Hospitality Consumer Behavior & Decision-Making Process Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer behavior within the hospitality industry, focusing on factors influencing consumer decisions, including cultural, social, personal, and psychological aspects. It examines the consumer decision-making process, mapping the path to purchase and highlighting the importance for marketers to understand these stages to effectively cater to customer needs. The report also contrasts B2B and B2C models within the hospitality sector and investigates the impact of digital technology on consumer trends, such as product comparison, changing expectations, and privacy concerns. Emerging trends like digitization and mobile app usage are discussed, along with their implications for hospitality businesses like Premier Inn. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer behavior to enhance customer experience and satisfaction.

Hospitality consumer
behaviour and insight

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1: Factors influencing hospitality consumer behaviour and their attitudes...........................3
LO2: Ability to map a path for the purchase in decision-making process..................................5
LO3: Appropriate forms that Influences on the hospitality consumer decision-making process
.....................................................................................................................................................7
LO4: The way marketers influences the different stages of hospitality within consumer
decision-making process...........................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Consumer behaviour within the hospitality industry defines the way by which guest or
consumer chooses the environment of hotels, restaurant or entertainment as well. In the industry
many of the environment factor have effect upon the behaviour of guest and keeping that in mind
help to attract more customers as well. Premier Inn is the largest hotel chain within UK and
currently doing business under the name of Premier Travel Inn. This hotel operates in various
location worldwide such as UK, Ireland, UAE, Qatar, Germany etc. This hotel is well-known
due to its luxuriousness as well as services within the hospitality.
In this report, the factor affecting hospitality consumer behaviour and attitudes have been
added to understand different cultures and emerging trends in consumer behaviour that haver
impact upon hospitality sectors. Moreover, the decision-making process within the purchase in
the hospitality context also have been added. Furthermore, Different forms of research also have
been conducted to understand the influences on consumer decision-making process in the
manner of business to customer or business to business manner. Various theories, concepts and
models also have ben added in the study for effective understand the different consumer
behaviour within the hospitality industry.
MAIN BODY
LO1: Factors influencing hospitality consumer behaviour and their attitudes
Cultural, social, personal and psychological factors impact:
 Cultural factors are the factors associated with the group of people in the relation of
ideologies and set of values. Consumers having their own culture related to particular
community have a huge influence over their demand an attitude related to the hospitality.
Subculture as religion, social class as income, family background also have a huge
impact upon the consumer behavior and attitude (Dixit, 2017).
 Social factors includes family trend, reference groups, role and status within a consumer.
In Premier inn, the buying behavior of consumer influenced by people around them and it
affects the hospitality services as well.
 Personal factors includes the age, income, occupation details of the consumer and in
premier inn as this hotel chain have maintained premium luxuriousness, all these factors
have influence over hospitality consumer behavior and attitudes.

 Psychological factors includes motivation, perception, learning and beliefs within the
attitudes of the consumers (Jahauri, 2017). All these psychological determinant causes
influence over the hospitality consumer behaviors.
Analysis of all these factors having influence on consumer behavior and attitudes in
hospitality
 Culture factor: consumer have specific demands as per their income, family background
as well as their community requirements. These changes within the consumer trends have
a huge impact in hospitality as If the consumers belongs to the middle class economical
background then they demand of budget-friendly services within the Premier inn and the
hotel ensures it (Yallop and Seraphin, 2020). This way hospitality services fulfill the
demands of customers as per the trends as well as consumer behavior.
 Social factors: This factor also have huge influence over the consumer behavior within
the hospitality sector. In premier inn, when the social trend within the reference group
changes, such as if the person is very social or friendly in nature with the community then
it became easy for the hospitality sector to deal all his desires as well as challenges.
 Personal factors: such as age, occupational details also do impact upon the consumer
behavior such as if the customers are from the medical occupation then they demand of
having extra hygiene maintenance within the services same as if the consumers are from
the old age group then they prefer to have more comfort within the services and this way
all these trends affect the services within the hospitality (Kustos, and et. al., 2019).
 Psychological factors: This factor also have huge impact upon the consumer behavior
such as if the consumers are already frustrated or in anxiety then they will demand for the
soothing and pleasant services so that they can be relaxed at Premier inn. This way the
responsibilities of the hospitality sector got influenced over the changing trends.
Impact of digital technology upon consumer trends
People are implementing the technological changes within their daily life as the digital
technologies are offering great opportunities to them.
 Product comparison and market research are the main changes digital
technology is responsible for. With the technology customers do the comparison
between prices of services as well as products so it became compulsory to

maintain the comparative prices within the consumer demands as customers keen
to switch upon other options as well (Altinay and Taheri, 2019).
 Expectations have changed as the technology have introduced. Customer wants
access of everything on their fingertips. They love to have instant information
about product or services, this way the customer trends are changing.
 Privacy and security concern is one of the most important issue rose due to
digital technologies as the data breaches can be happened within the system of
company and leads towards the customer information leak. So the customers are
demanding about better security for their personal information (Jauhari, 2017).
Emerging trends in consumer behaviour and attitudes
 Digitization: Customer wants the digitization of room keys for the quick access
of hotel rooms and this demanding trend cost a huge amount to the hospitality
sector. In the positive manner it improves the technology within the Premier inn
and make the hotel advanced but in the negative manner it became very costly to
implement as well as maintenance.
 Mobile app: Customer nowadays wants mobile optimized app for the easy access
of hotel regardless of the websites where Zoom-in Zoom out made the customer
frustrated. Room availability, bookings, hotel services became easy for the
customer by using app, it also benefits the hospitality sector as the customer do
that on their own. It reduces the manual work of employee but on the contrary
manner, on the contrary manner, employees within the hospitality sector should
have complete knowledge of technology so that they can fulfill the demand of
customer and can provide services to the customer by app order (Hu and et. al.,
2019).
LO2: Ability to map a path for the purchase in decision-making process
Stages of consumer decision-making journey and way to purchasing for hospitality service
There are five stages consumers go through on initiating a purchase within a hospitality sector
are defined as: Need recognition: According to this stage consumers identifies the need of product that
can meet his needs. A need of service or product initiates the purchase such as if the

consumer is stressed by the hectic schedule, so he feels the need to stay in hotel (Ulker-
Demirel and Ciftci, 2020). Information search: The consumer searches for the information both way internal and
external. External search is when the consumer do not have an idea, and he does research
with the personal or public sources whereas internal search is when the consumers brain
triggers with any personal experience. As an example in the search for hotel, customer
will do research about name of hotel that can offer him comfort he wanted either by
external source such as internet or internal sources like previous experience at premier
inn. This way choosing Premier inn comes under Information search (Nusair, 2020). Evaluation about alternatives: In this stage customer do evaluate the options and
compares these option, basis can be in terms of price or comfort, etc. For the alternative
check customer do mind few of the factors in terms of the attributes such as if the product
or service is feasible or not, are they satisfactory, affordable or not, can be retained for
the further consideration if the answer evaluates in terms of yes then the customers
choose that particular alternatives. Purchase: It is the fourth defined stage among the decision-making. During these times
as well customer do focuses upon the intention to buy most preferred brand product as
per the result of all evaluation as well as valuation at the same time. As per the example if
the valuation and evaluation goes in the favour of Premier Inn servicing then the
customer decides to book room within the hotel itself. This decision has many more
influences such as reviews do matter in the manner of decision, recommendation also
have been considered (Ettinger and et. al., 2021). Post purchase behaviour: These types of behaviour indicates the experience of the
customers in terms of how they are actually feeling after making purchase or the way
they are feeling after buying something. Customers are being satisfied or not after
accessing the related decision as well as they are going to choose the same service for
their further purchase or not all of these behaviours comes under the account of the post
purchase behaviour (Varkaris and Neuhofer, 2017).
Reason behind map a path to purchase is important for the marketers and understanding of
the consumer decision-making within hospitality sector

The path of purchase for the customer is never linear for the nature. The search, online
searches, in-store visits, mobile searches, ads all these things happened for the purchase. All the
stages are never been easy though as they also include awareness, interest, consideration,
purchase, post purchase s well as re-purchase as well and all of these factors are responsible
behind the purchase path. It is more important for the marketers to know the mapping path so
that they can take action accordingly and plan the strategies as per the mapping plan. These
mappings help the business and marketers to step in the shoes of customers, and they can see the
customers perspectives as well (Sann, Lai and Chen, 2021).
The way marketers are responding towards the decision-making process within hospitality
sector
After knowing the way of decision-making of the customers, marketers are responding the
appropriate manner. This resulted in the terms of the responding towards the need of customers.
They are identifying the logical journey of customers and highlighting the developed priorities of
the customers so that the whole journey can be minimized with ease.
The whole understanding helps the business to gain insight vision towards the pain points
of the customers and marketers do responds as accordingly. They do efforts to improvise the
customers experience and in order to complete the purchase define and fulfilled the needs of
customers (Shams and et. al., 2020).
As an example when the customer do purchase (after having the complete mapping) for the
comforts in Premier Inn then the management of the hospitality do try to ease the difficulties
customers are having and provides the best services within the room so that they can feel relaxed
within (A Focused hotel group, 2021). Few of complementary services like breakfast with best
room services helps them to live the best experience they ever had. This way mapping helps the
management to fulfil all the needs customers have and fulfil these for the satisfaction perceptive.
LO3: Appropriate forms that Influences on the hospitality consumer decision-making process

Key differences to hospitality decision-making among the B2B and B2C
B2B and B2C both are two different marketing models within the sector of hospitality. Business
to business model signifies the commercial transaction whereas the merchandising is being
performed in between two business organization. However, B2C is the model defines the
business in between the business and customers. There are few of the key differences in between
both the models (Dewnarain, Ramkissoon and Mavondo, 2019).
In the account of example, If the customers are feeling anxiety and stressed for the
comfort of customers, management of the Premier Inn decide to entertain the customer by
organizing an event. So the management of the hotel connect to the event planing team this
comes under the account of B2B business where the decision was planned and logical at the
same time This is a sort of business happing in between the business to business means' hotel to
event planning business. In the same manner when the hotel provides this service to the
customers then this became B2C as the service is being lived by the customer and this is as per
the desire of customer and short term. As per the example:
 Customer: In B2B, company is customer; B2C user is the customer
 Focus: Long term relationship expected within business whereas in B2C product is the
service.
 Purchase cycle: B2B- long term, In B2C cycles are short.
 Buying decision: Planned and logical in B2B, Emotional in B2C. Creation of the brand value:Mutual trust in between business and in B2C advertising is
done by providing the services.
Different approaches of market research for understanding of the decision-making process
Market researches are the specified systematic designs with the throughout procedure of the
collection, analysis, data reporting as well as the relevancy finding in between the specific
market situations occur within the organization (Arsawan and et. al., 2021).
Method of market research includes the points as like
 Spotting the current or upcoming problem happing within the market
 Reduction in between the business risk
 Identifying sales opportunity Development of the action plans
Difference approaches of market research:

1. Mixed methodology is based upon the factors like complexity, capturing of enough data,
need of verifying test and their results for the achievement of the acceptable market
research.2. Involve telephone, mail etc. These are the cost effecting studies that gives the more
practical results in terms of realistic competitors.3. Much smaller sample size by following the 80/20 rule and the weights are decides as per
the importance as well as the influential respondents.4. Involvement of unit rather than individuals, it is necessary to target different types of the
respondent to target separately for the research such as IT unit, Finance unit etc.5. Identification of the incentives is more difficult within the market as the incentives need
to be geared as per the business and work participants6. Different skill set, Market research always demands the different approaches towards the
responsibility level such as research director to the telephone interview with expertise.
With all these ways it is possible to have efficient market research within a business (Koc
and Ayyildiz, 2021).
Factors influencing the decision-making within hospitality and buying behaviour
There are three factors that have influence over decision-making process are Personality, self and
motivation.
In the account of personality, if the customer within Premier inn is of introvert
personality then the hospitality should provide them the facilities with lesser interfere of the staff
either it is a matter of room services or other facilities included in the dine-in experience.
In the account of self, the self-esteem, body image, performance as well as personal
identity plays and important role such as from the personality if the customer is professional type
and for the meeting he is at the Premier inn then it is compulsory for the staff to provide the
services in more professional way suitable for the meeting (Ramkissoon, 2017).
As per the motivation, The intrinsic as well as intrinsic motivation also plays an
important role such as if the person wants the best food then his companions motivates him to
have dine-in experience at the Premier inn and the hospitality should fulfil the desire of the
customer this way the buying behaviour satisfies.

LO4: The way marketers influences the different stages of hospitality within consumer decision-
making process
How marketers influencing the different stages within the hospitality: By culture and
subculture the marketers are influencing the consumer behaviour within the hospitality.
Culture is the learned and shared rules for generating the behaviour of customers. In premier inn,
hospitality is adopting more effective recycling approaches as well as waste reduction
technologies as most of the consumer have environment friendly culture within their behaviour,
this way Premier inn influence the customers to choose it within the service prospective.
As per the subculture such as religious beliefs and rituals also have a huge influence upon
the customer decision-making. As an example if the customers believes in specific religious
ritual like specific food type or prayers before food and the hospitality is providing that specific
ritual within the services then it is possible to influence the decision-making of customers (Dixit,
2017).
How marketers are responding to the decision-making process
As the customers do all the research and evaluating before making the purchase, marketers are
providing the products and services in the appropriate competitive prices so that the customer do
select the option and order that product respectively. As an example customer do the price
evaluation before ordering food and beverages then the management of the premier inn provides
the food on very competitive prices and quantity as well. This way the marketers motivate the
consumer to initiate new purchase as well.
How marketers influence each stage of decision-making process with relevant models and
methods
 Hospitality sectors understands the needs of their customers. Then they faces the
challenge at the time of understanding the customers' behaviour at the time of purchasing
the services and develop the products accordingly to satisfy the needs of the customers.
 Apart from the changing needs of the customers' hospitality attempts to influence the
customer in each stage of the decision-making process. They follows the patterns o the
consumer buying decision within the process which is based upon three stages:
-Routine response behaviours: in these behaviours the involvement of the customers are lesser
(Jahauri, 2017).

-Limited decision-making: There is involvement of the customers as well as the marketers are in
moderate amount.
-Extensive decision-making: There is more likely involvement of the customers within the
process so the involvement demand of the marketers is also high. This way the involvement
demand influences the consumers decision taking process.
Application of appropriate theories and models that influence and impact upon hospitality
decision-making
Hospitality sector uses 7 element models to influence the decision-making process such as
Product, price, promotion, place, people, processes, physical evidence. By keeping all the
strategies into mind, Premier inn do the hotel business and provides hospitality to the customers
(Jahauri, 2017). As an example if the customers come into the Premier Inn UAE, then the hotel
will follow the product, price, place strategies as per the trends in the UAE. All strategies help
the Premier inn to maintain its position within the competitive market in the account of customer
satisfaction. This way it influences the decision-making of the customers.
Digital audience research development theory to influence the decision-making of the customer.
This theory identifies all the needs as well as the requirement of the digital audience and also
fine the ways to meet all these requirements. Before making the marketing as well as the brand
campaign, audience research take place. As an example before launching new services within the
food and services, premier inn do the research of digital audience this way they knew what the
customers are expecting, what are the field of interest and what are the means behind
(Dewnarain, Ramkissoon and Mavondo, 2019). By implementing all the changes within the
menu, Premier inn influences the customer decision-making process.
CONCLUSION
From the above study, It can be concluded as there are various factors exist that have
influences over consumer behaviour within the hospitality sector such as social, cultural,
personal and psychological. By following all the trends within consumer demands as well as
emerging digital technology it is possible to have influence over consumer behaviour. Moreover
in this report it has been analysed that mapping a path to understand the customer decision-
making towards the purchase it is important for the marketers to understand the path so that
marketers can respond to the respective decision-making. Furthermore, different approaches for

B2B and B2C within the business have been studied in this report. In the last, different stages
have been studied that have influence over consumer decision-making process.

REFERENCES
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Online
A Focused hotel group, 2021. [Online]. Available at <https://www.whitbread.co.uk/about-us/>.