Volume: 25, Issue: 1

Page: 124-138
International Journal of Science and Business
2023
Journal homepage: ijsab.com/ijsb

Factors Affecting Bangladeshi Travelers’

Selection of Hotels
Bipasha Sukrana, Tanzina Haque & Farjana Islam Jui

Abstract
Understanding the preferences and choices of travelers is essential for
hoteliers and other tourism stakeholders as the hotel and tourism sectors in
Bangladesh become more and more competitive day by day. The purpose of
this study is to look at the key factors that influence hotel choice among
Bangladeshi travelers. This study also seeks to offer insights into the
particular requirements and expectations of Bangladeshi travelers by
examining the elements that affect the hotel selection process. Considering IJSB
these elements can help hoteliers and other tourism industry professionals Accepted 15 June 2023
Published 18 June 2023
tailor their services to the particular requirements and expectations of DOI: 10.58970/IJSB.2130
Bangladeshi travelers. The data for this research was collected through an
online survey. A structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale is
used and data were collected from 379 respondents, of which the valid
response rate is 75.8%. The data have been analyzed using descriptive
statistics. Research result highlights that ‘Staff Service Quality’, ‘Safety and
Security’ and ‘Value for money’ are the three most influential factors in
selecting a hotel. ISSN: 2520-4750 (Online) 2521-3040 (Print)

Papers published by IJSAB International are

licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Keywords: Bangladeshi travelers, Hotel selection, Service quality, Satisfaction, Loyalty.

About Author (s)

Bipasha Sukrana (corresponding author), Lecturer, Department of Tourism and Hospitality
Management, European University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Tanzina Haque, Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, European University of
Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Farjana Islam Jui, Lecturer, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, European
University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction
The tourism and hospitality business are vibrant and fascinating one that has emerged as a
significant global engine of economic development. As a huge and diverse industry, tourism
includes a wide range of travel and leisure-related activities and services. When people go to
avail these services, they require a safe place to stay, and hotels perfectly provide this need
(Enz, 2009). Indeed, hotels are vital to the expansion and success of the tourism industry (Chen
et al., 2012). A hotel is a commercially owned establishment that offers visitors and tourists
lodging, food and other related services (Walker, 2002). Internationally, the hotel sector is one
of the fastest-growing and due to its labor-intensive nature and its multiplier effect on other
sectors, it is also among the sectors that create the most jobs. As a service industry, hotels focus
primarily on guest experience and service quality (Hargreaves, 2015). With the passing of time,
travelers’ traveling behavior and demand are changing, additionally, they have higher travel
expectations. So, to provide clients with superior service, sustain the market, and keep their
professionalism, it is essential for hotels to completely comprehend travelers’ behavior
patterns (Yang et al., 2017). Therefore, there is a growth in the building of opulent hotels, so it
is incredibly challenging to match the endless range of hotel guests' demands (Chen et al, 2012).
So, hoteliers need to have a clear understanding of the distinct characteristics of their visitors
so that they can understand the motivating factors, attitudes, and values that influence
travelers' impressions and their decision to book a hotel. Since accommodations represent an
integral part of the tourism offering, it has a profound effect on travelers' overall satisfaction
and how they plan to return or suggest a place to others (Moreno-Perdigón et al., 2021)

In Bangladesh, tourism is now one of the major economic drivers, like in other countries in the
world. The people of the country currently travel more frequently than in the past. They travel
for a variety of reasons, including as business, recreation, family reunions, education, religious,
and other purposes (Collins and Tisdell, 2002). For this reason, they prefer to stay in different
types of hotels according to their budget and preferences. In this country, there are currently
adequate number of hotels available with one to five stars. Therefore, In the very beginning,
the hotelier needs to concentrate on finding the factors that influence travelers’ to choose a
hotel and then, after carefully examining those elements, they must make an attempt to
concentrate more on providing those specific facilities in order to persuade more guests to
select their hotel. Furthermore, hotel industry needs to deliver high-quality service and satisfy
guests' expectations in order to distinguish their establishment from competitors (Mahdavinia,
2007). Also make the travelers return to the same hotel and promote it to others. This study is
designed to learn more about the factors that affect Bangladeshi travelers to select a hotel.

1.2 Overview of the Hotel Industry in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, a true picturesque riverine country is regarded as one of the most well-liked
vacation spots on the planet (Chandra and Roy, 2015). For travel and tourism, the country
offers adequate lodging facilities across different types of hotels (Miceli, 2023). Different styles
of accommodation in Bangladesh such as hotels and resorts have flourished to serve the need
for lodging. Sometimes it may be in budget or luxury which helps as a counselor of serving
people to discover a worthy accommodation.
The hotel industry in Bangladesh has been experiencing steady growth in recent years (Islam,
2008), as the country's economy continues to expand and more people travel to Bangladesh
for business and leisure purposes. There has been a significant increase in the number of hotels,
resorts, and guesthouses in major cities and popular tourist destinations throughout the
country. The fragmented hotel industry of Bangladesh is ruled by small as well as mediocre-
sized proprietor-owned businesses. Like the developed country the United Kingdom and

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France, Chain hotels are now labeled as national or multinational in control of some of the most
well-known chain as well as designer lodging facilities in the planet. The hotel industry in
Bangladesh is growing highly competitive (Talukder et al., 2022) with several international
hotel chains having a presence in the country, including Radisson, Westin, Marriott, and
Intercontinental. In addition to international hotel chains, there are also many locally-owned
hotels, guesthouses, and resorts throughout the country, ranging from budget to luxury
accommodations. Some significant star-recommended hotels in Bangladesh are given below:

Table 1: Some significant star hotels in Bangladesh (Source: Booking.com, Tripadvisor)

Category Hotel Name Location
Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka
Sayeman Beach Resorts Cox’s Bazar
Radisson Water Garden Hotel Dhaka
The Westin Dhaka Dhaka
Zabeer Hotel International Jessore
Five Star Le Meridian Dhaka Dhaka
Momo Inn Hotel Bogura
Intercontinental Hotel Dhaka
Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan
Dhaka Regency Hotel Dhaka
Hotel Sarina Dhaka
Best Western Plus Maple Leaf Dhaka
Hansa- A Premium Residence Dhaka
Fars Hotel and Resort Dhaka
Platinum Grand Dhaka
Four Star Hotel Star Pacific Dhaka
Hotel Nurjahan Grand Sylhet
Amari Dhaka Dhaka
Nondini Hotel Dhaka
Doreen Hotel Dhaka
Hotel the Capital Dhaka
Hotel Shuktara Dhaka
The Al Aqsa Chittagong
Three Star Hotel Khan Palace Kuakata
Hotel Afford Inn Dhaka
Ascott the residence Dhaka Dhaka
Royal Inn Dhaka Dhaka
Grand Prince Hotel Dhaka
Hotel La Vinci Dhaka
Hotel Givenci Dhaka

International hotel groups such as Holiday Inn, JW Marriott, Swiss otel, Hyatt Regency, Element
Hotel, Saint Regis Hotel, and Dusit Hotels are growing their operations in Bangladesh (Uddin
and Siddiqui, 2021). Almost 17 star-standard hotels, including 13 five-star hotels, with
investments totaling BDT 6, 000 crore will launch in the upcoming years. The Bangladesh
Bureau of Statistics (BBS) calculates that the tourism industry generates 3.02 percent of the
country's GDP (The Daily Star, 2021). The economic development of Bangladesh has been
focused on the hotel business, which contributes 9.3% of the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) (Rahman, 2022). In the 1980s, Bangladesh had just two hotels of a high international
standard: one is Hotel Sheraton and another one is Sonargaon (Ashfaq, 2019). More than seven
multinational hotel chains now monopolize Bangladesh's regional hospitality market, and they
constantly outperform their domestic counterparts in terms of output as well as performance.
More hotels with worldwide brands are anticipated to open in the hospitality business over the
next ten years.

The demand for travel and tourism in Bangladesh is estimated to reach US$1853m in the year
2023 (Travel & Tourism - Bangladesh: Statista market forecast, 2023). In this projected market

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volume, the market’s largest portion is hotel which is US$972m. The number of hotel user
(Guest) penetration is 5.3% in 2023 and this is expected to aim at 6.8% by the year 2027(Hotels
- Bangladesh: Statista market forecast, 2023). The long-term outlook for hotel industry is very
positive. 135,186 people visited Bangladesh in December 2021 (Bangladesh visitor arrivals).
According to a global tourist survey; the global hotel business would grow at a pace of 4.07%
every year through 2023. The growing number of hotels ensure a huge amount of job
opportunities. The number of employees including owner, full-time as well as part time
workers and inter or trainees engaged in the hotel industry that rose by almost 153% during
the 20s from the previous 10 years. Overall, the hotel industry in Bangladesh is poised for
continued growth, as the country's economy continues to expand and more people travel to the
country for business and leisure purposes.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The current study attempts to place some significant contribution on the hotel industry in
Bangladesh and make hoteliers understand how travelers make their decisions for selecting a
particular hotel and what attributes satisfied them and made them revisit the same hotel so
that the hotel industry knows their customers exact needs and by meeting them they can
survive in this highly competitive hotel industry. Additionally, the following particular goals
are supported by this study: (i) To identify various factors that influence travelers' selection of
a hotel in Bangladesh, (ii) To determine the factors that affect travelers' levels of satisfaction
while staying in their preferred accommodations in Bangladesh, & (iii) To investigate the
variables that affect guests' choice of hotels and the likelihood that they will return.

2. Literature Review
In the hospitality industry, sometimes known as the "Hotel industry", is one of the most
dynamic industries of the twenty-first century and is crucial in this regard. Hotels are essential
to the success and expansion of tourism, which boosts a region's economy (Mahdavinia, 2007).
A hotel is a place where travelers can pay to receive services including accommodation, food,
safety, and security etc. The hotel industry is a subset of the service sector. The importance of
hotels to travelers is universal. Sometimes choosing a hotel can be challenging for travelers
because they have to keep a lot of factors in mind. This makes it difficult for them to choose a
hotel for their stay at (Chen et al., 2012). The features of services have become such a key
concern since customer happiness is determined by the accessibility of client services
(Choosrichom, 2011). It is justifiable to state that contentment with a hotel stay is a sum of
satisfaction with all the individual aspects of all the items and services that compose the
experience because the majority of hospitality experiences are an aggregation of products and
services (Pizam et al., 2016). According to Mahdavinia (2007), Hotels have a major impact on
how satisfied tourists are. Although there is a boom in the building of opulent hotels, it is
extremely difficult to satisfy the endless variety of hotel guests' expectations. Hotel
management must offer their customers the highest level of service and fulfill their
expectations in order to distinguish their establishment from competitors (Mahdavinia, 2007).
Customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth marketing combined with the development of a
strong hotel-guest connection, which is essential to the success of hospitality businesses (Yang
et al., 2017). Liu et al. (2017) added that guest satisfaction is the determinant of and the secret
to success in the hotel industry, as hotels are not able to compete effectively without fulfilling
their customers’ wishes.

From the perspective of some researchers, one of the main hurdles for a traveler in making
decisions is the choice of hotel. Choosing the best place to stay can occasionally be a very
difficult task. An extensive hotel selection strategy could assist in enabling hotel owners,

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general managers, and the tourism sector as a whole to decide on more useful measurements
of good service quality for a higher rate of contentment (Sohrabi et al., 2012).

Another significant aspect that affects guests' choice of hotel is the standard of the services
offered by the establishment. Travelers frequently favor hotels that provide top-notch services.
According to Karadag & Dumanoglu (2009), the majority of hotels think that IT-related apps
will modestly improve employee and service quality, which will increase guest satisfaction.
This finding implies to how foreign tourists perceive the effectiveness of booking and check-
in/check-out, so efficiency in the check-in and check-out processes is vital (Choosrichom,
2011). General amenities, which are significant and can be linked to room characteristics, hotel
amenities, and room amenities are another factor that influences a customer's decision to book
a hotel (Choi and Chu, 2001). Although general amenities provided as part of hotel facilities,
room conveniences, and room quality may not be the most crucial factors for guests to consider
when selecting a hotel to stay at, but hoteliers must uphold high standards in relation to these
comforting qualities (Poon and Lock‐Teng Low, 2005). Another crucial component that affects
tourists' hotel choices is the hotel's location. Travelers frequently favor accommodations that
are conveniently located, adjacent to well-known tourist sites, and accessible (Choi and Chu,
2001). In their survey, (Yang et al., 2017) mentioned that hotel price is as one of the most
crucial criteria when choosing a hotel. Consumers use price as an indicator for the quality of
the services and amenities given by hotels. Another essential element that cannot be shifted
once chosen is location. Location cannot be moved; hence it is a vital component in the pre-
construction phase that will determine the future performance of the hotel. Hotel management
can modify facilities, room rates, interior décor and service standards but location cannot.
Additionally, the project's geographical position is a crucial consideration in the feasibility
analysis. Typically, the intangible factors that influence guest choice are price and location.
Choosrichom (2011) revealed that for international travelers, security and safety was the most
crucial element determining the choice of hotels, followed by price and staff service quality.
Furthermore, Poon and Low's (2005) study finds that security and safety play a significant role
in how satisfied western travelers are. Additionally, according to Yang et al. (2017), factors like
income level, employment history, personality traits, travel plans, level of experience, and
attitude can all be used to identify customers. The author claims that people's behavior in
making choices varies depending on their upbringing. Choi and Chu (2001) suggests that the
interaction between customers and hotel employees plays a significant role in shaping
customers' perceptions of service quality and overall satisfaction with hotels. It is crucial for
hotels to satisfy customers in order to survive, as customer satisfaction affects their likelihood
of returning for future stays (Choi and Chu, 2001). Suanmali (2014) also added that a higher
degree of customer satisfaction encourages returning customers, as well as they will endorse
to others.

Conceptual Framework
Figure 1 demonstrates the factors that affect Bangladeshi travelers’ selection of a particular
hotel. The five key characteristics have listed here include a number of items that directly
influence how a traveler selects a hotel.

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Figure 1: Conceptual Framework (Source: Authors)

3. Methodology
3.1 Methods of Data Collection: The research is fully quantitative in nature. The data was
collected from travelers in different parts of the country using a questionnaire based on
previous literature. A survey process took place over a 60-day period from March to April 2023.
In this study, the target population is people who have stayed overnight or more in a hotel
either inside or outside the country. Therefore, anyone who has visited a hotel within the
previous six months was qualified to participate in this study. A fresh memory about the subject
is required in order to meet this criterion (Cherdchamadol and Sriboonjit, 2013). Researchers
used simple random selection procedure to collect data. The sample consisted of 7-8 travelers
every day for sixty days from March to April month, yielding a total of 500 replies for the
research. Only 379 of the 500 responses were deemed usable, representing a 75.8 percent
response rate. All of the data in this study were collected from primary sources. The data that
have been used in this study were basically collected by the online based interview through
Google form questionnaire. Research collaborators shared the link using their networks to get
the proper feedback.

3.2 Research Instrument: An organized questionnaire was designed, where the plot has split
into three categories. The initial part is designed to rectify general information related to
travelers’ demographic profiles and travelers’ traveling characteristics. Travelers’
demographic profile is analyzed by the determinants of gender, age, education, occupation and
income. The travelers’ traveling characteristics is analyzed by the determinants of hotel
standards, pricing, reasons for stay, available information and reservation system. The second
part comprises five significant factors; namely staff and service quality, general amenities
(hotel facilities, room facilities, room quality), location, safety and security, value for money are

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included to determine travelers’ hotel preference. A five-point Likert scale (1=Least important,
5= Most important) was used to evaluate each item of these factors. Then, three questions were
posed to determine their level of loyalty toward the hotel they visited. In the final part of this
questionnaire, travelers were asked to rank the most influential factors that shape their hotel
selection.

Table 2: List of hotel selection factors

Factors Determinants Source of Instrument No. of Items
1. Staff and Service Quality i. Politeness Choosrichom (2011) 5
ii. Helpfulness
iii. Understanding
iv. Service efficiency
v. Ease of making reservation
2. General Amenities i. Credit card acceptance Choosrichom (2011); Yang 6
2.1. Hotel Facilities ii. Swimming pool (2017)
iii. Parking
iv. Wi-Fi
v. Restaurant
vi. Business centered
2.2. Room Facilities i. Air conditioning Choosrichom (2011); Yang 6
ii. Tea-coffee amenity (2017)
iii. Safety Box
iv. Refrigerator
v. Breakfast
vi. Wi Fi internet access in room
2.3. Room Quality i. Cleanliness Choosrichom (2011); Yang 4
ii. Room odor (2017)
iii. Room comfort
iv. Bed/Mattress/pillow comfort
3. Location i. Easy access Choosrichom (2011) 3
ii. Near shopping center
iii. Near business area
4. Safety and Security i. Fire alarms Choosrichom (2011) 4
ii. Chain lock
iii. Electronic key card
iv. Safety box availability
5. Value for Money i. Room’s value for money Choosrichom (2011) 4
ii. Food and beverage
iii. Reputation
iv. Comfortable ambience
6. Customers’ Loyalty i. Repeat stay Poku et al., 3
ii. Recommend to others 2013)
iii. Tell others about
service quality

3.3 Data Analysis: In this study, Descriptive statistics including simple frequencies and
percentage were computed on the travelers’ demographic profile and travelers’ traveling
characteristics. Mean, Standard deviation rating method were computed for significant factors
analysis. Furthermore, to find out more about travelers’ loyalty, total responses with a
percentage count are calculated to measure the tendency to repeat their stay in the same hotel
and the tendency to inform and recommend others. Lastly, to rank significant factors from one
to five categories on the basis of respondents’ preferences based on the simple ranking method
through respondents’ preference percentages are calculated. Analyses are done with the help
of “IBM SPSS 26” software. The results are presented in percentage numbers, figures and tables,
and then discussed with suggestions.

4. Data Analysis and Findings

4.1 Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents: The study was conducted with the
involvement of a total of 379 respondents. According to the survey, most respondents were

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male 61.7% (234) compared to 38.3% (145) females. In the previous six months, each had
visited a hotel for some purpose. Data were collected from different age groups of respondents.
The majority of the respondents from whom the data were collected included the age groups
of 26-35 years (42.7%), which is the highest number. However, it might be said that this group
of people tends to travel a lot and reside in hotels for different purposes.

The current study also found that most of the respondents are well educated, as most of them
have a bachelor’s degree 45.6% (173) or a master’s degree 34.6% (131). Here it is noticed that
the majority of our respondents’ 43% (163) worked in the private sector, followed by students
21.6% (82) and the remaining percentage was made up of self-employed people, public
employees etc. In terms of income, 33% of respondents make less than 20,000 BDT. It was
evident that, as a significant portion of our respondents were students, their income level was
low. Other than this, 19.8% of respondents make between BDT 20,000 and 40,000 per month,
and 9.8% make above 100,000 BDT per month, therefore, we have a heterogeneous group of
respondents from extremely low to extremely high-income range categories.

Table 3: The respondents’ demographic characteristics

Variables Frequency Percentage
Gender
Female 145 38.3
Male 234 61.7
Total 379 100.0
Age
Less than 25 64 16.9
26-35 162 42.7
36-45 82 21.6
46-55 60 15.8
Above 55 11 2.9
Total 379 100.0
Education Levels
Less than Bachelor Degree 65 17.2
Bachelor Degree 173 45.6
Master’s Degree 131 34.6
PhD. Degree 10 2.6
Total 379 100.0
Occupational Status
Government Servant 40 10.6
Private Sector 163 43.0
Retired 9 2.4
Self-employed 64 16.9
Student 82 21.6
Unemployed 21 5.5
Total 379 100.0
Monthly Income
Under BDT 20000 125 33.0
BDT 20000-40000 75 19.8
BDT 40000-60000 55 14.5
BDT 60000-80000 46 12.1
BDT 80000-100000 41 10.8
Over 100000 37 9.8
Total 379 100.0

4.2 Traveling Characteristics of the Respondents: Regarding the travel preferences of the
respondents, almost 38.3% had stayed at 4-5 star hotels, 31.1% at 3-star hotels, and 30.6% at
budget hotels. When it comes to preferred lodging rates, 29.3% of respondents select the range
of BDT 3600 to 4500. According to the respondents' travel purposes, most of them travel for
leisure 44.3%. The information about hotels received from hotel/resort websites represents

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34% of the total population, which was the highest percentage. And the majority of
respondents (38.5%) booked their reservations over the phone.

Table 4: The respondents’ traveling characteristics

Frequency Percentage
Variables
Type of hotel stayed
Budget Hotel 116 30.6
3 Star Hotel 118 31.1
4-5 Star Hotel 145 38.3
Total 379 100.0
Room Rate Preference
BDT 1500-2500 73 19.3
BDT 2600-3500 104 27.4
BDT 3600-4500 111 29.3
BDT 4600-5500 48 12.7
Above 5500 43 11.3
Total 379 100.0
Purpose of Travel
Business 77 20.3
Culture 12 3.2
Health 19 5.0
Leisure 168 44.3
Others 35 9.2
Visiting friends and relatives
37 9.8
Attending conference, seminar
31 8.2
or study
Total 379 100.0
Sources of hotel Information
Friends and relatives 71 18.7
Hotel/Resort website 129 34.0
Local travel agent 26 6.9
Social Media 96 25.3
Online travel agency 38 10.0
Others 19 5.0
Total 379 100.0
Booking method
Over the Phone 146 38.5
Email 23 6.1
Hotel Website 120 31.7
Social Media 20 5.3
Online Travel Agency 62 16.4
Others 8 2.1
Total 379 100.0

4.3 Reliability Analysis: The purpose of a reliability test is to ascertain how closely linked the
questionnaire's items are to one another, as well as to evaluate internal consistency and spot

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problematic items that should be removed from the scale. In this study, the Cronbach’s Alpha
test is used to measure reliability of its questionnaire. The below mentioned table summarizes
the value of Cronbach’s Alpha for each factor. The general rule of thumb is that a Cronbach’s
alpha of .70 and above is good, .80 and above is better, and .90 and above is best (Lee J.
Cronbach). The result shows that the factor staff and service quality with five items has highest
alpha value that is 0.947 whereas the factor location with three items has lowest value that is
0.838. All other factors have brought alpha value greater than 0.83. So that, we can decide that
all factors estimated are reliable with Cronbach’s Alpha.

Table 5: Reliability analysis

Cronbach's Alpha Number of Items
Staff and Service Quality .947 5

Hotel Facilities .875 6

Room Facilities .937 6

Room Quality .921 4

Location .838 3

Safety and Security .888 4

Value for Money .913 4

Customer Loyalty .931 3

4.4 Hotel Attributes: Table 6 displays the descriptive statistics, including the mean scores and
the standard deviations for each hotel attribute used in this study. Generally, a higher mean
score indicates that a certain type of hotel attribute has more influence on selecting a particular
hotel. When evaluating staff and service quality attributes, staffs are polite and friendly had the
highest mean with 4.03 in these criteria, followed by staff provide efficient service, which had
the second highest mean (mean=4.02). In the hotel facility factor, the most significant
considerations were found to be the restaurant inside the hotel (mean=3.9) and Wi-Fi internet
access (mean=4.19). Among the room facilities, Wi-Fi internet facilities in the room
(mean=4.12) and air condition facilities (mean=4.10) were the top most important factors to
select a hotel. In room qualities, hotel and room cleanliness (mean=4.32) were the most
important factors, and it is one of the factors that affected customers' overall satisfaction
(Choosrichom, 2011). The room comfort (mean=4.22) received the second-highest mean in
this category. The vast majority of respondents needed convenient access to the hotel
(mean=4.06) when it came to location. In terms of safety and security, a fire alarm (mean=3.99)
was the most crucial item for travelers. Regarding the issue of value for money, the majority of
the respondents required their room to be worth the value for money (mean=4.12). This is also
demonstrated by the literature on customer satisfaction with hospitality services (Poon and
Lock‐Teng Low, 2005; Rahimi and Kozak, 2016).

Table 6: Descriptive statistics for all the hotel selection factors

Factors Item Mean Std. Deviation
Staff and Service Staff are polite and friendly 4.03 1.211
Quality Staff are helpful 3.85 1.355
Staff understand your request 3.99 1.158
Staff provide efficient service 4.02 1.135
Ease of making 3.82 1.337
reservation
Hotel Facilities Credit card 3.29 1.448
Swimming pool 3.50 1.326

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Car parking 3.64 1.351

Wi-fi 4.19 1.291
Restaurant 3.92 1.222
Business center 3.28 1.309
Room Facilities Air condition 4.10 1.332
Tea/Coffee making 3.84 1.384
Safety box 3.86 1.372
Refrigerator 3.73 1.419
Breakfast includes 3.91 1.349
Wi Fi internet access in room 4.12 1.362
Room qualities Room odor 4.08 1.364
Hotel and Room cleanliness 4.32 1.300
Room comfort 4.22 1.265
Bed/Mattress/ Pillow comfort 4.10 1.255
Location Convenient to access the Hotel 4.06 1.240
Close to the shopping center 3.44 1.313
Close to the business area 3.34 1.333
Safety and Security Fire alarms 3.99 1.342
Chain lock 3.66 1.276
Electronic key card 3.75 1.399
Safety box availability 3.97 1.275
Value for Money Room value for money 4.12 1.136
Hotel food and 4.10 1.152
beverage
Hotel is part of reputation 3.91 1.138
Hotel provide comfortable 4.06 1.175
ambience

4.5 Customer Loyalty: In the questionnaire, the respondents were also surveyed about
whether they would stay in the same hotel again, their tendency to suggest the hotel to others,
and inform others about the hotel's quality. A total of 29.6% (112) and 30.3% (115) of the
respondents strongly agreed that they would stay at the same hotel again. 33.8% (128) and
31.7% (120) strongly agreed and agreed to repeat their stay. About 33.8% (128) and 31.7%
(120) strongly agreed and agreed that they would recommend the same hotel to others. And
then 38.5% (146) and 30.6% (116) strongly agreed and agreed to tell others about the hotel's
quality.

Table 7: Customer Loyalty

Item Scale Response Response by
Percentage
Stay in the same hotel Most Agree 115 30.3
again Agreed 112 29.6
Neither Agreed nor 74 19.5
Disagree
Disagree 56 14.8
Most Disagree 22 5.8
Total 379 100.0
Recommend the same Most Agree 128 33.8
hotel Agreed 120 31.7
to others Neither Agreed nor 62 16.3
Disagree
Disagree 42 11.1
Most Disagree 27 7.1
Total 379 100.0
Tell others of hotel Most Agree 146 38.5
quality Agreed 116 30.6
Neither Agreed nor 74 19.5
Disagree
Disagree 36 9.5
Most Disagree 7 1.5
Total 379 100.0

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4.6 Hotel Selection: The final section of the questionnaire asked respondents to rate the
factors that were most important to them when selecting a hotel. The results showed that "Staff
and Service Quality" was the most crucial aspect that affected the respondents' selection of
hotel. Furthermore, "Safety and Security" rises to the rank of second importance, followed by
"Value for money," "Location," and "General Amenities." In verdict, Staff and Service Quality
was the most crucial factors for travelers in Bangladesh when selecting a hotel. Here, ‘Staff are
polite and friendly’ and ‘Staff provide efficient service’ were the most two salient items.
Additionally, courteousness and a smile when greeting customers are required in the
hospitality industry since this helps to make visitors feel at ease and satisfied (Walker, 2002).
Subsequently, safety and security are rated as the second-most critical factors, particularly
with the availability of fire alarms and safety boxes. This result is in line with Choosrichom's
(2011) Lanta Yai Island study. Value for money, which came in third in the study, was another
important consideration when choosing a hotel. Value for money is a key factor that clients
take into account while selecting hotels (Ren et al., 2018). Since Bangladesh is a developing
nation and most of its citizens are not particularly wealthy, they desire to receive accurate
service for every penny they spend. When selecting a hotel, location turns out to be the fourth
vital factor for travelers in Bangladesh. The outcome showed that for hotel/resort owners and
investors considering future initiatives, convenience in accessing the property should be given
significant consideration. Finally, while general hotel facilities including room facilities, and
room qualities, might not appear to be the most significant considerations for travelers to
consider when selecting a hotel to stay at in Bangladesh, hoteliers must still uphold high
standards for characteristics such as wi-fi facilities, air conditioning, hotel and room
cleanliness.

Figure 3: Ranking of the Factors in Hotel Selection

Ranking of the Factors Hotel Selection

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
Staff and Service Safety and Security Value for Money Location General Amenities
Quality

Frequency Percentage

5. Conclusion
The current study sought to investigate the elements affecting travelers' hotel choice and
satisfaction in Bangladesh. The hotel's staff service quality, safety and security, location,
general amenities, and value for money were shown to be the primary elements influencing
tourists' happiness, according to a content analysis of the data that was gathered. The results
are regarded as helpful to the hotel sector since they give a clear indication of how to enhance
service provisions and delivery methods in the hotel sector in Bangladesh (Choosrichom,
2011).

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Firstly, according to the study, staff service quality is the most significant attribute for guest
satisfaction. In addition, service quality is one factor that can satisfy customers in all sizes of
hotels (Briggs et al., 2007). Hotels in Bangladesh should take this into account when developing
marketing strategies for the market since it has been determined that staff service quality is
the factor that influences customers the most when choosing hotels in Bangladesh (Bello et al.,
2017). No doubt, staff behavior (Darini et al., 2016) and proper training can make a huge
difference in selecting a hotel for any traveler. The authority should take necessary steps, like
training the staff for the service code to make it efficient. Maintaining schedules, enhancing
communication methods, and encouraging staff to assist visitors could be other major factors
to improve service quality (Bhuian, 2021). Secondly, according to Maslow’s need theory,
security and safety are among the second most fundamental human needs (Mcleod, 2018). If
there is no safety, even if the hotel is too comfortable, it is totally not worth staying there.
Therefore, the hotel industry should place a higher priority on protecting the lives and property
of visitors staying in hotels (Kolkata, 2022). Information on emergency protocols should be
provided, such as multilingual emergency notices (Choosrichom, 2011). Additionally, there
should be written directions on how to call for help in an emergency at night and ways to secure
bedroom doors from the inside and outside. Additional safety precautions that should be
mandated in Bangladesh include the availability of life and property protection, staff on-site or
on-call 24 hours a day, and suitable lighting for safety and comfort in all public places.

Other hotel considerations like "value for money," "location," and "general amenities" must be
taken into account. Hoteliers should maintain the standards of these services and facilities to
satisfy travelers' basic demands (Stephen, 2023), even if the study indicates that these hotel
features are less significant in influencing travelers' decisions regarding hotel choice. Hoteliers
should be aware that although these elements are not the primary ones influencing travelers'
decisions over which hotel to stay at, their absence or failure to live up to expectations could
leave guests dissatisfied (Sadik et al., 2021). Guests who are pleased with their hotel stay are
happier to return and to recommend the establishment to others (Avey, 2018). On top of that
the mentioned factors for hotel operators showcase hotel facilities and amenities as interesting
and appealing. A positive perception of the hotel enterprise is likely to be the consequence of
customer satisfaction in respect to any one or a summation of hotel amenities.

Thus, in addition to the above contributions, the hotel sector will greatly benefit from this study
and is also valuable as a direction for future research. This research work had only been able
to scratch the surface. The study conducted a limited number of respondents for data collection
in comparison to the huge number of travelers in Bangladesh. If we had chosen a larger sample
size, our findings might have been more accurate. Future research may be able to resolve this
issue and should highlight a more comprehensive analysis for the expansion of this industry as
well as travelers' overall satisfaction.

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Cite this article:

Bipasha Sukrana, Tanzina Haque & Farjana Islam Jui (2023). Factors Affecting Bangladeshi
Travelers’ Selection of Hotels. International Journal of Science and Business, 25(1), 124-138. doi:
https://doi.org/10.58970/IJSB.2130
Retrieved from http://ijsab.com/wp-content/uploads/2130.pdf

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