RESTORING GUEST’S CONFIDENCE BY DELIVERING TRUE HOSPITALITY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CASE OF INTERCONTINENTAL ZHUHAI HOTEL, IHG

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic) has unprecedented effects on the hospitality industry. Challenges resulting from the loss of demand caused by travel restrictions, national and local lockdowns, social distancing measures, and truncated hours of operation, and sudden business closures following governmental lockdown orders (Hall et al., 2020). This study used the case of InterContinental Zhuhai Hotel to investigate how to lead and deliver true hospitality to guests during COVID-19 pandemic. Insights were explored to restore guest’s confidence in luxury hotels in this unprecedented period. A purposeful sampling method is employed to investigate by using in-depth interviews with hoteliers. Based on thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with hoteliers about the ways to lead and deliver true hospitality to restore guest’s confidence during COVID-19 pandemic, 10 Cs were identified from this study:

1) Charismatic Leadership Driving all Teams Stepping out of Comfort Zone Courageously!

2) Comprehensive Delivering True Hospitality of Incredible and Caring Services

3) Conclusive and Strict Sanitary Measures

4) Caring Services and Careful Disinfected Measures by Front Office Team

5) Convincing Cleaning Standards by Rooms Services Team

6) Creative Culinary Produced by Food and Beverages Team

7) Changeable Sales Strategies but Unchangeable Spirit of True Hospitality by Sales Team

8) Communicative and Creative Marketing Communications by Marketing and

Communication Team

9) Compassionate and Supportive Human Resources Team

10) Committed and Competent Teams Coping COVID-19 Pandemic Cooperatively

The implications of the study are that these strategies are expected to impress and enhance guest experiences which are reflected on online ratings and comments. Based on the research results, a framework for leading and delivering true hospitality to restore guest’s confidence during COVID-19 pandemic was proposed. The practical Implications for hoteliers, leading and delivering true hospitality is a fundamental but powerful strategy to restore guest’s confidence and achieve sustainable competitive advantages in these fierce and harsh market conditions. For guests, delivering true hospitality of incredible and caring services that can meet and exceed their expectations can restore their confidence towards the hotel and further build loyalty to the hotel even during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show practical insights to lead and deliver true hospitality to restore guest’s confidence in a luxury hotel. The study investigates one of the luxury hotels in Zhuhai, China, an area where research is sparse within the context of Asia and almost non-existent in Zhuhai, China. From this perspective the study contributes to the hotel management and service delivery of luxury hotels during health crisis literature.

Keywords: Covid-19 Pandemic, Hotel Management, Services Delivery.