Cross-cultural differences on service quality expectations in Malta’s leading 5-star hotels

Abstract

Hoteliers do their utmost to give an excellent service that satisfies guests. The diversity and unpredictability of guests make ‘satisfaction’ a very subjective matter. This research looks into cultural differences that generate unlimited paradigms of what is perceived or expected for a good service to be. Through researching the demand side (the guests) and the supply side (employees) this study explores how different visitors’ expectations may vary from one national culture to another in 5-star hotels. A better understanding of the differences between visitors’ cultures may allow hoteliers to continuously improve their product. Moreover, it opens up strategies for marketers to attract a more diverse clientele and score higher client satisfaction accordingly.