Identifying Customer’s Emotional Responses Towards Guest Room Design by Using Facial Expression Recognition in Hotel’s Virtual and Real Environments
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Date
2019
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Abstract
It is well known that emotions play a key role in the customer experience in tourism. Measuring emotions can provide valuable information about customer’s perceptions regarding hotel spaces. The purpose of this study is to identify which type of hotel environment, Virtual or Real, is more effective in eliciting emotional responses from participants who are shown a scenario for the first time. Furthermore, this study aims to uncover which of the components of guestrooms, e.g., natural views to the outside or interiors are capable of triggering higher emotional responses. Two experiments were conducted to provide evidence, the first presented a Virtual Environment to participants via video, and while the second one was conducted in Real Environments of presidential suites. Emotional responses were analyzed using FaceReader software, a facial expression recognition system that identifies seven emotions, physiological arousal and pleasure. Results showed low overall mean intensity values of each emotion in both virtual and real environments. Nevertheless, significant differences in the maximum peak intensity values were found between virtual and real environments with intensity values being higher in the real guestroom. No significant differences were found in emotional responses to the views to the outside or views of the guestroom interiors.
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Keywords
City Image, Cognitive Image, Unique Image