SERVICE QUALITY IN 5 STAR HOTEL A case study hotel in Mongolia

During the Covid years, the number of foreign tourists visiting Mongolia decreased and the tourism and hotel service industry stagnated. However, the number of foreign tourists is increasing due to the Mongolian government's policy to develop tourism, flexible visa solutions, international marketing, and the addition of direct flight routes. Previous research in the Hospitality Industry of Mongolia especially at accommodation service facilities was mainly focused on human resources aspects such as psychological problems, work conditions, incentives and career development, job satisfaction, job stress, and turnover intention. There is insufficient research related to the quality of hotel services and foreign guest satisfaction. Since 2017, large international hotel chains have started operating in Mongolia. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate and assess guest perceptions of service quality in 5-star hotels in Mongolia. A convenient sample of 285 guests drawn from four 5 star hotels was used in the analytical stage. This indicates significant differences between hotel guests’ expectations and their actual experiences, thus highlighting managerial implications. The findings indicated that the hotel customers' perceptions of service quality provided by the hotel industry were lower than their expectations and the gaps between customers’ expectations and perceptions were significant.