Dimensions of hotel location in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

•Hotel location decisions have been under studied in African and Ghanaian context.•There were six dimensions of hotel location in the Kumasi Metropolis.•Tourism planners can rely on laws and regulations to redirect hotel distribution.

Hotel location selection is core to future management strategies at destinations. Additionally knowledge of the determinants of hotel location selection factors is key to ensuring coherent spatial planning at the destinations. However, these subjects have received little attention by researchers in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors that account for hotel location selection in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana. Data for the study were collected from 153 hotel owners in November, 2010. Six main underlying dimensions were found to account for hotel location selection in the Kumasi Metropolis with laws and regulatory frameworks being the most important while socio-cultural factors were the least important.