in Nairobi recording the highest turnover of over 72% by the first quarter of the year 2021. Management scholars have argued that aligning organizational culture to the business environment is the best approach to dealing with organization outcomes, including employee turnover. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of organizational culture orientations on employee turnover rate among star rated hotels in Nairobi County. Specific objectives were to determine the influence of innovation orientation culture on employee turnover rate, and to establish the influence of stability orientation culture on employee turnover rate. Contingency theory, which stipulates that approaches for enhancing firm outcome are contingent upon environmental factors was adopted. The study employed a correlational survey design on a target population of 486 top and middle-level managers. Fishers et al (1998) formula and multistage sampling were used to select a sample of 213 from the target population. Data was collected via structured questionnaires. Expert rating method was used to calculate a content validity index (CVI) of 0.88 for the instrument. Reliability was calculated through split-half method, where correlation coefficients of 0.88, and 0.84 for organizational culture and organizational structure respectively was attained. Descriptive and inferentialwereusedfordataanalysis. The findings showed that 75.7% changes in employee turnover rate is attributed to organizational culture orientations investigated by the study (R2 =0.757). Findings also showed that stability orientation (β=0.473), and innovative orientation (β=0.484) all are significant predictors {F (1, 183) =278.617, P<0.05} of employee turnover rate among the hotels. It is concluded that stability orientation culture and innovative orientation culture are critical organizational characteristics for managing employee turnover. The study recommends that organizational characteristics should be improved for the purpose of controlling employee turnover. Further research needs to be done on effects of ethical environment and corporate governance on employee turnover rate.

Relationship between Behavioural Empowerment and Employee Commitment in selected Star Rated Hotels in Kisumu City, Kenya

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between behavioural empowerment and employee commitment in selected star-rated Hotels in Kisumu City, Kenya. This study was anchored on Social Cognitive Theory.
 Methodology: The study adopted explanatory and descriptive research designs. The target population was 1372 non-managerial employees and 130 managerial employees from 34 star rated hotels. A sample size of 310 non-managerial employees and 13 management staff formed the sample for the study. The respondents were selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. The validity of the surveys was established using professional judgment. The dependability of the research tool was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Mean, frequencies, and standard deviation were included in descriptive statistics, whereas linear regression was part of inferential statistics and data presented using tables.
 Findings: According to the study's findings, employee commitment and behavioral empowerment were significantly positively correlated in a few star-rated hotels (1=0.751; p0.05).
 Unique Contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study came to the conclusion that, in particular hotels, behavioural empowerment had a substantial impact on employees' engagement. Encourage hotel staff to have confidence in their sense of judgment, values, work roles, and actions related to their jobs.

A Study on the Evaluation of the Innovation Efficiency of Star Hotel Services Based on the DEA-Malmquist Index

Based on the panel data of star-rated hotels in China from 2015 to 2021, the following conclusions were drawn by using the DEA-Malmquist index method to investigate the efficiency of service innovation of star-rated hotels in China and to analyze the factors that influenced the change in the efficiency of star-rated hotels in China [1]. The service innovation efficiency of high-star hotels has a high sensitivity to changes in the external environment, while low-star hotels show a relatively resilient life under the unfavorable external circumstance [2]. Technological progress is an important reason for the promotion of service innovation efficiency, especially the key reason for the improvement of service innovation efficiency of high-star hotels [3]. The expansion of enterprise-scale has a more obvious inhibiting effect on the improvement of service innovation efficiency of low-star hotels [4]. After the epidemic, pure technical efficiency can obviously promote the service innovation efficiency.

Financial Investment Modes and Strategic Readiness of Star-Rated Hotels in the COVID-19 Pandemic Environment in Kenya

The hotel industry in general is a great investment option for generating income and building long-term wealth. The hospitality industry, especially in the developing world context, is fraught with risks that limit investment in the industry and these risks have been further compounded by the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic which, though under control, presently has put the levels of strategic readiness of the industry into question. This paper, therefore, explores the influence of financial investment modes on strategic readiness of star-rated hotels in Kenya in the COVID-19 context. The study was guided by the Modern Portfolio Theory and used a cross-sectional study design targeting star-rated hotels in Kenya from which 120 were selected using systematic random sampling. Using data collected through questionnaires and interview schedules, the study found that financial investment modes have a significant influence on strategic readiness of star-rated hotels in the COVID-19 pandemic environment in Kenya. Most hotels were working on a mix of financing instruments that will ensure financial sustainability even after the pandemic. The hotels’ levels of readiness have an important impact on their financial instrumentation prospects. The study recommends that the star-rated hotels should also reposition themselves strategically in the investment market so as to enable them attract more investment from both the private sector and the public sector to enable them build more resilience in times of crisis.

Relationship between Hotel characteristics and Customer Loyalty Among Star-Rated Hotels in Kenya’s North Rift Region

The most crucial problem that organizations confront when the level of competition in the market rises is how to cultivate customer loyalty and increase customer lifetime value. However, because of the complexities of the competitive market, it is becoming increasingly challenging to establish and maintain consumer loyalty. Customer loyalty is anticipated to rise because of hotel characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the degree to which hotel characteristics have a positive and substantial impact on customer loyalty. As a result, this study used a cross-sectional survey of fourteen (14) star-rated hotels in Kenya's North Rift Region to assess the association between hotel characteristics and customer loyalty. A cross-sectional research survey design was utilized to randomly choose 384 visitors among the hotel guests who stayed there between January and June 2019 using the Multi-Stage Sampling Method. The respondents were given a questionnaire, which was used to gather the data. The Cronbach's alpha value, which has a coefficient of 0.7, was used to assess the reliability of the survey items. Expert evaluations were used to assess the validity of the questionnaire's items. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present the findings. The hypothesis regarding the association between hotel characteristics and customer loyalty was tested using simple and multiple linear regression analysis. According to the study, there is a substantial correlation between hotel attributes and client loyalty, with β coefficient values of 1.079, respectively, at p < 0.05. The model's overall significance was R = 0.830, R2 = 0.689, and P = 0.005. As a result, the study concludes that there is a strong positive correlation between hotel attributes and client loyalty. The research advises hotel owners to make their establishments accessible, get favourable star ratings, and keep expanding their business to be able to match client expectations in order to attract their patronage.

Emotional characteristics and theme mining of star-rated hotels from the perspective of social sensing: a case study of Nanchang City, China

Mining hotel social sensing data and analyzing its spatial and temporal characteristics can provide decision support for hotel managers. Present research on this topic is limited to the overall hotel industry and text mining. Here, we first obtain POI and reviews for star-rated hotels in Nanchang from 2018 to 2021. Secondly, the hotel POI (Point of Interest) is combined with the sentiment value of customer reviews. Finally, comparative analysis and topic mining of Spatio-temporal aspects of text reviews of different star-rated hotels are conducted using sentiment analysis, spatial analysis, and thematic social network analysis. Results show that: (1) Hotel star rating and hotel review sentiment value are significantly positively correlated. The seasonal trends of different star rating hotel sentiment values are similar, but are highest in summer and lower in autumn; (2) The highest sentiment value is seen for friends’ outings and the lowest is for business trips; (3) Customer reviews of star-rated hotels focus on three aspects: facilities, service, and location. Three-star hotels focus on the stay experience, while four-star hotels focus on the breakfast situation. Exploring hotel social sensing data can intuitively illustrate hotel selection’s behavioral patterns and spatial-temporal characteristics. The methods of this study can expand the application of social sensing data in different fields, such as the tourism and restaurant industries.

The Structure and Evolution of the Tourism Economic Network of the Tibetan Plateau and Its Driving Factors

Tourism is one of the core industries driving the economy on the Tibetan Plateau towards green development. Adopting the improved gravity model, social network analysis, and quadratic assignment procedure, this paper explores the structure and evolution characteristics of the tourism economic network on the Tibetan Plateau from 2015 to 2019. The results are as follows: (1) the tourism economic strength increased over time, but it was generally higher in Qinghai Province and lower in Tibet. (2) The network density exhibited an upwards trend overall. (3) The structure of the tourism economic network presented a significant core–periphery distribution pattern. Xining, Haixi, and Lhasa acted as a bridge between the spatial network structure of the tourism economy and had a structural hole advantage. However, some remote cities, such as Ali, Naqu, and Guoluo, had low network centricity. (4) The quadratic assignment procedure regression analysis showed that the A-level attractions and star-rated hotels significantly advanced the formation of the spatial association. This study concludes with recommendations for promoting tourism economic associations for policy-makers.

Stakeholders’ Role in the Adoption of Green Practices among Star Rated Hotels along Coastal Kenya: Partnerships and Collaborations

The hospitality and tourism industry is one of the key economic sectors expected to take a leadership role in transforming the emerging green economy. Climate change impacts on ecological sustainability alongside considerable growth in the industry have raised critical concerns through increased emission of greenhouse gases, water, and energy consumption, and vast volumes of food waste. A rapid move from carbon and material-intensive ways of delivering visitor experiences with an emphasis on stakeholder involvement and ecosystem wellbeing makes tourism a leader in transforming the emerging green economy. This paper aims to determine the role of stakeholder engagement in the adoption of green practices by star-rated hotels along the Kenyan Coast. A cross-sectional survey design was applied in this study. Sample hotels for the study were identified using stratified random selection. Stratification of management tiers for selecting general managers and heads of sections was applied. Data from heads of sections were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire while semi-structured interview schedule was used for general managers. Analysis of data included descriptive statistics in determining the frequencies, means, standard deviations, and percentages for each survey item. One sample t-test was used to test the statistical significance of Likert scale responses. Hypothesis testing was conducted using a multiple linear regression model. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that stakeholders’ engagement contributes significantly to the adoption of green practices (p=≤0.000≤0.05). Stakeholder’ engagement was also revealed as a key predictor of adoption of green practices in star rated hotels (β= .760, P - value<0.05). The study concluded that stakeholders’ engagement provide new ideas, define performance indicators for monitoring, auditing, comparison, and reporting green practices adopted by the star-rated hotels. The study recommended that hotel managers, hotel associations, and government agencies need to enhance green practices by strengthening the capacity of existing institutions to partner and collaborate with key stakeholders, mobilize green climate funds, develop and review curricula, training resources, and short courses in hospitality, tourism, and environmental studies.