Constructing a sensory model of Chinese luxury hotel experiences from mental imagery perspective

ABSTRACT

Luxury consumption studies have largely focused on tangible products with less attention paid to experiential services. However, consumers are becoming increasingly interested in the luxury services. Taking a mental imagery perspective, this study delineates the role of sensory integration in luxury hotel experiences among Chinese with Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET). We engaged Chinese informants in a multi-sensory exploration of their experiences, soliciting abundant verbal and non-verbal data, and analyzed how experiences emerge from their multisensory processing of hotel offerings. Findings conceptualize experiential luxury consumption from a multisensory perspective and recommend how luxury hotels should better leverage their market potential.

KEYWORDS:

• Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET)
• luxury hospitality experience
• mental imagery
• sensory processing
• experience dimensions
• Chinese luxury consumers

Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was fully supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. 15502019)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Project No. 15502019].