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Article
Publication date: 19 March 2018

Tracy Harkison, Nigel Hemmington and Kenneth F. Hyde

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the luxury accommodation experience is created by investigating the perceptions of the three main participant groups – managers…

2302

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the luxury accommodation experience is created by investigating the perceptions of the three main participant groups – managers, employees and guests – using case studies from New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretivist case-study methodology was used. Eighty-one participants were interviewed (27 managers, 27 employees and 27 guests) from six luxury properties. Thematic analysis was conducted to inform the results.

Findings

The key themes identified in creating the luxury accommodation experience are: setting the stage; the ethos of the property; performances of the actors; and co-creation between the participants. Using the themes identified, a conceptual model of the creation of the luxury accommodation experience has been formulated.

Practical implications

The conceptual model can be used to assist managers to deliver a more positive and memorable experience of their properties. Strategies to enhance the luxury accommodation experience include: training; standards of procedure; staff incentives; and the use of effective communication tools.

Originality/value

This study identified the three alternative perspectives of managers, employees and guests regarding how the luxury accommodation experience is created. The luxury accommodation sector contributes to the economies of a number of nations and therefore it is important to highlight how it can be maintained and improved.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 April 2019

Tracy Harkison, Nigel Hemmington and Ken Hyde

The purpose of the paper is to explore innovative solutions to the challenge of creating a family environment without children in luxury lodges in New Zealand.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explore innovative solutions to the challenge of creating a family environment without children in luxury lodges in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with guests, staff and managers in a luxury lodge that excludes children. An interpretivist analysis of interviewees’ comments was undertaken.

Findings

Guests at the childless lodge talked about the serenity and peace they experienced during their stay, and particularly the meal experiences. They thought that not having children on the premises is an advantage for this experience. Lodge managers said that not admitting children is their point of difference for the market that they are targeting.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the emerging research theme of family tourism and extends the concept of family tourism to include family units without children.

Practical implications

There are significant practical implications in terms of industry approaches to creating a family atmosphere in luxury accommodation without children.

Social implications

That a family atmosphere does not need to include children and enables luxury accommodation to cater to a diverse range of family units. There are also implications for social diversity beyond the traditional assumptions of the nuclear family.

Originality/value

The exclusion of children from luxury lodges is certainly not new, but the concept of maintaining a family environment without children is innovative and worth investigating to consider the wider implications of the paradox of family without children.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2018

Nigel Hemmington, Peter Beomcheol Kim and Cindie Wang

Importance-performance analysis (IPA) is an effective tool for firms to prioritise service quality attributes, but has limitations in evaluating and enhancing service quality…

1575

Abstract

Purpose

Importance-performance analysis (IPA) is an effective tool for firms to prioritise service quality attributes, but has limitations in evaluating and enhancing service quality within a competitive environment. The purpose of this paper is to present an evolved model of IPA – importance-performance benchmark vectors (IPBV) – as a benchmarking tool and investigate its applicability in the context of hotel service quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical studies based on self-completion survey data from 150 customers of two full-service hotels in Taiwan were conducted in to examine the practical utility of IPBV.

Findings

Eight key benchmark typologies were identified and expressed as vectors in the IPBV model which are as follows: “sustainable advantage”, “potential strength”, “false advantage or outstanding advantage”, “cease-fire competition”, “false disadvantage or on-hand disadvantage”, “potential weakness”, “dangerous warning” and “head-on competition”.

Research limitations/implications

The paper extends the methodology to more cases, and other service industries to test further the discriminatory power of the model and to explore the descriptors in the IPBV vector model. Alternative seven-point or nine-point Likert scales could be explored to test the discriminant validity using means. The alternative IPA diagonal approach focussing on GAP analysis may reveal alternative interpretations for the IPBV vector model. Other extended models of IPA, which include competitor analysis, should be compared in practice using a data set where both quantitative and qualitative data could be generated.

Practical implications

The paper proposes the two-dimensional IPBV model which retains the advantages of IPA, but also includes competitor or benchmark comparisons which enable organisations to analyse their relative competitive position. The two-part model provides both quantitative information and qualitative interpretation of relativities. The graphical matrix models provide simple quantitative analysis of attributes, whilst the IPBV vector model provides qualitative interpretations of the eight competitive market positions. Vector analysis enables the development of competitive strategies relative to benchmarks, or within a competitive set. Importance is retained and means that organisations can benchmark against a range of competitors prioritising specific attributes for resource allocation.

Social implications

The interpretive utility of the model should be explored with practitioners and decision makers in the service industries. The model has been designed for practical use in industry to inform operational and strategic decision making, its usefulness in practice should be explored and the attitudes of practitioners to the model should be tested.

Originality/value

Traditional approaches to benchmarking have adopted a one-dimensional approach that does not include a measure of the relative importance of the service quality dimensions in specific markets. This research develops a two-dimensional advanced model of IPA, called IPBV, which is based on vector relationships between key attributes of service quality. These vectors are explored and described in competitive terms and the model is discussed with regard to its implications for industry, practitioners and researchers.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 December 2021

Zohreh Doborjeh, Nigel Hemmington, Maryam Doborjeh and Nikola Kasabov

Several review articles have been published within the Artificial Intelligence (AI) literature that have explored a range of applications within the tourism and hospitality…

5727

Abstract

Purpose

Several review articles have been published within the Artificial Intelligence (AI) literature that have explored a range of applications within the tourism and hospitality sectors. However, how efficiently the applied AI methods and algorithms have performed with respect to the type of applications and the multimodal sets of data domains have not yet been reviewed. Therefore, this paper aims to review and analyse the established AI methods in hospitality/tourism, ranging from data modelling for demand forecasting, tourism destination and behaviour pattern to enhanced customer service and experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach was to systematically review the relationship between AI methods and hospitality/tourism through a comprehensive literature review of papers published between 2010 and 2021. In total, 146 articles were identified and then critically analysed through content analysis into themes, including “AI methods” and “AI applications”.

Findings

The review discovered new knowledge in identifying AI methods concerning the settings and available multimodal data sets in hospitality and tourism. Moreover, AI applications fostering the tourism/hospitality industries were identified. It also proposes novel personalised AI modelling development for smart tourism platforms to precisely predict tourism choice behaviour patterns.

Practical implications

This review paper offers researchers and practitioners a broad understanding of the proper selection of AI methods that can potentially improve decision-making and decision-support in the tourism/hospitality industries.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the tourism/hospitality literature with an interdisciplinary approach that reflects on theoretical/practical developments for data collection, data analysis and data modelling using AI-driven technology.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2000

Nigel Hemmington and Christopher King

Hotel restaurants are widely considered to be under‐performing assets and hotel companies have sought to improve their financial performance in a number of ways including…

15745

Abstract

Hotel restaurants are widely considered to be under‐performing assets and hotel companies have sought to improve their financial performance in a number of ways including outsourcing to specialist restaurant companies. This article reports the findings of a study that explores the key dimensions of outsourcing through a series of semi‐structured interviews and group discussions with 55 key informants. The findings reveal five key dimensions to the outsourcing relationship: core competencies, brand compatibility, organizational culture, operational tension, and systems of review, evaluation and control. It is concluded that, whilst there is evidence that the outsourcing of hotel restaurants can offer substantial benefits for both hotel and restaurant companies, it is important that the relationship is treated as more than merely the contracting‐out of support services. The provision of food and drink is an important and integral part of the hotel product and the complexities of the relationship between the partners, particularly in terms of issues such as brand association, organizational culture and operational tension, should not be underestimated. The impact on consumer perceptions of the hotel product and consumer satisfaction should also be considered carefully.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2006

Jaruwan Daengbuppha, Nigel Hemmington and Keith Wilkes

The purpose of this paper is to present grounded theory as an alternative approach for conceptualizing and modelling the consumer experience. The basic theoretical tenets of the…

8936

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present grounded theory as an alternative approach for conceptualizing and modelling the consumer experience. The basic theoretical tenets of the grounded theory approach are contrasted with more traditional assumptions and methods used in consumer research.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is based on qualitative methods and a series of systematic ethnographic procedures, which along with the simultaneous processes of data collection and analysis, lead to the development of an inductive derived grounded theory of the visitor experience. In order to develop a model of the interactive experience of visitors to heritage sites, case studies are conducted at three World Heritage Sites in Thailand.

Findings

The findings indicate that the grounded theory approach has the potential to reveal a rich and deep understanding of visitor experiences, including the ways that visitors interact with the site, their interpretation of the site, and the meaning of the site for them.

Practical implications

It is suggested that the grounded theory approach can be a valuable tool in exploring the insights and meanings of visitors' experience and could be applied to future research in consumer behaviour. There are practical implications of this kind of research for the management of heritage sites in terms of visitor expectations, interactions and interpretations.

Originality/value

This study has developed a model of the experience and interaction of visitors to Thai World Heritage Sites which could be applied to other heritage sites. It illustrates the theoretical and practical issues of grounded theory approach to exploration and inductive development “interactive experience” of visitors at heritage sites. This is a qualitative research approach that could be adopted for a range of experience based industries such tourism, leisure and hospitality.

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2009

Hanaa Osman, Nigel Hemmington and David Bowie

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which a transactional marketing approach can generate customer loyalty in a hotel brand.

10347

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which a transactional marketing approach can generate customer loyalty in a hotel brand.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a review of the paradigm shift from transactional marketing to relationship marketing, in the services marketing literature. The inductive research used a qualitative approach, with multiple techniques including non‐participant observation in several hotels; in‐depth interviews with hotel managers; and telephone interviews with hotel customers in the UK.

Findings

The findings suggest that a transactional approach to marketing can be an effective strategy for hotels, which target niche segments with highly differentiated offers at competitive prices. It was found that this approach can create significant customer loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

The case study approach and focused sample mean that attempts to generalize the findings should be taken with care. Furthermore, this study does not attempt to measure the effectiveness of transactional marketing on customer loyalty; it reports findings from a qualitative study carried out to explore marketing practices in a small sample of hotels.

Practical implications

For practitioners, the paper suggests that transactional marketing and relationship marketing can be seen as complementary marketing strategies.

Originality/value

The paper provides novel insights into hotel culture, hotel/customer relationships, hotel service customization and customer loyalty. The paper challenges the received view that transactional marketing is less appropriate than relationship marketing in achieving customer loyalty in hotel branded operations.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1995

Nigel Hemmington

Within the context of a national trend towards modular programmesin higher education, investigates the attitudes of students to modularhospitality management programmes compared…

624

Abstract

Within the context of a national trend towards modular programmes in higher education, investigates the attitudes of students to modular hospitality management programmes compared with traditional defined courses. Through a series of focus group discussions a number of key attitude themes are identified and discussed. Themes identified include choice, flexibility, bureaucracy, social aspects, variability in teaching and assessment, semesters and employment. Considers the implications of these attitudes for the management and development of modular hospitality management programmes.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1998

Fevzi Okumus and Nigel Hemmington

The aims of this paper are to investigate the barriers and the sources of resistance to change in hotel firms and to evaluate the change in strategies adopted in seeking to…

7935

Abstract

The aims of this paper are to investigate the barriers and the sources of resistance to change in hotel firms and to evaluate the change in strategies adopted in seeking to overcome these barriers. Primary data were gathered through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews in nine hotels in the UK. The findings indicate that the cost of change, financial difficulties and the pressure of other priorities are the main barriers to change in hotel firms. The findings also indicate that hotel companies use multiple change strategies in overcoming barriers to change. Finally, the limitations of the research are discussed and opportunities for further research are identified.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 10 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 October 2006

Len Tiu Wright

186

Abstract

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

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