Investigating the Effects of Pet Policy Communication on Customers’ Hotel Experience Across Different Customer Groups

This research examines how a hotel’s pet policy communication influences the booking intentions of pet-owning and non-pet-owning customers. It also investigates the sequential mediation effects of perceived cleanliness and attitudes toward the hotel. Two 2 × 2 between-subject experiments are conducted to examine the effects of facility-level and pricing-level pet policy communication on customers’ responses. Results from Studies 1 and 2 collectively demonstrate that observable and costly detailed communication of the pet policy enhances customers’ booking intentions by signaling higher cleanliness standards and fostering a positive attitude toward the hotel. The findings further suggest this effect is more pronounced among non-pet-owning customers. This research contributes to signaling theory and marketing communication literature. Additionally, it offers practical insights into the hotel’s pet policy communication.