Design influence on boutique hotel guest experience : a case study of Boutique Hotel Rosa Malacca, Malaysia

Abstract

As experience economy grows, so does the tourism and hospitality industry, meanwhile, it becomes more complicated to get customers satisfied in this new era. Nowadays, travellers and hotel guests get into a hotel not only to sleep, but also seek an extraordinary experience which they would not be able to have at home. Additionally, design has been considered as the key factor to create unique experience in boutique hotels. Hence, this study aims to examine the determinants of guest experience and especially the role of design factor in the context of boutique hotel in Malaysia. In order to achieve the objectives, qualitative content analysis has been applied as the main research method. There are 881 online reviews about the case study of Rosa Malacca boutique hotel collected from TripAdvisor website. Coding and categorizing process are based on three main themes: physical environment, social environment, and trip-related factors, which are adapted from previous literature and studies. The findings of data show that 13 factors have been revealed in relation to shaping guest experience, and the design is the most influential factor for the hotel Rosa Malacca. Furthermore, findings also indicate the relationship between design factor, guest experience, and behaviour intentions in this research. Lastly, this study stands to benefit in both theoretical and practical perspectives: future academics, hoteliers, and hotel designers.