Determinants of Customer Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: An Application of Online Review Analysis

TLDR

The study demonstrates that customer satisfaction determinants in hospitality can be identified through analysis of online reviews. The authors applied text mining and content analysis to 42,668 reviews of 774 star‑rated hotels to uncover key satisfaction factors. The analysis showed that transportation convenience, food and beverage quality, proximity to tourist destinations, and value for money were highly valued and well delivered, whereas customers were less satisfied with bed quality, reception services, room size and décor, and that most determinants were consistent across luxury and budget hotels except for lobby and sound insulation, yielding theoretical and managerial implications.

Abstract

This study illustrates that determinants of customer satisfaction in hospitality venues can be identified through an analysis of online reviews. Using text mining and content analysis of 42,668 online traveler reviews covering 774 star-rated hotels, the study found that transportation convenience, food and beverage management, convenience to tourist destinations and value for money are identified as excellent factors that customers booking both luxury and budget hotels consider important and for which the performance is much satisfactory to them. Customers paid more attention to, but were less satisfied with, bed, reception services and room size and decoration. Most determinants of customer satisfaction also showed a consensus over luxury versus budget hotels, except for factors referring to lobby and sound insulation. As per its findings, the article concludes by presenting theoretical and managerial implications.