How website quality influences hotel choice: A comparative study of leisure and business travelers

This study examines how hotel website quality influences online booking intentions and explores differences in perception between leisure and business travelers to understand how different traveler segments evaluate website quality and optimize digital engagement and direct bookings. A survey-based questionnaire was administered to 235 respondents in Portugal who had stayed at a hotel for leisure or business purposes within the past 12 months. Data were collected through social media travel groups and analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify underlying constructs and assess differences between traveler groups. The results indicate that both functionality and usability significantly influence online booking intention, with functionality showing a stronger and more practically meaningful effect across both traveler groups. While both leisure and business travelers value the quality of information, business travelers also emphasize the effectiveness and usefulness of the information. This study highlights the importance of segment-specific hotel website design by identifying how leisure and business travelers differ in their evaluation of website quality. These insights extend current theoretical models and provide actionable guidance for enhancing user experience and driving direct bookings more effectively.