Consumer experiences of women’s solo stays at luxury hotels: A grounded theory approach

Despite the increasing global popularity of solo travel, research specifically addressing women’s solo stays at luxury hotels remains limited. Previous studies have focused on both male and female guests at luxury accommodations. This study employs Grounded Theory to investigate the consumer experiences of women undertaking solo stays in luxury hotels. Through interviews with 17 women— professors, doctors, architects, and entrepreneurs, —who frequently stayed at luxury hotels in Japan, four principal categories — physical environment, human interaction, physical activities, and mental effects—were identified. This study contributes to the refinement of the existing consumer experience model, which traditionally comprises physical environment and human interaction, by incorporating more complex characteristics encompassing behavioral and psychological dimensions, such as physical activities and mental effects. Desirable attributes of the physical environment include scenic views, aesthetically pleasing rooms, and abundant facilities, while positive human interaction between guest and staff is appreciated by female solo travelers. These guests actively engaged in various physical activities, such as swimming, drinking at a bar, dining in the hotel, working, and using Instagram, as integral components of their consumer experiences. In safe and luxurious settings, female guests did not consistently express concerns regarding the tourist gaze or gendered risks, as noted in previous studies on women’s solo travel. Mental effects, including relaxation, self-decision, self-reflection, and the generation of new ideas, emerged as key aspects of their consumer experiences. The findings of this study offer the hospitality industry valuable insights into potential female solo stay guests as new market segment. • Identifies 4 categories of consumer experience for women’s solo luxury hotel stays. • Women engage actively in hotel facilities without fear of “tourist gaze” or risks. • Self-reflection in tranquil rooms emerges as key aspect of solo luxury stays. • Provides insights for hospitality industry on female solo traveler market segment.