Thai Poshtel Guest Revisit Intention: A Structural Equation Model Analysis

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the factors that affect foreign guests' intention to return to a Thai poshtel. Poshtels are growing in popularity as urban boutique accommodations worldwide. The study was based on a review of existing literature, which showed that perceived quality (PQ), guest satisfaction (ST), and brand loyalty (BL) positively impact the intention to revisit (RV). The sample consisted of 405 foreign travelers who stayed at ten poshtels in Thailand in 2019, selected through simple random sampling. A 21-item questionnaire was used to collect each guest's opinions concerning their poshtel stay and analyzed using descriptive statistics and LISREL 9.10. The results showed that perceived quality, guest satisfaction, and brand loyalty had a combined impact of 76% on the revisit intention, with PQ being the essential factor. Five of the six hypotheses conceptualized were supported by the relationship between perceived quality (PQ) and guest satisfaction (ST) having a very strong connection. Results suggest that customer attraction is far less effective than customer retention, and Thailand's entrepreneurial poshtel owners should focus on making their guest's experiences exceptional. The study found that poshtel guests in Thailand are typically single, mixed in age, and stay for only two nights. The study significantly contributes to the literature as it is one of the first studies in Southeast Asia to explore the factors related to poshtel revisit intention within Asian tourism.