ANALYZING CUSTOMER PERCEPTION AND CUSTOMER SARTISFACTION IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR: INSIGHTS FROM HOTELS IN AKWA IBOM STATE.

The main objective of this study was to examine the influence of customer perception on customer satisfaction of hotels in Akwa Ibom State. To achieve this objective, the main source of data was through primary source with the use of a questionnaire. The researcher adopted the survey research design approach and data were collected from 323 respondents drawn from the hotel customers’ base. A total number of 312 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved in useable form representing 96.6 percent of data analyzed using the Simple Regression Model (SRM). Data generated from the study were processed using descriptive and inferential statistics and hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that customer perception had significant influence on customer satisfaction of hotels in Akwa Ibom State. Thus, the study recommended that the managers of hotel firms should ensure consistency across all hotel services (e.g., room quality, food, amenities. check-in/check-out procedures). Perceived service quality should not be limited to one aspect of the hotel experience. Ensuring consistency in all areas of service delivery will meet customer expectations and increase satisfaction.