Abstract:

The development of luxury hospitality is associated, among other factors, with changes in income levels, international mobility, the growth of business tourism, and the increasing importance of experiences and service personalization. Luxury heritage hotels constitute a distinctive market segment in which high service quality is combined with value derived from cultural heritage, architecture, authenticity, and location.

The aim of this article is to identify the economic and non-economic factors perceived as important for the operation and further development of luxury heritage hotels in Poland. The analysis considers both the supply-side perspective, represented by hotel representatives, and the demand-side perspective, reflected in online guest reviews.

The study is exploratory in nature. It combines desk research, a critical review of the literature, and unstructured individual interviews with representatives of five purposively selected luxury heritage hotels in Poland. In addition, an exploratory content analysis of guest reviews of selected properties posted on Booking.com was conducted. The findings are not treated as representative of the entire market; rather, the purpose is to identify recurring patterns in perceptions of value, service quality, and the operating conditions of the segment under study.

The findings indicate that, in the assessment of the hotel representatives interviewed, important factors include the economic climate, customers’ financial circumstances, location, destination attractiveness, service quality, property authenticity, and value for money. The analysis of guest reviews, in turn, points to the particular importance of location, staff, comfort, and atmosphere, while value for money repeatedly emerges as an area subject to critical assessment.