Measuring hotel performance: Toward more rigorous evidence in both scope and methods

This paper extends the literature on hotel performance in both scope and methods. We introduce a model that accounts for heterogeneity in a flexible way and allows for the measurement of both efficiency and productivity. The model also accounts for the endogeneity problem in inputs and the issue of unobserved prices. We use a large sample of hotel companies that spreads across multiple geographical regions and locations, and accounts for some interesting and key determinants of hotel performance. We provide more validation to some contradictory findings in the literature. We show that large hotels do not necessarily outperform small hotels, and that hotel efficiency differs based on location, geographical region and type of service. The results further indicate that productivity growth is not a driving force in the industry.