Does hotel attribute importance differ by hotel? Focusing on hotel star-classifications and customers' overall ratings

Hotel guests' expectations and actual experiences on hotel service quality often fail to coincide due to guests' unusually high anticipations, hotels' complete breakdowns in delivering their standard, or the combination of both. Moreover, this disconfirmation could be augmented contingent upon the level of hotel segment (hotel star-classification) and the overall rating manifested by previous guests. By incorporating a 2 x 2 matrix design in which a hotel star-classification configures one dimension (2 versus 4 stars) and a customers' overall rating (lower versus higher overall ratings) configures the other, this explorative multiple case study uses conjoint analyses to examine the differences in the comparative importance of the six hotel attributes (value, location, sleep quality, rooms, cleanliness, and service) among four prominent hotel chain brands located in the United States. Four major and eight minor propositions are suggested for future empirical research based on the results of the four combined studies. Through the analysis of online data, this study may enlighten hotel managers with various ways to accommodate hotel guests' needs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.