Unpacking the affective dimension of memorable hospitality experiences

Abstract

Memorable experiences have received considerable attention in tourism research. Yet, there is a lack of a consensus among scholars regarding the elements within the servicescape that contribute to the creation of memorable experiences. Based on this research gap, the present study aims at understanding which elements within the servicescape have a greater impact on guests’ emotions when recalling memorable hotel experiences. A sample of one thousand Italian consumers were asked to share their memories regarding positive, and negative memorable hotel experiences, which were later analyzed with a mixed-research approach. The response rate of the survey was 100 %, however 256 responses were discarded during the qualitative analysis because they did not contain any information related to the accommodation. The recollection of negative emotions in memorable experiences appears to be affected by the physical and social dimension of the service environment and influenced by the fading affect bias.