The role of a hotel room within leisure and work-related travel experiences – perspectives of traveller types

Abstract

This study focuses on travellers with experience in both leisure and work-related travel, examining their hotel room perceptions, the importance of the room in both contexts, and the benefits they expect. As such, it identifies traveller types based on the significance they assign to hotel rooms. Data were collected from travellers reflecting on past experiences rather than during an active trip, reducing potential bias from specific hotel settings and services. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilising 30 semi-structured interviews for data collection. The analysis showed that interviewees emphasised different needs, expectations and practices when staying in a hotel room for work and leisure trips. Based on the comparison of the importance given to a hotel room during leisure and work-related trips, four different types of travellers were identified: “Comfort Seekers,” “Pragmatic Travellers,” “Moderate Travellers”, and “Advantage Seekers.” Each traveller type demonstrated distinct expectations and benefits sought, resulting in different meanings attached to an overnight stay in a hotel and a hotel room. However, all traveller types shared similarities, such as the importance of good quality sleep during work and leisure trips. The novelty of this research lies in its comprehensive analysis of expectations for a hotel room across both work-related and leisure trips. Consequently, this research deepens the understanding of diverse traveller behaviour and its implications in the hotel room context. By exploring different perspectives of the meaning of a hotel room for diverse traveller types, the study expands the theoretical understanding of hotel rooms beyond their traditional view as mere accommodation spaces.