Towards a hierarchy of hotel guests’ in-room needs

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine, discuss and intertwine theory and practice related to hotel guests’ home and lodging environments to identify their in-room psychological and physical needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design is qualitative, with a focus on understanding social phenomena through direct observation, communication and textual analysis; contextual subjective accuracy is stressed over generality. Using interpretative phenomenology, the psychological and sociological aspects of the individual’s journey are deliberated including: travelling through one’s own room; virtual travels from the room via electronic media; the hotel room as a reconstruction of the intimate sphere; the return to, and transformation of, one’s own room; and the accumulation of souvenirs. The tabulated findings are linked to hotel guests’ in-room needs using inductive thematic coding and content analysis.

Findings

The psychological and physical in-room needs of individual hotel guests are identified; safety, security and control emerge as paramount. Practical suggestions to complement, expand and enrich guests’ in-room experiences are offered.

Research limitations/implications

As the focus is limited predominantly to the debate and rationalisation of concepts and the methodology is exploratory as opposed to scientific, the validity of the findings may be questioned; primary data triangulation modifies this criticism. Future researchers are advised to consider the evidence when developing hypotheses to establish a theory of lodging. Research on improving the quality of facilities and services should centre on an analysis of the concept of “being in one’s own room”, followed by an analysis of the transposition to “being in a hotel room” from both physiological and psychological perspectives.

Practical implications

Referring to the developed hierarchy, accommodation/lodging providers are recommended to increase their efforts to exceed the expectations of individual guests. Guest profiling should focus on individual needs and preferences, ideally at the booking stage.

Social implications

Accommodation/lodging providers are encouraged to demonstrate social awareness and empathy through individual social responsibility efforts to enhance the experiences and quality of life of their guests.

Originality/value

The paper makes a valuable contribution by debating and connecting philosophical and psychological literature to the practical needs of hotel guests. It recognises and concludes that, as they are merely temporary residents, hotel guests’ experiences embrace a series of journeys through different, individual interiors. Based on this premise, an innovative hierarchy of hotel guests’ in-room needs is developed.

Citation

Ineson, E.M., Čomić, D. and Kalmić, L. (2019), "Towards a hierarchy of hotel guests’ in-room needs", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 31 No. 12, pp. 4401-4418. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-01-2019-0061