The Nature of Hotel Chains: An Integrative Framework

Despite extensive research in the field of hotel chains, a general conceptual model of hotel chains does not yet exist. Therefore, this article aims to fill this gap by analyzing the nature of hotel chains from three different perspectives (resource-based, value chain, and stakeholder network perspectives), which are the sources of their competitive advantage. For all perspectives, we develop partial models of a hotel chain, which are then combined into one integrated model that can be used in the strategic analysis of hotel chains. Managerial implications and limitations of the integrated model and the three partial models are discussed.