Using online travel agent platforms to determine factors influencing hotel guest satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationships between service quality, perceived value and hotel guest satisfaction, drawing upon data from TripAdvisor – an online travel agent (OTA) platform. The study also investigates the mediating role of perceived value on the relationship between service quality and satisfaction, as well as the moderating role of hotel star ratings on all direct and indirect relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected via Web scraping from August–October 2018. Data were collected from 192 three- to five star-rated hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Partial least squares – structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Furthermore, importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) was performed to identify the most important items of service quality and perceived value in improving customer satisfaction.

Findings

The findings of this study provide support for all direct and indirect relationships for three-star and four- and five-star hotels. Moreover, the results indicate that perceived value mediates the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. These results support the moderating role of hotel star ratings for the relationship between service quality and perceived value. The results also show that after perceived value, three-star hotels looking to improve customer satisfaction should prioritize improving the quality of their services, sleep quality, cleanliness and rooms. Four- and five-star hotels, on the other hand, should prioritize service, cleanliness, room and sleep quality.

Originality/value

OTA platforms collect a wealth of data pertaining to large number of hotels; nevertheless, few studies to date have drawn on this data to examine a pre-determined conceptual framework developed based on the literature. As such, this study makes a valuable methodological contribution to the tourism and hospitality literature. In terms of theoretical contributions, this study examines the mediating role of perceived value between service quality and satisfaction using OTA data. In addition, this study assesses the moderating role of hotel star ratings for the direct and indirect effects of service quality on satisfaction. Using IPMA, this study compares the importance and performance of service quality indicators to generate satisfaction between three-star and four- and five-star hotels.

研究目的

本论文检测了服务质量、价值感知、和酒店顾客满意度之间的关系, 使用TripAdvisor的数据—OTA。本论文还检测了价值感知对服务质量和满意度之间的中介作用, 以及酒店星级评价对其中直接和间接关系的调节作用。.

研究设计/方法/途径

本论文采样通过网络爬虫技术, 截取了2018年八月至十月之间的数据。研究样本为192家马来西亚Kuala Lumpur地区的三星-五星酒店。样本分析方法为PLS-SEM。此外, 本论文采样IPMA分析法来找出提高顾客满意度中的服务质量和价值感知中最重要的因子。.

研究结果

研究结果指出了三星、四星、五星酒店的直接和间接关系。此外, 研究还显示了服务质量和顾客满意度关系的价值感知中介作用。研究结果还指出了酒店星级评价对服务质量和价值感知关系的调节作用。此外, 研究还指出, 除了价值感知, 如果三星酒店想提高顾客满意度, 那么他们应该优先提高其服务质量、睡眠质量、清洁度、和房间。另一方面, 四星和五星酒店应该优先提高其服务质量、清洁度、房间、和睡眠质量。.

研究原创性/价值

OTA平台搜集大量酒店数据, 但是很少作品研究这些数据, 以检测根据文献提出的理论模型。因此, 本论文在方法论上对旅游酒店文献做出宝贵贡献。理论贡献而言, 本论文使用OTA数据检测了价值感知对服务质量和满意度关系之间的中介作用。此外, 本论文检测了酒店星级评价对服务质量和满意度之间直接和间接关系的调节作用。本论文使用IPMA方法, 比较各种服务质量指标的重要性对在三星、四星、五星酒店的提高满意度的不同作用。.

Citation

Wong, E., Rasoolimanesh, S.M. and Pahlevan Sharif, S. (2020), "Using online travel agent platforms to determine factors influencing hotel guest satisfaction", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 425-445. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-07-2019-0099