Classifying Commercial Home Hosts Based on their Relationships to the Home

Abstract

This paper reports on a study which investigates the host–home relationship within the commercial home, and proposes a typology of commercial home hosts. Previous studies have identified types of small business owners and home owners and here more specifically to the hospitality context, a host categorisation is explored. The relationship of the host to their commercial home is explored using interviews, observations and discussions of the relationship facilitated by photographs of the property. Findings identify five types of commercial home hosts: the economic host, the eco-socio host, the socio-eco host, the social host and the ego host. The typology is explained and discussed.