This report investigates the role of guest amenities in three, four and five-star rated
Wellington (New Zealand) hotels. Specifically it seeks to understand the reasons for a
hotel’s choice of the amenities and features they provide as part of their
accommodation offering and to understand to what extent a hotel’s amenity selection
provides the hotel with a competitive advantage or differentiation, assists with brand
identity and provides a merchandising opportunity. This research also seeks to
understand the effects that provision of guest amenities and facilities have on hotel
front office and housekeeping staff.
Based on the themes emerging from the literature review, self-completion
questionnaires were developed and discussion questions prepared for focus groups.
Primary data has been gathered from four samples; Hotel General Managers, Executive
Housekeepers and Front Office Managers as they are the hotel personnel responsible for
the selection, monitoring and controlling of the amenities; and Hotel Guests, as they are
the end users of the amenities and features. Findings indicate that Wellington Hotels have not been subjected to the concept of
‘Amenity Creep’ to the same extent as hotels in the USA (as described by international
authors). However, there are a number of overseas initiatives regarding the use of hotel
amenities and features that could be adopted by Wellington hotels that might improve
the accommodation products offered to Wellington hotel guests and improve the
marketing of a hotel. The findings also indicate the need for more customer research to
be undertaken by hotels to ascertain the amenities and features that could be provided
to better meet their guests’ needs, to ascertain the amenities and features that provide
value for guests, and also those that might provide a competitive advantage for a hotel.[Show full abstract]
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