A multi-analytical approach to understanding customer loyalty in boutique hotels

This study examines the relationships among customer experience, perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty, emphasizing how customer experience is strategically vital for fostering loyalty and driving competitive advantage. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 415 respondents from boutique hotels. The data were employed for structural equation modeling (SEM), necessary condition analysis (NCA), and importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) of the structural model. PLS-SEM highlights significant direct and mediating effects among most constructs. However, perceived value has an insignificant direct influence on customer loyalty. NCA results show that customer experience, perceived value, and satisfaction are necessary conditions for achieving high levels of customer loyalty. IPMA identifies customer experience as the most influential factor, with the highest importance score, underscoring its strategic significance for loyalty enhancement. The results provide practical insights for boutique hotel managers aiming to strengthen customer loyalty through experiential value and satisfaction-driven strategies. The study contributes to theoretical understanding and managerial practices within the hospitality industry.