Hotel Websites Research Articles

Shaping digital luxury perception: The impact of curvature in website design

Design-oriented studies play a pivotal role in shaping the future of hospitality, as they directly influence guest experience, operational efficiency, and even brand identity. This research pioneers the exploration of how font and corner curvature—two indispensable elements of website graphic design—affect the perception of luxury in digital branding through hedonic values and readability. Utilizing a mock-up luxury hotel website, we examined the effects of corner and font curvature through an experiment with 182 participants. The results show that: 1) both rounded corners and fonts increase the site's hedonic value, 2) rounded fonts improve readability, 3) hedonic value and readability significantly enhance luxury perception, and 4) sharp corners improve luxury perception. We recommend a combination of sharp corners and rounded fonts for luxury hotels, as sharp corners enhance luxury perception while rounded fonts improve readability and hedonic values. This approach balances brand identity with functionality and digital pleasure.

Conceptual Metaphors in Narrative Advertisements for Places: A Comparative Study Between English and Lithuanian

The paper examines 15 conceptual metaphors in advertisements for hotels based in Lithuania, focusing on the similarities and differences between English and Lithuanian versions of these advertisements. 21 English and Lithuanian hotel websites were analysed, resulting in 104 metaphorical expressions in English and 39 metaphorical expressions in Lithuanian. The focus was on categorizing the findings based on whether the compared texts: 1) maintained consistent metaphorical meanings in both languages; 2) featured distinct metaphorical expressions in one language; 3) lacked metaphors in one language; 4) had instances of missing metaphorical sentences. The research employed a descriptive-analytic approach to examine the source and target domains of conceptual metaphors in hotel advertisements in both English and Lithuanian. A contrastive method was utilized to compare conceptual metaphors and metaphorical expressions across the two languages. The Conceptual Metaphor Analysis method was then employed to discern the connection between identified metaphorical expressions and conceptual metaphors. Lastly, quantitative analysis was conducted to assess the frequency of conceptual metaphors present in the advertisements. This study is unique as no previous comparative research has been conducted on conceptual metaphors and their variations in English and Lithuanian hotel advertisements. The findings contribute to understanding linguistic changes in metaphorical expressions between the two languages. The analysis reveals that metaphorical expressions are more prevalent in English hotel advertisements compared to the Lithuanian ones. Furthermore, the majority of conceptual metaphors identified are related to the very hotels, objects, atmosphere, rooms, and available services, portraying them as personified entities capable of interacting with guests in an appealing and courteous manner. The most commonly observed conceptual metaphor in both languages is PLACE IS A PERSON / VIETA YRA ASMUO.

Psychological factors influencing online booking intentions among resort tourism service users

PurposeThis study examines the psychological factors that directly influence individuals’ intentions to book or arrange reservations through resort hotel websites within the context of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Specifically, this study focused on identifying and understanding the key drivers of online purchase intentions, including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions within the UTAUT model.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the UTAUT as a theoretical framework. A quantitative research approach was adopted and data were collected through surveys using a five-point Likert scale. The sample consisted of 270 participants, selected through purposive sampling. Data analysis was performed using Smart PLS software.FindingsThe results indicate that performance and effort expectancy significantly influence online purchase intentions. However, social influence did not significantly affect online purchase intention. By contrast, facilitating conditions significantly and positively influence online purchase intention.Practical implicationsThese findings have practical implications for hotel managers and marketers. Emphasizing performance, effort expectations and facilitating conditions can improve customer perceptions of website usefulness and directly increase their intention to book. The limited impact of social influence suggests the need to focus less on social recommendations or endorsements in online marketing efforts and prioritize individual factors and objective information.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the field of technology and tourism by examining the psychological factors that directly influence users’ intention to purchase from resort hotel websites. This extends the understanding of online purchase intentions in the context of resort tourism and highlights the importance of facilitating conditions. This study also partially confirms the applicability of the UTAUT model in this domain and provides insights for future research on online purchase intentions in resort tourism.

The impact of website quality and online reviews on booking intention: The case for Algerian Hotels

The present study assess the effect of Algerian hotels website quality and online reviews, on the online booking intention with keyword research scores as an indicator. Thru the analysis of combined scores and ratios obtained from a content analysis to TripAdvisor Online Travel Agencies (OTA) to four Algerian hotels websites located in the city of Constantine. The results support theorical findings that website quality effects the online booking intention only for Marriott Hotel, However a divergence of results for local hotels is noticed, due to the poor use of their websites, which is measured by the lowest online reviews number on TripAdvisor compared with Google Travel platform. Moreover, the study supports the theorical findings that online reviews number and especially positive online reviews effect the hotel customer's online booking intention; where high keyword rates are expected for best reviewd hotels.

Impact of Online Reviews on Hotel Booking Intentions among Millennials in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of online reviews on hotel booking intentions among millennials in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study discovered that millennials heavily rely on online reviews when making hotel booking decisions, considering them as crucial sources of information. Positive reviews tend to increase booking intentions, while negative reviews have a significant adverse effect. Additionally, the study revealed that millennials are more inclined to trust reviews from fellow consumers rather than those from official hotel websites or advertising campaigns. Furthermore, it highlighted the importance of review authenticity and the influence of review characteristics such as quantity, recency, and overall rating on booking intentions. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social influence theory, technology acceptance model and selective exposure theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of online reviews on hotel booking intentions among millennials in Nigeria. Hoteliers should prioritize online reputation management strategies that enhance the credibility and authenticity of online reviews, thereby positively influencing Millennials' booking intentions. Policymakers should enact regulations that promote transparency and accountability in online review platforms to mitigate the spread of fake or misleading reviews.

‘Luxurious’ metaphors in luxury hotel websites in Singapore and Hong Kong: A mixed-methods study

Previous research has yielded a substantial body of empirical evidence regarding the use of metaphors in various types of discourse. However, limited research exists on the relationship between metaphor and more segmented economic industries, such as the luxury hospitality sector. The attention of this article is directed towards inspecting how metaphorical expressions are deployed by luxury hotels to construct their luxury identity and attract potential guests.A corpus of 62 lxury hotel websites from Singapore and Hong Kong is used as the contextual background for the investigation of metaphor usage in this study. Using MIPVU (Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam), a total of 6990 metaphorical keywords, including a diverse range of 28 source domains were observed. Among others, the five most productive source domains in the corpus are living organism, physical object, space, artifact, and motion. A mixed-methods approach that combines both quantitative data analytics and qualitative discourse analysis reveals and interprets significant associations between source domains, hotel facilities, and regions, suggesting that the choice of metaphorical expressions is not arbitrary but is influenced by specific factors related to the hotel's offerings and cultures. This study emphasises that the analysis of lexical-conceptual patterns in promotional texts can generate deeper insights into positioning strategies.

An Evaluation of Turkish Hotel Websites: A New Perspective for eMICA

Today, websites have become an important marketing tool for hotel businesses. Therefore, the quality of hotel websites and the content they deliver are important factors that influence the purchasing decisions of potential customers. Investigating these factors involve demonstrating the level of development of hotel websites. Therefore, this study evaluated hotel websites in Türkiye using the Extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption (eMICA) method. In the study, dissimilar to other studies in the literature, the data was obtained automatically via data scraping using Python programming language and analysed with descriptive analysis techniques. The study results showed that Turkish hotel websites did not have a sufficient degree of maturity. Hotel businesses generally used their websites for promotional purposes rather than as a comprehensive marketing tool. The study also aimed to contribute to the improvement of the eMICA method by adding new criteria.

Empirical Relationship between Three Geotechnical Properties Obtained in Three Sites in Kerbala City, Iraq

The material index (Im), concentration index (Ic ), and Coefficient of Lateral earth pressure at res (Ko ) are important geotechnical properties, which are determined in seismic cross holes depending on wave velocities. These three geotechnical properties were determined in three sites in Kerbala City, Iraq. These geotechnical properties are determined depending on the cross-hole survey achieved at Al-Abbas holy shrine, the pure water p, project and the Al-Khiam hotel sites. From a comparison of of the values of these properties in the three sites, three empirical relations were found between them, these are Im = - Ko, Ic = 4 – Ko, and Ic = 4 + Im. the author believed that these relations are usfule in determine these properties. In this research, it was reached to find new equations or relationships through which these three properties can be calculated by calculating one of them, and then finding the values of the other properties ia n short time, and with high accuracy. These new equations or relations I called Al-Kafeel equaions. Im , ,Ic and Ko have been calculated for more than 2034 samples from the surface of tearthths to up 15 m. These parameters have been calculated for more than 2034 samples from the earth's surface and up to 15 m, which used seismic velocity values in calculating these properties by the international old equations. This paper used new equations which are called Al-Kafeel geotechnical equations. The results were compared using the two equations, and it was very successful, and the error rate was between 1%–2%. These simple equations or relations, Al-Kafeel Equations, have been reached and used for the first time since 2017 and have given excellent results in terms of time, and accuracy.

‘We are open again (and again)’: communicating during COVID-19 – opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned

ABSTRACT During any crisis, how a company communicates will determine how much reputational capital is spent and how quickly the company can recover. Extending the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) to hotel websites and social media, this paper investigates Swiss hotels’ messages during this crisis to repair their image, bolster their reputation, and attract customers back to Swiss destinations. From June 2020 to August 2021, messages from Swiss independent 4- and 5-star hotels were mined, and semantic network analysis, sentiment analysis, and an analysis of SCCT strategies were employed to investigate hoteliers’ messages during the pandemic. Hoteliers adopted different strategies between hotel website (dominated by corrective action) and social media (renewal). Hoteliers tried to create positive emotions as detected through sentiment analysis and the wide use of exclamation points. Guest was the most popular theme and concept from the semantic analysis. The emphasis on guests and positive emotion indicates the humanness of the communicated message.

Customised Holiday Experiences through Artificial Intelligence: Case Studies from the Aviation and Hospitality Sectors

This article explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the aviation and hospitality industries, both of which are rapidly evolving due to technological advancements. It aims to understand the increasing importance of artificial intelligence by examining the various ways in which it is used in these sectors through qualitative research. The research included an analysis of online sources such as airport and hotel websites, booking platforms, and social media accounts of travel-related businesses. This comprehensive data collection provides insight into the various applications of artificial intelligence in tourism. Thematic analysis was then used to categorise the data according to similar uses, providing a detailed understanding of the role of AI in these areas. It compares and examines artificial intelligence applications adopted by aviation and hospitality organisations, evaluating their effectiveness and differences. The study reveals the various ways in which AI is being integrated into these industries and highlights its significant contributions across various dimensions. It also highlights how AI can deliver competitive advantage, improve customer experiences, and introduce innovative paradigms to the aviation and hospitality industries. One important aspect of the research is its ability to provide a deeper understanding of emerging AI trends in these sectors and lay a strong foundation for future research. Ultimately, this study provides valuable insight to stakeholders in aviation and hospitality, equipping them with an informed perspective on leveraging AI for growth and long-term sustainability in their respective industries

The relationship between hotel star rating and website information quality based on visual presentation.

The hotel industry is essential for tourism. With the rapid expansion of the internet, consumers only search for their desired keywords on the website when they trying to find a hotel to stay, causing the relevant hotel information would appear. To quickly respond to the changing market and consumer habits, each hotel must focus on its website information and information quality. This study proposes a novel methodology that uses rough set theory (RST), principal component analysis, t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE), and attribute performance visualization to explore the relationship between hotel star ratings and hotel website information quality. The collected data are based on the star-rated hotels of the Taiwanstay website, and the checklists of hotel website services are used to obtain the relevant attributes data. The results show that there are significant differences in information quality between hotels below two stars and those above four stars. The information quality provided by the higher star hotels was more detailed than that offered by low-star hotels. Based on the attribute performance matrix, the one-star and two-star hotels have advantage attributes in their landscape, reply time, restaurant information, social media, and compensation. Furthermore, the three-five star hotels have advantage attributes in their operational support, compensation, restaurant information, traffic information, and room information. These results could be provided to the stakeholders as a reference.

When are vivid hotel photos effective? The moderating effects of resource scarcity and brand level

Despite the wide use of photos on brands’ social media accounts and hotel websites, limited attention has been paid to how color saturation levels of photos affect hotel consumers’ purchase decisions. Drawing on the congruency framework, the current research examines the interaction effect between color saturation level and consumers’ consumption goal on purchase intention. Specifically, this research uses consumers’ subjective level of resource scarcity and brand level as the moderators. Findings from three experimental studies demonstrate that hotel photos with high (vs. low) color saturation can enhance advertising trustworthiness when consumers perceive a low (vs. high) level of resource scarcity (Study 1) and when they are visiting a luxury (vs. mid-scale) hotel (Study 2A & 2B). Hotel marketers may optimize the color saturation level of their property photos based on the profile of their target consumers and mid-scale vs. luxury level.

Inclusion or exclusion: Evaluation of hotel websites from an accessibility perspective

This study evaluates the top 100 hotel websites from Web Content Accessibility Guideline 2.0 based on conformance level AA to understand their compliance with the international accessibility standards for disabled people. The study utilizes an automatic online tool - TAW, to check the web accessibility of hotels. The findings demonstrate that the hotel websites have accessibility barriers that prevent disabled people from using the online facility, especially in the guidelines 1.1, 2.4, 4.1, 1.3 and 1.4. Additionally, the study has also discussed various theoretical and practical implications that can help promote inclusive tourism.

Integrating TAM and Perceived Co-Creation towards behavioral Intention to Use Hotel Website

Integrating TAM and Perceived Co-Creation towards behavioral Intention to Use Hotel Website

Analisis Penerapan Konsep Syari’ah Pada Hotel Hidayah Tebuireng Jombang (Tinjauan Fatwa DSN-MUI No : 108/DSN-MUI/X/2016)

The number of shari'ah hotels or what can be called a type of business in the halal sector which is currently being developed is also found in Jombang Regency, East Java, the purpose of this study was to find out how the application of the shari'ah concept to Hidayah Hotels. This study uses a descriptive explorative methodology and is qualitative in nature. The technique used in this study was in-depth interviews with hotel managers Hidayah Tebuireng and hotel guests using observation and documentation models, as well as reviews from the Hidayah hotel website which are found on Google as public information. The findings of this study indicate that the Hidayah hotel in Jombang Regency follows the DSN MUI fatwa No. 108/DSN-MUI/X/2016 in implementing the DSN MUI fatwa.

The Impact of Web 2.0 on the Website Use of Small Italian Hotels

Purpose: The digital revolution is causing profound transformations, characterised by how companies and customers approach the market, helping to significantly transform the tourism sector. Traditionally, the Internet was used to search for timetables, find information and compare prices, or book basic tourist products. Today, thanks to Web 2.0, people can create their own trips by following the advice and examples of other users on the Net who have shared the contents of their tour and expressed opinions on their own travel experience. The study aims to investigate how small accommodation enterprises use their website for marketing following the development of Web 2.0, which differs from the initial concept of the Internet because it departs from the classic static websites. Study design/methodology/approach: After the analysis of the literature, which relates to the relationship that has gradually developed over the years between small businesses in the tourism sector and the use of the Internet for marketing purposes, it was decided to carry out an empirical survey on a sample of websites of small Italian hotels. The research hypothesis is that website adoption is conditioned by the marketing communication of the tourist experience that favours interactive tools. Sixty websites of micro-enterprises with less than thirty rooms were analysed, revealing an important use of social media for marketing communication. Findings: The research results show that small hotel enterprises present a limited use of the website, limited to the web presence, while the customer relationship is managed through social networks. Originality/value: This work is believed to provide useful ideas for starting a more substantial study activity in the field of small accommodation to understand the reasons behind the low use of the website.

Evaluating Economy Hotel Website Service Quality: A Hybrid Bounded Rationality Behavioral Decision Support Model

Hotel website service quality evaluation has gained extensive attention. However, previous studies have given little concern about human hesitance and uncertainty in judgments. Moreover, they do not consider hotel managers and customers’ psychological behaviors simultaneously. This study explores criteria for evaluating hotel performance and proposes a hybrid evaluation model for the hesitation and uncertainty in the service quality evaluation of economy hotel websites, and applied to the actual economy hotel websites. The model introduces the probabilistic linguistic term sets to describe customers and managers’ qualitative assessments and use analytical network process to prioritize hotel website features. Then, it develops an integrated TODIM-PROMETHEE II method to rank alternatives considering both hotel managers and customers’ psychological factors. Furthermore, we illustrate the effectiveness of the hybrid evaluation model through a case of economy hotel websites in China. Service competence and customer relationship are the two most important performance features for economy hotel websites. Finally, conclusions and implications are drawn from the results of case study.

The Effectiveness of Search Engine Optimization Practices in Promoting Turkey's Tourism Destinations. A case Study of Tourism Destinations in Istanbul City

This study examined the effectiveness of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices in promoting Turkey's tourism destinations, focusing specifically on Istanbul city. Recognizing SEO as a crucial digital marketing tool, the study significantly contributed to the understanding of how SEO influences the visibility and attractiveness of destinations online. Employing a descriptive survey design, the research evaluated SEO practices on a representative sample of tourism-related websites in Istanbul, including official tourism websites, hotel sites, and travel blogs. The websites were analyzed based on established SEO parameters such as keyword usage, meta tags, backlink quality, website speed, and mobile optimization. The study also performed a comprehensive SERP (Search Engine Result Pages) analysis to gauge the visibility of these websites in organic search results. User engagement metrics such as bounce rate, time spent on the site, and conversion rates were studied to understand the effectiveness of the websites in attracting and retaining potential tourists. Furthermore, surveys were conducted with potential tourists to glean insights into their online search behavior, the perceived credibility of high-ranking websites, and their likelihood of visiting a destination based on its online representation. The findings revealed a strong correlation between effective SEO practices, high SERP rankings, and positive user engagement metrics. The study concluded that well-implemented SEO strategies significantly improved the online visibility and credibility of Istanbul's tourism destinations, thereby attracting a greater number of potential tourists. The findings underscored the necessity for local tourism businesses to invest in building SEO expertise and resources to capitalize on the potential of digital marketing in promoting tourism. Keywords: Search engine optimization, turkey's tourism, Istanbul tourism destinations, digital marketing in tourism, online visibility

Konaklama Sektöründe E-Dağıtım Sistemlerinin Rekabet Analizi

The goal of this study was a competitive analysis of global e-distributors in the hospitality industry. It specifically on Airbnb a peer-to-peer booking model, Booking.com an online travel agent retail booking model, and hotel websites, a customer direct booking model. Hospitality e-distribution systems were assessed using the Five Forces Model, a tool for analyzing the competition of a business, to determine the current dynamics and predict the future implications. In this regard, a focus group study was conducted with a group of tourism scholars and experts working in the tourism industry. Based on the findings of this qualitative research, the paper discusses how each system fills the demand in the changing competitive landscape. The study contributes to the literature by producing a detailed analysis of the dynamic nature of distribution in the hospitality industry from a strategic perspective.

Heterogeneity of crisis communication practices in hotels: Anti-COVID-19 measures on Adriatic beach hotels’ websites

Based on situational crisis communication theory, this study designs a research framework to identify differences in crisis communication practises on beach hotel websites in different Adriatic countries and between three consecutive summer seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative inductive content analysis of official pandemic-related guidelines/recommendations from national and international competent organizations was carried out. Subsequently, an overlooked repeated measures design with deductive quantitative content analysis of crisis communications on hotel websites during the three summer seasons was conducted. Employing the McNemar test, the Cochran's Q-test and Friedman test with post-hoc comparisons, it was discovered that (1) beside the bolstering strategy, the new ‘ignore strategy’ of crisis communication was also identified, which has many implications, (2) communication of anti-COVID-19 measures is statistically significant and relatively strongly associated with the country in which hotels are located, and (3) the number of different announcements on anti-COVID-19 measures is significantly different only between two seasons.