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1 – 10 of over 26000
Article
Publication date: 8 June 2015

HyeRyeon Lee and Shane C. Blum

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how hotels respond to online reviews on a third-party Web site (such as TripAdvisor) based on the hotel’s star rating.

3532

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how hotels respond to online reviews on a third-party Web site (such as TripAdvisor) based on the hotel’s star rating.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis was used to compare responses to online hotel reviews at five different levels of hotel based on a star-rating system ranging from one star to five stars.

Findings

Most hotel managers’ response rates were low, and they paid the most attention to positive comments. Managers at four- and five-star hotels more often responded to negative online reviews. Guest service manager was the most common job title of managers who responded to guestsreviews.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited to an analysis of ten hotels, two for each of the five-star ratings. More hotel cases with long-term data collection involving the use of the star-rating system may provide more insights on this discussion.

Practical implications

The exploratory study sought to identify strategies for managing online reviews in the lodging industry. Hotel managers should respond to negative online reviews with appreciation, apology and an explanation of what went wrong. Moreover, hotels may need a designated person to observe and respond to guest comments on their Web sites and third-party Web sites. A designated person is also needed to monitor online comments and communicate with guests to better manage the hotel’s online reputation.

Originality/value

As an exploratory research project, this paper expands the understanding of hotel managers’ responses to their guests’ online reviews in an attempt to identify best practices for the industry.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2023

Qiang Ye, Sai Liang, Zaiyan Wei and Rob Law

From the perspective of two-sided review systems, this study aims to investigate how guests’ prior reputation influences their subsequent satisfaction on Airbnb.

Abstract

Purpose

From the perspective of two-sided review systems, this study aims to investigate how guests’ prior reputation influences their subsequent satisfaction on Airbnb.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applied a conceptual framework based on social capital theory to explain the effect of guests’ reputation decided by hosts’ prior evaluations on their subsequent satisfaction. The authors collected 96,204 guest reviews posted for 17,325 properties on Airbnb and used the review polarity to measure guest satisfaction. All historical evaluations generated by hosts for each guest were collected and treated as a proxy of guest reputation. Ordinary least squares regressions were conducted to estimate the effect of guests’ reputation on their subsequent satisfaction.

Findings

Results show that guests whose historical evaluations have higher valences or larger variations tend to be more satisfied in their subsequent bookings. However, the number of reviews that guests received from hosts in the past does not influence their subsequent satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides new insights into the hospitality literature by identifying the influencing factors of guest satisfaction on peer-to-peer rental platforms from the perspective of two-sided review systems. Results also present practical implications to property owners and website designers to gain a deeper understanding of the determinants of guest satisfaction and the consequences of social interactions between hosts and guests.

Originality/value

This study is a novel attempt that analyzes the effect of guests’ reputation on their satisfaction with subsequent bookings based on two-sided review systems on peer-to-peer rental platforms. Thus, this study provides a starting point for investigating how two-sided review systems affect use behavior on peer-to-peer rental platforms.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 35 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 February 2021

Sai Liang, Xiaoxia Zhang, Chunxiao Li, Hui Li and Xiaoyu Yu

Due to their very different contexts, the responses made by property hosts to online reviews can differ from those posted by hotel managers. Thus, the purpose of this study is to…

Abstract

Purpose

Due to their very different contexts, the responses made by property hosts to online reviews can differ from those posted by hotel managers. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of the responding behavior of hosts on peer-to-peer property rental platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applied a comprehensive framework based on the theory of planned behavior. Empirical models are constructed based on 89,967 guest reviews with their associated responses to reveal the responding pattern of property hosts.

Findings

Unlike hotel managers, property hosts are more likely to reply to positive than to negative reviews; moreover, when they do choose to respond to negative reviews, they are likely to do so negatively, in a “tit-for-tat” way. This study also finds that one reason for the difference of responding patterns between property hosts and hotel managers is the hosts’ lack of experience of consumer relationship management and service recovery.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a good start point for future theoretical development regarding effective responding strategy on peer-to-peer property rental platforms, as well as some useful implications for practitioners.

Originality/value

This study is an early attempt to analyze the impact of the particularity of emerging platforms on the responding behavior of service providers based on a comprehensive conceptual framework and empirical model thus provides a good starting point for the further investigation of effective response strategies on these emerging platforms.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2019

Emma McDaid, Christina Boedker and Clinton Free

Online ratings and reviews have recently emerged as mechanisms to facilitate accountability and transparency in the provision of goods and services. The purpose of this paper is…

1077

Abstract

Purpose

Online ratings and reviews have recently emerged as mechanisms to facilitate accountability and transparency in the provision of goods and services. The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature and outcome of the accountability that online ratings and reviews create in the sharing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on 30 face-to-face and Skype interviews with Airbnb guests and hosts as well as on secondary materials, including content from Airbnb data analytic reports.

Findings

The authors demonstrate that face-saving practices widely condition user ratings and comments. Face saving occurs when individuals attempt to preserve their own identity and the identity of others during a social interaction. At Airbnb, the authors find that reviewers adopt three distinct face-saving strategies: the use of private reviewing channels, the creation of tactful reviews and refraining from reviewing entirely. The authors also find that users are sceptical of rating metrics and public comments and draw upon a wide range of alternative sources, such as private messaging and other publicly available resources, in their decision making.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the overwhelmingly positive character of Airbnb ratings and reviews. It proposes the concept of crowdbased accountability as a limited, partial form of assurance for sharing economy users. Guests and hosts alike prioritise face-saving practices over reviewer responsibilities to provide authentic, reliable accounts to the public. Consequently, reviewers effectively remove the risk of sanctions for those in the network who underperform.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2019

Daniel Guttentag

The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on Airbnb – one of the most significant recent innovations in the tourism sector – to assess the research progress…

9587

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on Airbnb – one of the most significant recent innovations in the tourism sector – to assess the research progress that has been accomplished to date.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerous journal databases were searched, and 132 peer-reviewed journal articles from various disciplines were reviewed. Key attributes of each paper were recorded, and a content analysis was undertaken.

Findings

A survey of the literature found that the majority of Airbnb research has been published quite recently, often in hospitality/tourism journals, and the research has been conducted primarily by researchers in the USA/Canada and Europe. Based on the content analysis, the papers were divided into six thematic categories – Airbnb guests, Airbnb hosts, Airbnb supply and its impacts on destinations, Airbnb regulation, Airbnb’s impacts on the tourism sector and the Airbnb company. Consistent findings have begun to emerge on several important topics, including guests’ motivations and the geographical dispersion of listings. However, many research gaps remain, so numerous suggestions for future research are provided.

Practical implications

By reviewing a large body of literature on a fairly novel and timely topic, this research provides a concise summary of Airbnb knowledge that will assist industry practitioners as they adapt to the recent rapid emergence of Airbnb.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to review the extant literature specifically about Airbnb.

研究目的

本论文旨在审视过去文献对Airbnb的研究-旅游业中最显著发明之一-以衡量迄今为止的研究发展历程。

研究设计/方法/途径

经过大量文献搜索,共132份同行评审型期刊文章,来自不同研究领域,被作者审阅。每个文章的关键词被摘抄出来,本论文采用内容分析方法来分析文本。

研究结果

经过文献综述,作者发现大多数Airbnb研究都发表在近几年,往往发表在酒店/旅游期刊。期刊文章作者集中在美国/加拿大和欧洲。基于内容分析结果,发表的期刊文章被分类在六个主题-Airbnb顾客、Airbnb服务提供主、Airbnb供应商、以及其对旅游目的地的影响,Airbnb规范、Airbnb对旅游行业的影响、以及Airbnb公司。研究结果还归纳出几项重要的话题,包括顾客动机和民宿地理分布。然而,大多数研究空缺仍然存在,因此,本论文总结出多项未来研究方向。

研究实践意义

本论文通过审阅大量较新和及时的文献,对Airbnb的相关知识进行了精准梳理,这个研究结果对从业者适应Airbnb较新较快发展的现象,有着实践意义。

研究原创性/价值

本论文是首篇审阅有关Aribnb文献的文章。

关键词

Airbnb、文献综述、共享经济、P2P、短期出租

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2021

Sung In Kim, Jaewook Kim, Yoon Koh and John T. Bowen

The research purpose is to conceptualize competitive productivity (CP) in the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation businesses. This study aims to conceptualize the four driving forces…

Abstract

Purpose

The research purpose is to conceptualize competitive productivity (CP) in the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation businesses. This study aims to conceptualize the four driving forces of P2P hosts’ CP and to empirically capture guest-based equity that supports such conceptual hosts’ CP model.

Design/methodology/approach

The goal of this paper is to apply Bauman’s Firm competitive productivity (FCP) model to the P2P accommodation business to conceptualize the CP of micro-entrepreneurial hosts. Four areas of the FCP model were reviewed to find how each of them contributes to the P2P hosts’ CP maximization.

Findings

Host talent, host resource management, value and host branding were conceptualized as key drivers of P2P hosts’ CP. The study also filled a gap in current literature by empirically analyzing online reviews to successfully capture key guest-based equity as satisfiers contributing to host talent, resource and branding.

Practical implications

Based on the hosts’ CP model, customer-generated resources play a significant role in the managerial implications, so that guest reviews with needs and wants and ratings can be empirically used to strengthen hosts’ CP under specific market circumstances.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to conceptualize a P2P host as a micro-entrepreneurial firm in the sharing economy platform for CP. This study looked at how the unique characteristics of the P2P accommodation industry and guest-based equity affect the P2P hosts’ CP.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2018

Amanda Mapel Belarmino and Yoon Koh

Based on equity theory, this paper investigates if guests write on different review websites because of different internal motivations. Furthermore, it examines the moderating…

1822

Abstract

Purpose

Based on equity theory, this paper investigates if guests write on different review websites because of different internal motivations. Furthermore, it examines the moderating effect of service’ exceeds, neutral, negative, and service recovery–on the relationship between motivations and type of website to write reviews.

Design/methodology/approach

To exam if the star ratings of the same hotels were significantly different across hotel, online travel agency, and third-party review websites, this study collected 12,000 star ratings from 40 hotels across the US and conducted t-tests. A survey of 1,600 US travelers was administered to uncover the motivations for writing on different websites/website combinations. Four different scenarios were used to test the moderating effect of service: exceeds, neutral, negative, and service-recovery. These responses were analyzed using backwards stepwise regression.

Findings

Star ratings for the same hotel do differ among the three websites; hotel is the highest and third-party is the lowest. There are seven distinct groups of guests. Guests are motivated to write reviews to balance inequitable relationships. They decide which website/website combination best improves the equity relationship. This research indicates that guests’ choice of website is based on different internal motivations. The moderating effect of the service experience was significant.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by examining different motivations to write online reviews by website. Prior research typically examined one website or aggregated results from multiple websites, ignoring website specific differences. This can help hoteliers to understand why initiatives to promote reviews on certain websites may be unsuccessful.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 December 2023

Manuel J. Sánchez-Franco and Sierra Rey-Tienda

This research proposes to organise and distil this massive amount of data, making it easier to understand. Using data mining, machine learning techniques and visual approaches…

Abstract

Purpose

This research proposes to organise and distil this massive amount of data, making it easier to understand. Using data mining, machine learning techniques and visual approaches, researchers and managers can extract valuable insights (on guests' preferences) and convert them into strategic thinking based on exploration and predictive analysis. Consequently, this research aims to assist hotel managers in making informed decisions, thus improving the overall guest experience and increasing competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs natural language processing techniques, data visualisation proposals and machine learning methodologies to analyse unstructured guest service experience content. In particular, this research (1) applies data mining to evaluate the role and significance of critical terms and semantic structures in hotel assessments; (2) identifies salient tokens to depict guests' narratives based on term frequency and the information quantity they convey; and (3) tackles the challenge of managing extensive document repositories through automated identification of latent topics in reviews by using machine learning methods for semantic grouping and pattern visualisation.

Findings

This study’s findings (1) aim to identify critical features and topics that guests highlight during their hotel stays, (2) visually explore the relationships between these features and differences among diverse types of travellers through online hotel reviews and (3) determine predictive power. Their implications are crucial for the hospitality domain, as they provide real-time insights into guests' perceptions and business performance and are essential for making informed decisions and staying competitive.

Originality/value

This research seeks to minimise the cognitive processing costs of the enormous amount of content published by the user through a better organisation of hotel service reviews and their visualisation. Likewise, this research aims to propose a methodology and method available to tourism organisations to obtain truly useable knowledge in the design of the hotel offer and its value propositions.

Details

Management Decision, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 July 2021

David D’Acunto, Serena Volo and Raffaele Filieri

This study aims to explore US hotel guests’ privacy concerns with a twofold aim as follows: to investigate the privacy categories, themes and attributes most commonly discussed by…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore US hotel guests’ privacy concerns with a twofold aim as follows: to investigate the privacy categories, themes and attributes most commonly discussed by guests in their reviews and to examine the influence of cultural proximity on privacy concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combined automated text analytics with content analysis. The database consisted of 68,000 hotel reviews written by US guests lodged in different types of hotels in five European cities. Linguistic Inquiry Word Count, Leximancer and SPSS software were used for data analysis. Automated text analytics and a validated privacy dictionary were used to investigate the reviews by exploring the categories, themes and attributes of privacy concerns. Content analysis was used to analyze the narratives and select representative snippets.

Findings

The findings revealed various categories, themes and concepts related to privacy concerns. The two most commonly discussed categories were privacy restriction and outcome state. The main themes discussed in association with privacy were “room,” “hotel,” “breakfast” and several concepts within each of these themes were identified. Furthermore, US guests showed the lowest levels of privacy concerns when staying at American hotel chains as opposed to non-American chains or independent hotels, highlighting the role of cultural proximity in privacy concerns.

Practical implications

Hotel managers can benefit from the results by improving their understanding of hotel and service attributes mostly associated with privacy concerns. Specific suggestions are provided to hoteliers on how to increase guests’ privacy and on how to manage issues related to cultural distance with guests.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the hospitality literature by investigating a neglected issue: on-site hotel guests’ privacy concerns. Using an unobtrusive method of data collection and text analytics, this study offers valuable insights into the categories of privacy, the most recurrent themes in hotel guestsreviews and the potential relationship between cultural proximity and privacy concerns.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 September 2017

Allison Wiles and Alleah Crawford

The purpose of this study was utilize the experience economy to assess the value of the network hospitality experience for the guest and to develop a better understanding of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was utilize the experience economy to assess the value of the network hospitality experience for the guest and to develop a better understanding of network hospitality as a unique alternative to traditional lodging.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a mixed-methods approach, relying on content analysis and interpretive phenomenological analysis to answer the research questions. Guest reviews of hosts for a lodging-specific network hospitality website were used as the data source for this study.

Findings

The educational dimension of the experience economy was most represented during network hospitality experiences. Additionally, the factors that create value for network hospitality users include verbal communication, a sense of feeling at home, engagement in entertainment, food and beverage and the functional experience while the spirit of network hospitality, reciprocity and desire for continuation through future intention can have a great impact on the travel and tourism industry.

Originality/value

This research adds value to the current literature by providing a better understanding of the experience economy at work in network hospitality, primarily education and esthetics. Additionally a better understanding of what factors of the network hospitality experience create value for guests is developed. This work focuses on a fast-growing substitute for traditional lodging and therefore needs to be better understood.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 29 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 26000