What matters most? A sustainable or a conventional hotel experience? The interaction effect on guest satisfaction: A mixed-methods approach

This study examined the interaction effect of sustainable and conventional hotel experience on satisfaction in sustainable hotels. Using a hierarchical linear model, Study 1 analysed 60,725 Tripadvisor review comments from the ten highest-rated sustainable hotels in the USA, and Study 2 conducted a '2 x 2' online experiment. Results empirically confirmed the positive impact of sustainable and conventional hotel experiences on satisfaction. They also demonstrated that how the sustainable and conventional hotel experiences interact can result in varying satisfaction levels. Specifically, a rank order in generating satisfaction was identified, with guests being more satisfied with highly sustainable, low conventional experiences than with low sustainable, high conventional ones. This study contributes to sustainable tourism literature by theoretically and empirically testing how and why the interaction effects on satisfaction occur in sustainable hotels. It provides practical implications for hotels on how to increase satisfaction by strategically integrating sustainable practices with conventional services.