“What is beautiful we book”: hotel visual appeal and expected service quality

CITATION

Kirillova, K. & Chan, J. (2018), “What is beautiful we book”: hotel visual appeal and expected service quality, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 30(3), 1788-1807

For library access / research help in a similar topic: anyangoceline19@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of hotel aesthetics as represented in online spaces (e.g.
online travel agency website) in prospective guests’ evaluation of expected service quality and booking
intentions, as well as the interplay between aesthetic and functional values as related to those outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach – A scenario-based experimental design is conducted with 203 Chinese
respondents. A between-subject two-way multivariate analysis of covariance (high vs low aesthetic value;
high vs low functional value), which also controlled for respondents’ individual tendency to appreciate beauty,
is used.
Findings – Results show that high aesthetic value hotels are more likely to be booked and perceived as able
to deliver better services in SERVQUAL dimensions of tangibles, reliability and assurance. There are no
significant effects for responsiveness and empathy. Given the presence of the aesthetic effect, hotel functional
value has no impact on the outcome variables.
Practical implications – Hotel managers are recommended to employ professional photographer-artists
who are aware of the aesthetic value of hotels and can translate this value into information technologymediated
spaces. Such professionals should be able to create a composition that balances the elements of
classic (e.g. symmetry vs asymmetry) and expressive (e.g. color) aesthetics.
Originality/value – This research brings out a number of insights from the product experience literature
in the hospitality context and points to the limitations of the product visual attractiveness in engendering
positive service quality evaluation.


REFERENCES
Baek, J. and Ok, C. (2017), “The power of design: how does design affect consumers’ on-line hotel
booking?”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 65, pp. 1-10.

Baker, J., Parasuraman, A., Grewal, D. and Voss, G. (2002), “The influence of multiple store
environment cues on perceived merchandise value and patronage intentions”, Journal of
Marketing, Vol. 66 No. 2, pp. 120-141.

Bilgihan, A. and Bujisic, M. (2015), “The effect of website features in online relationship marketing: a
case of online hotel booking”, Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, Vol. 14 No. 4,
pp. 222-232.

Bilgihan, A., Okumus, F., Nusair, K. and Bujisic, M. (2014), “Online experiences: flow theory, measuring
online customer experience in e-commerce and managerial implications for the lodging
industry”, Information Technology and Tourism, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 49-71.

Bitner, M.J. (1992), “Servicescapes: the impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees”,
The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 56 No. 2, pp. 57-71.

Bloch, P.H. (1995), “Seeking the ideal form: product design and consumer response”, The Journal of
Marketing, Vol. 59 No. 3, pp. 16-29.

Bloch, P.H., Brunel, F.F. and Arnold, T.J. (2003), “Individual differences in the centrality of visual
product aesthetics: concept and measurement”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 29 No. 4,
pp. 551-565.

Boulding, W., Kalra, A., Staelin, R. and Zeithaml, V.A. (1993), “A dynamic process model of service
quality: from expectations to behavioral intentions”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 30
No. 1, pp. 7-27.

Cai, S. and Xu, Y. (2011), “Designing not just for pleasure: effects of web site aesthetics on consumer
shopping value”, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 159-188.

Charters, S. (2006), “Aesthetic products and aesthetic consumption: a review”, Consumption, Markets
and Culture, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 235-255.

Chathoth, P., Altinay, L., Harrington, R.J., Okumus, F. and Chan, E.S. (2013), “Co-production versus cocreation:
a process based continuum in the hotel service context”, International Journal of
Hospitality Management, Vol. 32, pp. 11-20.

Cheng, S., Lam, T. and Hsu, C.H. (2006), “Negative word-of-mouth communication intention: an
application of the theory of planned behavior”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research,
Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 95-116.

Countryman, C.C. and Jang, S. (2006), “The effects of atmospheric elements on customer impression: the
case of hotel lobbies”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 18
No. 7, pp. 534-545.

Creusen, M.E. and Schoormans, J.P. (2005), “The different roles of product appearance in consumer
choice”, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 63-81.

Cronin, J.J., Brady, M.K. and Hult, G.T.M. (2000), “Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer
satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments”, Journal of Retailing,
Vol. 76 No. 2, pp. 193-218.

Dailey, L. (2004), “Navigational web atmospherics: explaining the influence of restrictive navigation
cues”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 57 No. 7, pp. 795-803.

Dattalo, P. (2013), Analysis of Multiple Dependent Variables, Oxford University Pres, Oxford.

Denizci Guillet, B., Kozak, M. and Kucukusta, D. (2017), “It’s in the air: aroma marketing and affective
response in the hotel world”, International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Administration,
doi: 10.1080/15256480.2017.1359727.

Dion, K., Berscheid, E. and Walster, E. (1972), “What is beautiful is good”, Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 285-290.

Fogg, B.J., Soohoo, C., Danielson, D.R., Marable, L., Stanford, J. and Tauber, E.R. (2003), “How do users
evaluate the credibility of web sites? A study with over 2,500 participants”, Proceedings of the
Conference on Designing for User Experiences, pp. 1-15.

Garber, L., Burke, R. and Jones, J. (2000), “The role of package color in consumer purchase consideration
and choice”, Marketing Science Institute Working Paper, available at: http://152.33.80.122/
lgarber/misc/garber-package-color-consumer-choice.pdf (accessed 13 September 2017).

Gemser, G. and Leenders, M.A. (2001), “How integrating industrial design in the product development
process impacts on company performance”, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 18
No. 1, pp. 28-38.

González, M.E.A., Comesaña, L.R. and Brea, J.A.F. (2007), “Assessing tourist behavioral intentions
through perceived service quality and customer satisfaction”, Journal of Business Research,
Vol. 60 No. 2, pp. 153-160.

Guzel, O. and Dortyol, T. (2016), “Exploring the multi-sensory based memorable tourism experiences: a
study of AdamandEve hotel in Turkey”, Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in
Emerging Markets, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 28-39.

Ha, J. and Jang, S. (2012), “The effects of dining atmospherics on behavioral intentions through quality
perception”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 204-215.

Hassenzahl, M. (2008), “Aesthetics in interactive products: correlates and consequences of beauty”, in
Schifferstein, N. and Hekkert, P. (Eds), Product Experience, Elsevier, New York, NY, pp. 287-302.

Hekkert, P. and Leder, H. (2008), “Product aesthetics”, in Schifferstein, H. and Hekkert, P. (Eds), Product
Experience, Elsevier, New York, NY, pp. 259-285.

Herington, C. and Weaven, S. (2009), “E-retailing by banks: E-service quality and its importance to
customer satisfaction”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Nos 9/10, pp. 1220-1231.

Heung, V.C. and Gu, T. (2012), “Influence of restaurant atmospherics on patron satisfaction and
behavioral intentions”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 31 No. 4,
pp. 1167-1177.

Hoegg, J., Alba, J.W. and Dahl, D.W. (2010), “The good, the bad, and the ugly: influence of aesthetics on
product feature judgments”, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 419-430.

Holbrook, M. (1999), Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and Research, Routledge, New York,
NY.

Holbrook, M.B. and Hirschman, E.C. (1982), “The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer
fantasies, feelings, and fun”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 132-140.

Hollins, B. and Pugh, S. (1990), Successful Product Design: What to Do and When, Butterworth-
Heinemann, Oxford.

Jiang, Z., Wang, W., Tan, B.C. and Yu, J. (2016), “The determinants and impacts of aesthetics in users’
first interaction with websites”, Journal of Management Information Systems, Vol. 33 No. 1,
pp. 229-259.

Johnson, C. and Mathews, B.P. (1997), “The influence of experience on service expectations”,
International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 290-305.

Kim, S. and Mattila, A.S. (2011), “An examination of electronic video clips in the context of hotel
websites”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 612-618.

Kirillova, K., Fu, X., Lehto, X. and Cai, L. (2014), “What makes a destination beautiful? Dimensions of
tourist aesthetic judgment”, TourismManagement, Vol. 42, pp. 282-293.

Knutson, B., Stevens, P., Wullaert, C., Patton, M. and Yokoyama, F. (1990), “LODGSERV: a service
quality index for the lodging industry”, Hospitality Research Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 277-284.

Knutson, B.J., Stevens, P. and Patton, M. (1996), “DINESERV: measuring service quality in quick
service, casual/theme, and fine dining restaurants”, Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing,
Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 35-44.

Kotler, P. (1973), “Atmospherics as a marketing tool”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 49 No. 4, pp. 48-64.

Ladhari, R., Ladhari, I. and Morales, M. (2011), “Bank service quality: comparing Canadian and
Tunisian customer perceptions”, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 29 No. 3,
pp. 224-246.

Ladhari, R. (2008), “Alternative measures of service quality: a review”, Managing Service Quality: An
International Journal, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 65-86.

Ladhari, R. (2009), “A review of twenty years of SERVQUAL research”, International Journal of Quality
and Service Sciences, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 172-198.

Lam, T.K. (2002), “Making sense of SERVQUAL’s dimensions to the Chinese customers in Macau”,
Journal of Market-Focused Management, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 43-58.

Lavie, T. and Tractinsky, N. (2004), “Assessing dimensions of perceived visual aesthetics of web sites”,
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, Vol. 60 No. 3, pp. 269-298.

Lee, Y.L. and Hing, N. (1995), “Measuring quality in restaurant operations: an application of the
SERVQUAL instrument”, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Vol. 14 Nos 3/4,
pp. 293-310.

Li, Y.N., Tan, K.C. and Xie, M. (2002), “Measuring web-based service quality”, Total Quality
Management, Vol. 13 No. 5, pp. 685-700.

Liat, C.B., Mansori, S. and Huei, C.T. (2014), “The associations between service quality, corporate
image, customer satisfaction, and loyalty: evidence from the Malaysian hotel industry”, Journal
of Hospitality Marketing and Management, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 314-326.

Lin, I.Y. (2016), “Effects of visual servicescape aesthetics comprehension and appreciation on consumer
experience”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 30 No. 7, pp. 692-712.

Lin, Y. and Lai, C.Y. (2010), “A study of the attitudes of Chinese consumers to aesthetic product
designs”, International Journal of Management, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 177-184.

Lindgaard, G., Fernandes, G., Dudek, C. and Brown, J. (2006), “Attention web designers: you have
50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!”, Behaviour and Information Technology,
Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 115-126.

Liu, Y. (2003), “Engineering aesthetics and aesthetic ergonomics: theoretical foundations and a dualprocess
research methodology”, Ergonomics, Vol. 46 Nos 13/14, pp. 1273-1292.

McCarthy, L., Stock, D. and Verma, R. (2010), “How travelers use online and social media channels to
make hotel-choice decisions”, Cornell Hospitality Report, Vol. 10 No. 18, pp. 6-18.

Magnini, V.P. and Parker, E.E. (2009), “The psychological effects of music: implications for hotel firms”,
Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 53-62.

Matteucci, X. (2013), “Photo elicitation: exploring tourist experiences with researcher-found images”,
TourismManagement, Vol. 35, pp. 190-197.

Namasivayam, K. and Mattila, A.S. (2007), “Accounting for the joint effects of the servicescape and
service exchange on consumers’ satisfaction evaluations”, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
Research, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp. 3-18.

Nisbett, R.E. and Wilson, T.D. (1977), “The halo effect: evidence for unconscious alteration of
judgments”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 35 No. 4, pp. 250-256.

Noone, B.M. and Mattila, A.S. (2009), “Hotel revenue management and the internet: the effect of price
presentation strategies on customers’ willingness to book”, International Journal of Hospitality
Management, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 272-279.

Norman, D.A. (2004), Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things, Basic Civitas Books,
New York, NY.

Oh, H., Fiore, A.M. and Jeoung, M. (2007), “Measuring experience economy concepts: tourism
applications”, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 46 No. 2, pp. 119-132.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1988), “SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for
measuring consumer perception of service quality”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 64 No. 1, pp. 12-40.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Malhotra, A. (2005), “ES-QUAL: a multiple-item scale for
assessing electronic service quality”, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 213-233.

Park, C.W., Jaworski, B.J. and Maclnnis, D.J. (1986), “Strategic brand concept-image management”, The
Journal of Marketing, Vol. 50 No. 4, pp. 135-145.

Pengnate, S.F. and Sarathy, R. (2017), “An experimental investigation of the influence of website
emotional design features on trust in unfamiliar online vendors”, Computers in Human
Behavior, Vol. 67, pp. 49-60.

Petty, R.E. and Cacioppo, J.T. (1986), “The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion”, Advances in
Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 19, pp. 123-205.

Pine, B.J. and Gilmore, J.H. (1998), “Welcome to the experience economy”, Harvard Business Review,
Vol. 76 No. 4, pp. 97-105.

Postrel, V. (2003), The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Culture,
Commerce, and Consciousness, HarperCollins, New York, NY.

Ramsaran-Fowdar, R.R. (2007), “Developing a service quality questionnaire for the hotel industry in
Mauritius”, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 19-27.

Reimer, A. and Kuehn, R. (2005), “The impact of servicescape on quality perception”, European Journal
of Marketing, Vol. 39 Nos 7/8, pp. 785-808.

Saleh, F. and Ryan, C. (1991), “Analysing service quality in the hospitality industry using the
SERVQUAL model”, Service Industries Journal, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 324-345.

Schenkman, B.N. and Jönsson, F.U. (2000), “Aesthetics and preferences of web pages”, Behaviour and
Information Technology, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 367-377.

Schnurr, B., Brunner-Sperdin, A. and Stokburger-Sauer, N.E. (2017), “The effect of context
attractiveness on product attractiveness and product quality: the moderating role of product
familiarity”, Marketing Letters, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 241-253.

Schroeder, J. (2002), Visual Consumption, Routledge, London.

Seifert, C. (2011). “The effects of design complexity and novelty on aesthetic response: the moderating role
of centrality of visual product aesthetics (Master dissertation)”, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.

Shobeiri, S., Mazaheri, E. and Laroche, M. (2015), “Shopping online for goods vs. services: where do
experiential features help more?”, International Journal of Consumer Studies, Vol. 39 No. 2,
pp. 172-179.

Tan, K.C. and Kek, S.W. (2004), “Service quality in higher education using an enhanced SERVQUAL
approach”, Quality in Higher Education, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 17-24.

Tractinsky, N. and Lowengart, O. (2007), “Web-store aesthetics in e-retailing: a conceptual framework
and some theoretical implications”, Academy of Marketing Science Review, Vol. 11 No. 1,
pp. 1-18.

Tractinsky, N., Katz, A.S. and Ikar, D. (2000), “What is beautiful is usable”, Interacting with Computers,
Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 127-145.

Tresidder, R. (2015), “Experiences marketing: a cultural philosophy for contemporary hospitality
marketing studies”, Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management, Vol. 24 No. 7,
pp. 708-726.

Tractinsky, N., Cokhavi, A., Kirschenbaum, M. and Sharfi, T. (2006), “Evaluating the consistency of
immediate aesthetic perceptions of web pages”, International Journal of Human-Computer
Studies, Vol. 64 No. 11, pp. 1071-1083.

Tuch, A.N., Roth, S.P., Hornbæk, K., Opwis, K. and Bargas-Avila, J.A. (2012), “Is beautiful really usable?
Toward understanding the relation between usability, aesthetics, and affect in HCI”, Computers
in Human Behavior, Vol. 28 No. 5, pp. 1596-1607.

Urry, J. (1995), Consuming Places, Routledge, London.
van Leeuwen, M.L. and Macrae, N.C. (2004), “Is beautiful always good? Implicit benefits of facial
attractiveness”, Social Cognition, Vol. 22 No. 6, pp. 637-649.
van Riel, A.C., Liljander, V. and Jurriens, P. (2001), “Exploring consumer evaluations of e-services: a
portal site”, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 359-377.

Wagner, J. (1999), “Aesthetic value: beauty in art and fashion”, in Holbrook, M. (Ed.), Consumer Value:
A Framework for Analysis and Research, Routledge, New York, NY, pp. 126-146.

Wang, S., Kirillova, K. and Lehto, X. (2017), “Reconciling unsatisfying tourism experiences: message
type effectiveness and the role of counterfactual thinking”, Tourism Management, Vol. 60,
pp. 233-243.

Wang, Y.J., Hernandez, M.D. and Minor, M.S. (2010), “Web aesthetics effects on perceived online service
quality and satisfaction in an e-tail environment: the moderating role of purchase task”, Journal
of Business Research, Vol. 63 No. 9, pp. 935-942.

Wang, Y.J., Minor, M.S. and Wei, J. (2011), “Aesthetics and the online shopping environment:
understanding consumer responses”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 87 No. 1, pp. 46-58.

Weaver, A. (2009), “Tourism and aesthetic design: enchantment, style, and commerce”, Journal of
Tourismand Cultural Change, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 179-189.

Wong, A., Dean, A.M. and White, C.J. (1999), “Analysing service quality in the hospitality industry”,
Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 136-143.

Yamamoto, M. and Lambert, D.R. (1994), “The impact of product aesthetics on the evaluation of
industrial products”, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 309-324.

Yang, Z. and Jun, M. (2002), “Consumer perception of e-service quality: from internet purchaser and
non-purchaser perspectives”, Journal of Business Strategies, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 19-41.

Zeithaml, V.A. (1988), “Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and
synthesis of evidence”, The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 52 No. 3, pp. 2-22.