Perceptions of commercial hospitality space: The case of a UK university campus hotel

Over the past decade, there has been a growth in the number of hotels built on university campuses, in Europe, Asia and the United States. Originally, such hotels were often associated with a university’s hotel school and their hospitality programme; however, an increasing number of full-service campus hotels have recently been developed, with no such connections. Through 30 interviews with Heriot-Watt University staff and students, this study explores their perceptions of a newly built commercial hotel on their campus. The findings highlighted the different opinions held by students and staff as to the benefits of a campus hotel and suggested that they were viewed by both as contested hospitality spaces. However, this study submits that if they were more welcoming to students and staff and were better aligned with the ethos of the university, this would aid in their acceptance into the wider university community.