Multidimensional scale development and validation: hotel indoor environmental quality (HIEQUAL)

This study aims to identify the dimensions of Hotel Indoor Environmental Quality (HIEQUAL) and develop a comprehensive measurement scale. A four-phase mixed-methods approach was employed. First, a literature review, market analysis, and interviews with 20 Thai hotel managers generated initial items. Next, 12 international experts refined these items for validity. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with 612 Thai hotel guests supported scale purification, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with 751 guests from three countries for scale validation. The result is a reliable 45-item scale comprising eight dimensions: Spatial comfort, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort, lighting, acoustics, furnishing, and Feng Shui. The HIEQUAL scale provides actionable insights for hotel managers, enabling them to enhance environmental quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. It also serves as a benchmark for sustainable design and management practices in the hospitality industry. While the study focuses on luxury hotels, future research should test the scale in midscale and diverse geographic contexts.