Service: The key to frequent-guest programs

Discriminant analyses indicate that members of hotel frequent-guest programs do, indeed, consider those programs in their hotel selection—but top-notch service is also essential     

The Role of Ownership in Managing Interfirm Opportunism: A Dyadic Study

We extend research on transaction cost theory that shows that vertical integration enables firms to protect their investments in exchange relationships better than market mechanisms. However, extant research finds ownership to exacerbate, rather than limit, exchange partner opportunism. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate conditions under which ownership can be effective for constraining an exchange partner's opportunism. Using matched dyadic data for 296 hotel brands, we conduct multi-level hierarchical linear modeling and identify conditions under which common ownership limits hotel opportunism. Findings indicate that ownership can limit hotel opportunism when brand headquarters can easily monitor the hotel's activities.     

基于入住经历的高星级酒店吸引力要素研究——以扬州为例

通过对扬州市高星级酒店的住客进行的问卷调查及对酒店相关人员的访谈,反映出初次入住酒店的顾客和入住经历两次或两次以上的顾客对酒店的吸引力要素存在感知差异。这些要素包括清洁度、位置、房价、安全、服务质量、酒店声誉、个性化(卓越)服务或设计、酒店文化氛围等方面。再结合IPA的分析方法得出结论:高星级酒店可以将顾客入住经历作为市场细分的一个依据。对于初次入住酒店的顾客可以在环境、服务质量和酒店声誉上下功夫;另外要留住顾客,提高其忠诚度,酒店就必须对酒店产品科学定价,酒店整体的设计上融入地域性的文化因素,在规范化服务的基础上追求个性化的卓越服务。     

The agency challenge: How Woolley,Woodley, and other cases rearranged the hotel-management landscape

A series of court cases have redefined the relationship between hotel owners and their management companies and their frachisors. Beginning with a 1991 California decision, courts have determined that hotel-management firms are agents for the owners with whom they contract—even if the management contract says otherwise. In part, a key indication of agency is when one party provides services to the other for a fee—which is the nearly universal arrangement in a management contract. Two key aspects of agency have tripped up such industry giants as Embassy Suites, Hyatts, Marriott, Radisson, and Sheraton. The first element of agency is that the principal (i.e, the owner) can dismits the agent at any time, despite what the parties' contract says. Second, the management company as agent is required to act in the principal's best interest. So, when a Washington, D.C., jury determined that some practices common in the hotel industry are not in the owner's best interest, that jury ordered Sheraton to pay compensatory and punitive damages to the hotel's owners. Franchisors may also be considered as “agents” when they services to their licenses—as occurs, for instance, when hotel chains provide reservation services for a franchise. Following the logic of the management-contract cases, a New York court determined that Radisson was an agent for a hotel in that city, even though it did not operate the hotel itself, because it did provide a serve (the reservation system) for a fee. Taken together, the lesson to be learned from the cases reviewed in this article is that, no matter what the owner-manager contract states on paper, it is the characteristics of the relationship and existing legal precedent that will dictate the terms during any dispute.     

Micro and small enterprise participation in tourism in coastal Kenya

Small business participation in tourism can help diversify income and contribute to poverty reduction in some circumstances. We examined micro and small enterprise (MSE) participation in tourism and the linkages between tourism businesses and MSEs in the coastal region of Kenya, using data from two surveys involving 449 MSEs and 49 hotels. Tobit regression was used to estimate the determinants of MSE participation in tourism, as well as the proportion of products purchased by hotels from MSEs. The results indicated that older, larger MSEs and those that were members of associations were more likely to participate in tourism. The determinants of hotel procurement from MSEs included age of the hotel, bed capacity, and management characteristics. The results highlight the opportunities and barriers for MSE participation in tourism and have implications for policies related to sustainable tourism development, regional economic development, and enhancement of rural livelihoods.     

Configuration of innovation and performance in the service industry: evidence from the Taiwanese hotel industry

This study attempts to state some facts about the importance of innovation in the service economy, and especially the hotel industry by classifying the configurations of innovation in Taiwanese hotels, as well as considering the types of innovation configuration that will maximise performance. Technological innovation, organisational innovation, and human capital innovation may be key sources of innovation. This study classified the configurations of innovation based on several innovation activities with two-step cluster analysis. Numerous empirical findings facilitate improved understanding of the relationship between the configurations of innovation and firm performance in the Taiwanese hotel industry.     

基于价值创新的我国主题酒店经营策略研究

主题酒店凭借其差异化的经营理念成为中国酒店市场发展的新方向,在过去的十年内发展很快。但主题酒店业存在内涵建设不突出、价值诉求不明确等问题,使得我国主题酒店的发展没有达到业界对其预期。根据价值创新理论,企业在发展过程中应该同时追求差异化和低成本,从而实现顾客和企业的双重价值。主题酒店应该把加强市场洞察力培养、切实提升顾客感知价值和降低顾客实际支付成本作为酒店未来经营管理的新方向。     

Governance structures in the hotel industry

This study investigates alternative governance forms in the hotel industry. Agency theory maintains that the need for control over service quality, financial risk, and the market environment affect the choice of governance form. Prior agency research emphasizes alternative governance structures that principals employ, given local market conditions, agent incentives, and risk preferences. The study augments the established principal-agent perspective with a discussion of entrepreneurial motivations to join hotel alliances. The study analyzes the choice between independent ownership and affiliation with a voluntary chain as well as the choice between integration and franchising. Data analyses from 650 hotels indicate that the hotel size, amenities, population, and distance to headquarters influence governance.     

论我国饭店品牌创立的必要性与方法

随着饭店业由卖方市场向买方市场转变的时期,各饭店之间的竞争越来越激烈,他们纷纷采取多种对策和措施来建立竞争优势,使自己在市场处于领先地位。在众多观点中,笔者认为,根据饭店品牌独特优势以及结合饭店业特点的要求,创立饭店品牌才是饭店业长久和稳定发展的最好策略。以下从初创饭店品牌、宣传饭店品牌、发展和完善饭店品牌三个方面讨论创立饭店品牌的步骤和方法。     

Hotel guest satisfaction among business travelers: What are the important factors?

In their quest for improved quality, hospitality industry managers often face two major obstacles: (1) They do not know what aspects the guest considers to be important when evaluating the hotel experience, and (2) they do not have reliable and valid instruments for measuring quality perceptions. The objective of this study was to examine both of these obstacles. By employing LISREL analysis to two alternative models of hotel guest satisfaction, we found that the majority of variation in overall satisfaction can be explained by the intangible and tangible dimensions of three departments of the hotel: reception, the housekeeping department, and the food and beverage department. Further, tangible aspects of the housekeeping department and intangible aspects of reception were found to have the strongest effect on overall satisfaction. This calls for a more focused approach to service quality management than the total quality management literature generally recommends. Managers are advised to concentrate attention and resources on the aspects that have the highest importance for obtaining overall satisfaction. Because of the small amount of research in this area, the study must be regarded as preliminary and exploratory. Recommendations for further research are presented.     

旅行者渴望他们的旅程充满新奇

酒店电子营销计划的关键是网站,酒店网站对酒店发展前景和客人有强烈的影响,它必须不断将相关信息以正确的方式发送到各种移动和社交媒体平台中。旅行者会使用各种设备以各种不同的方式对酒店进行研究。如果酒店以旅游者喜欢的在线／社交／移动语言向他们发送消息,那么他们选择该酒店的机率就会增加。为了向客户及潜在的客人表示你关心他们并希望为他们服务,酒店营销人员将需要了解如何使用极具吸引力的内容来使他们的旅行变得浪漫。营造一个健康的网站并建立与客人之间的快乐关系的最佳处方,是要保持稳定剂量的新鲜内容。     

International Hotel Companies in Russia

Abstract

Existing studies addressing the modal choice in the global hotel industry have discussed to a limited extent the restrictions posed to the choice of entry mode by the local environment, mainly the host government. This paper describes entries of foreign hotels in a market, Russia, in which the local (city) government has an active role in the hotel industry. The study proposes that, in the Russian market, the foreign hoteliers have to take into account the interests of the local governments regardless of the operation mode. On the basis of secondary data collected mainly from industry reports and Russian newspapers, the strategic choices made by the foreign hotel companies can be divided into two categories. First, some hotel chains have brought their brands to the Russian market early, but have made strategic concessions in the mode of entry. Second, there are companies that have stuck to their general strategies and postponed entry to Russia until it could be done with the mode preferred by the company.     

Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer’s Hotel Booking Intentions: Does Brand Image Mediate?

Abstract

The recent trend suggests that people are more inclined to online hotel reviews to take online hotel booking decisions. The present study argues that when consumers are exposed to online hotel reviews, it draws an impression of the hotel brand in the mind of consumers, resulting in influence their hotel booking intentions. The current study determines the mediation effects of brand image between credible online hotel reviews and consumers’ hotel booking intentions. To ascertain the uni-dimensionality of the scales, the present study executes exploratory factor analysis. The ensure the internal consistency of the variable scales, the study determines Cronbach’s alpha. To measure the mediation effects, the present study performs structural equation modeling bootstrapping method. Data analysis reveals that marketers should look at hedonic brand image, which ultimately influences consumers’ hotel booking intentions. This is a unique study that ascertains the type of brand image that actually mediates between the impact of online hotel reviews and consumers’ hotel booking intentions. In addition, the paper furnishes theoretical background on how people interpret online hotel reviews and its effects.     

The financial impact of loyalty programs in the hotel industry: A social exchange theory perspective

With increased competition across the hotel industry for frequent travelers, who generate a disproportionate portion of revenue, loyalty programs appear to be a rational response to the competitive environment. The question remains, however, as to whether these programs are effective at increasing the profitability of hotel operators. This study analyzes the impact of customer loyalty programs on the industry specific performance metrics of occupancy rate, revenue, and operating margin. Utilizing a comprehensive database of 36 different hotel brands (e.g., Marriot, Hilton) encompassing 31 loyalty programs and 435 different hotel properties, we examine whether a loyalty program is indeed an effective tool to increase operating margin. In summary, empirical results suggest that investment in hotel loyalty programs has a positive impact on occupancy rates and profitability. And although the overall effect is modest, these results have several managerial implications for the hotel industry.     

饭店会议经营对策的思考

在饭店经营当中,会议营销工作不容小觑。饭店会议经营主要从培养高素质会议服务人员、加强饭店会议产品出租、作好宴会服务工作以及会议旅游娱乐活动的安排等方面入手,才能取得经营上的成功。     

Equity ownership and management control in Sino-foreign joint venture hotels

This article investigates the ownership-control relationship among China international joint ventures in the hotel industry. The findings indicate that equity ownership by foreign partners strongly affects their control over staffing and strategic management activities. This relationship is robust among hotels of different size and star ratings. However, these relationships, though they are not as strong as suggested, can be mediated by country effect. Foreign partners from Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan tend to acquire higher level of ownership and control on joint venture hotels in China, whereas foreign partners from the United States, Canada, and Europe are not.     

Hotel Manager - An Unsuitable Job for a Woman?

Although the majority of students training for hotel and catering management in Britain are female, only a handful of women have attained the post of general manager in a major hotel. This article argues that women's lack of success in line management within medium and large hotels can be explained by examining the traditional career route to hotel manager, characterised by a long apprenticeship, progress through informal contacts and high geographical mobility, and the way the role of hotel manager is defined, with its strong emphasis on the manager as ‘figurehead’. It is argued that if women do not aspire to become hotel managers this is a response to the way this job is defined and the lack of opportunities they perceive.     

Assessing the Effects of Leadership Styles on Employees’ Outcomes in International Luxury Hotels

This study examines the effects of transformational, transactional, and non-transactional leadership on hotel employees’ outcomes including extra effort, perceived efficiency, and satisfaction with managers. Employees from eleven 4-star hotels in Spain provided the collected data. A series of statistical analyses (1) identify the elements of three leadership styles using a multi-factor leadership questionnaire (MLQ-5X); (2) examine the effect of leadership styles on employees’ outcomes. The results of this study indicate that “idealized attributes” of transformational leadership and “contingent reward” from transactional leadership are the most important factors that positively affect all three outcomes (i.e., extra effort, perceived efficiency, and satisfaction); and (3) to assess the moderating effect of different types of ownership of hotel properties on the relationship between styles of leadership and outcomes of employees’ activities other than these two elements, the significant factors indicating positive or negative relationships vary depending on the types of individual outcomes as well as ownership of hotel properties. The discussion sections indicate theoretical and practical implications of the findings.     

会战疫情 议谋发展 解读危机下会议业的自我救赎

自2019年12月湖北省武汉市爆发“新冠肺炎”疫情以来,疫情在两个月的时间里迅速蔓延到全国各地,对我国国民健康带来重大伤害。疫情不仅严重威胁到民众的生命健康,更对我国现阶段经济社会的发展带来巨大冲击。受此影响,中国会议行业的发展也面临严峻的挑战。受疫情影响,赛事停办、会议取消、活动延期,旅游业发展遭受沉重打击。国外游客与商旅客人纷纷改变行程或取消来华的各项商务活动。同时也促使酒店业、消费业、娱乐业、餐饮业、旅游业等会议产业多个周边领域的生产、经营活动陷入困境。众所周知,会奖六要素是构成现代会议业发展的基本条件,是会议经济的驱动力与带动力,更是拉动地区经济发展的主要推手。面对突如其来的疫情,中国会议人虽然抛开自身利益,勇于奉献。但是面对严峻的市场发展态势,如何在狙击疫情的前提下,迅速展开生产自救,在危机下如何拉动行业发展前进,已经成为时下行业关注的焦点与值得探讨的话题。     

Managing the retail format portfolio: An application of modern portfolio theory

We apply modern financial portfolio theory (MPT) to managing portfolios of retail formats. The objective of MPT is to maximize overall portfolio return for a given level of portfolio risk. We applied MPT to three prominent hotel firms to determine the ideal mix of formats in their hotel brand portfolios, using revenue per available room (RevPAR) as a proxy for return on investment. We found that all three firms could improve their returns and reduce their risk by reallocating the number of hotel rooms (i.e., scarce resources) across their different retail formats.