Background to the satisfaction chain: An investigation through structural equation modeling

Satisfaction studies have become crucial to improve the relationship between guests and hotels. With that in mind, this study analyzes the functional relations interfering in customer satisfaction in the hotel sector, based on the analysis of two elements: consumer background, related to previous experience and expectation; and consumer experience, related to the business’s physical aspects and social environment. Therefore, four hypotheses were formulated and tested with 260 guests in hotels located in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The results support the hypotheses formulated, indicating that physical environment is the greatest satisfaction predictor for hotel customers, followed by the “previous experience,” “social environment” and, finally, “consumer expectation.”