Reports of Bed Bugs on Hotel Selection: A Choice Experiment
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2020
Abstract
The resurgence of bed bugs in the United States creates challenges for hotels and motels. One aspect that is especially important to hospitality are reports of bed bugs and how they affect travellers’ selection and potential damage to hotel brands. To address this issue, we conduct a choice experiment of a national sample of US travellers. We find that consumers expectedly respond negatively to reports of bed bugs, and they are sensitive to the number of reports of bed bugs. Through consumer Willingness to Pay for a hotel room, we quantify the negative impact of reports of bed bugs on the hotel industry through lost room premium. Expectedly, avoiding bed bugs is more valuable among those who worry more about bed bugs, but prior knowledge and experience have no effect. How explicitly the reports of bed bugs are disclosed to travellers affects their reaction and Willingness to Pay greatly.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
International Journal of Hospitality Management
Recommended Citation
Penn, J., & Hu, W. (2020). Reports of Bed Bugs on Hotel Selection: A Choice Experiment. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102568