Perceptions of City Hotel Visitors’ On Service Expectation and Actual Service Received

Abstract

This study examines visitors’ perception of service expectation and actual service received at a luxury hotel in Ilorin South local government area of Kwara state. By means of a modified Service Quality (SERVQUAL) questionnaire specifically designed for this study, data from 478 guests that were randomly selected. Analyses of data collected from 272 respondents’ that participated revealed that respondents scores on service received were higher than scores on corresponding service expectation for most of the variables examined. About 75% of the variables examined recorded a positive service quality delivery while 25% recorded that service delivery was poor. The result on the factors influential to respondents’ choice of hotels shows that all twelve factors examined are very influential to respondents’ selection of hotel given that all the weighted mean scores surpassed the 3.00 cut-off). The highest factors influencing visitors’ selection of hotels are the safety of lives and properties within the hotel surroundings (3.90), cleanliness of the hotel and its surroundings (3.83) and, the outlook of the hotel in terms of aesthetic, attractiveness and architectural features (3.81). This study made recommendations for hoteliers to employ academically trained and qualified employees that understand the importance of being able to offer a constantly acceptable service quality to hotel visitors and to ensure that promises made to their guests are met if not surpass.

Keywords: Service quality, Luxury hotel, Service expectation and Service delivered