Thesis (Ph.D.)--Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Garrow, Laurie Anne; Committee Member: Castillo, Marco; Committee Member: Ferguson, Mark; Committee Member: McCarthy, Patrick; Committee Member: Meyer, Michael.

The purpose of this study is to explore the management of expansion strategy in the hotel industry using the control approach as presented in the literature of organizational theory. This integration illustrates that the management of risk in expansion strategy is intertwined with control. The question “How does control intervene in the management of risk in expansion strategy?” was the operationalization of the overarching question of strategy and structure. The answers to this question are summarized in a framework and four propositions. The contribution of this work to academia is threefold. First, this work provides a detailed, theories-driven documentation about how expansion strategies are conducted in the international hotel context. Second, this research integrates three different fields of research and directs to multiple new research tracks in both fields of strategic management and organization theory. Third, this study offers a new approach to measure the alignment between strategy and structure. From a managerial standpoint, this research offers guidance for the comprehension of the determinants of risk in the expansion strategy for international hotel chains. / Ph. D.

Em um momento em que a produção de conhecimento é cada vez mais necessária junto à contínua expansão e diversificação dos meios de hospedagem, torna-se interessante investigar o recém-criado campo de Inteligência de Negócios ou Business Intelligence (BI). Na hotelaria, as tecnologias e os sistemas de informação são empregados em diversas áreas, como gestão, política de preços, programação e operação de sistemas de informações estratégicas, a fim de facilitar as análises dos principais indicadores de desempenho do setor. A preocupação gira em torno da elevada quantidade de informações produzidas, sendo fundamental dispor de uma maior precisão em processos de tomada de decisões. Nesse contexto, propõe-se um estudo com enfoque no tema Inovação em gestão hoteleira no Brasil, com o objetivo geral de analisar a gestão da inteligência de negócios das redes hoteleiras que atuam no Brasil. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter qualitativo, baseado em revisão de literatura e aplicação de questionários junto aos gestores das redes hoteleiras, podendo, assim, mapear as necessidades das cadeias hoteleiras em termos de gestão, ao se avaliar as práticas de BI. Como resultados, foram identificados os principais softwares de BI existentes no mercado brasileiro (Cognos, MicroStrategy, SAS, Business Objects, Oracle Business Intelligence, QlikView e Pentaho) e os mais adequados para cada porte de empresa. Também foram identificadas as soluções utilizadas para a gestão da informação de BI pelas redes: emprego de softwares de BI, terceirização por meio de serviços de consultoria e tratamento manual dos dados dos sistemas dos hotéis. Por fim, foram avaliados os resultados da gestão de BI nas redes, concluindo que a implantação de gestão de BI considerando a gestão da informação atrelada às TIs traz mais benefícios do que custos às redes hoteleiras analisadas, sobretudo no que diz respeito a propiciar uma tomada de decisão mais acertada / In a time when the production of knowledge is increasingly required for the continued expansion and diversification of lodging facilities, it is interesting to investigate the newly created Intelligence field of Business or Business Intelligence (BI). In hospitality, technology and information systems are used in various fields such as management, pricing, scheduling and operation of strategic information systems to facilitate analysis of key industry performance indicators. The concern revolves around the vast amount of information produced and it is essential to dispose of greater accuracy in decision-making processes. In this context, is proposing a study focusing on the theme Innovation in hotel management in Brazil, with the overall objective to analyse the management of the business intelligence of the chains operating in Brazil. It is a qualitative research, based on literature review and application of questionnaires with the managers of the chains, and thus can map the needs of hotel chains regarding management when evaluating BI practices. As a result, the primary existing BI software in the Brazilian market was identified (Cognos, MicroStrategy, SAS, Business Objects, Oracle Business Intelligence, QlikView, and Pentaho) and the most suitable for every size company. Also, the solutions identified were used for the management of BI information across networks: use of BI software, outsourcing through consultancy and manual data processing systems of the hotel services. Finally, it was evaluated the BI management achievements in the nets, concluding that the BI management implementation - considering the information management linked to IT - bring more benefits than costs to the analysed chains, particularly about providing a more positive decision making

La tesis doctoral se compone de cuatro partes perfectamente diferenciadas y a su vez totalmente conexionadas. La primera parte analiza las vías de expansión de las cadenas hoteleras, su concentración y movilidad así como los factores que han propiciado que los contratos de franquicia se hayan convertido en la estrategia de crecimiento preferida por parte de las cadenas hoteleras con mayor número de habitaciones del mundo.La segunda parte se centra en analizar como afecta a las rentabilidades que obtienen las cadenas hoteleras la utilización de las distintas estrategias de crecimiento.En la tercera parte de la tesis doctoral valoramos a los activos hoteleros no sólo por la rentabilidad que ofrecen sino también por las distintas opciones que tiene un establecimiento hotelero a la hora de elegir su estrategia de crecimiento actual y los cambios que en un futuro puede realizar en dicha estrategia de crecimiento.Finalmente, en la cuarta parte tratan de determinarse cuáles son los factores clave que influyen en el proceso de decisión utilizado por las cadenas hoteleras de Baleares a la hora de elegir su estrategia de crecimiento para llevar a cabo su expansión en la región del Caribe y el golfo de México.

This study investigates the revenue performance of choice-based revenue management (RM) systems in various business environments. Previous research conducted using simulated data suggests that incremental revenue gains of up to 15% are to be expected when choice-based RM techniques are employed. In addition, despite the novelty of these techniques, the implementation of choice-based RM systems is considered to be feasible at large global corporations. The revenue potential and the ease of execution associated with the choice-based methods are examined in the context of a large hotel chain. Customer-centric data which includes transaction and time of booking availability information is collected for five hotel properties located in the continental US. The customer preference for hotel products and their attributes is determined using discrete choice and other ad hoc models of demand. Optimization techniques that account for the customer purchasing behavior are employed to compute the capacity control policies the hotel operator should follow to maximize its revenues. Results indicate that collecting customer-centric data from today s RM systems is a time-consuming task. In the environment in which the study hotels operate, the choice-based RM systems report incremental revenue gains that are dependent on how the purchasing behavior models are formulated. In capacity constrained regimes that are the focus of RM, revenue gains of up to 2% are typically noted. In controlled environments in which the customer purchasing behavior can be better asserted, the incremental revenue gains range between 1% and 14%. These findings suggest that the execution of the choice-based RM, while feasible, needs to be preceded by the implementation of efficient and, most likely, expensive data collection procedures. The incremental revenue gains, consistent with those reported in the literature, indicate that RM users can substantially benefit from the use of the choice-based RM.

Em um momento em que a produção de conhecimento é cada vez mais necessária junto à contínua expansão e diversificação dos meios de hospedagem, torna-se interessante investigar o recém-criado campo de Inteligência de Negócios ou Business Intelligence (BI). Na hotelaria, as tecnologias e os sistemas de informação são empregados em diversas áreas, como gestão, política de preços, programação e operação de sistemas de informações estratégicas, a fim de facilitar as análises dos principais indicadores de desempenho do setor. A preocupação gira em torno da elevada quantidade de informações produzidas, sendo fundamental dispor de uma maior precisão em processos de tomada de decisões. Nesse contexto, propõe-se um estudo com enfoque no tema Inovação em gestão hoteleira no Brasil, com o objetivo geral de analisar a gestão da inteligência de negócios das redes hoteleiras que atuam no Brasil. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter qualitativo, baseado em revisão de literatura e aplicação de questionários junto aos gestores das redes hoteleiras, podendo, assim, mapear as necessidades das cadeias hoteleiras em termos de gestão, ao se avaliar as práticas de BI. Como resultados, foram identificados os principais softwares de BI existentes no mercado brasileiro (Cognos, MicroStrategy, SAS, Business Objects, Oracle Business Intelligence, QlikView e Pentaho) e os mais adequados para cada porte de empresa. Também foram identificadas as soluções utilizadas para a gestão da informação de BI pelas redes: emprego de softwares de BI, terceirização por meio de serviços de consultoria e tratamento manual dos dados dos sistemas dos hotéis. Por fim, foram avaliados os resultados da gestão de BI nas redes, concluindo que a implantação de gestão de BI considerando a gestão da informação atrelada às TIs traz mais benefícios do que custos às redes hoteleiras analisadas, sobretudo no que diz respeito a propiciar uma tomada de decisão mais acertada / In a time when the production of knowledge is increasingly required for the continued expansion and diversification of lodging facilities, it is interesting to investigate the newly created Intelligence field of Business or Business Intelligence (BI). In hospitality, technology and information systems are used in various fields such as management, pricing, scheduling and operation of strategic information systems to facilitate analysis of key industry performance indicators. The concern revolves around the vast amount of information produced and it is essential to dispose of greater accuracy in decision-making processes. In this context, is proposing a study focusing on the theme Innovation in hotel management in Brazil, with the overall objective to analyse the management of the business intelligence of the chains operating in Brazil. It is a qualitative research, based on literature review and application of questionnaires with the managers of the chains, and thus can map the needs of hotel chains regarding management when evaluating BI practices. As a result, the primary existing BI software in the Brazilian market was identified (Cognos, MicroStrategy, SAS, Business Objects, Oracle Business Intelligence, QlikView, and Pentaho) and the most suitable for every size company. Also, the solutions identified were used for the management of BI information across networks: use of BI software, outsourcing through consultancy and manual data processing systems of the hotel services. Finally, it was evaluated the BI management achievements in the nets, concluding that the BI management implementation - considering the information management linked to IT - bring more benefits than costs to the analysed chains, particularly about providing a more positive decision making

Submitted by GABRIEL FURLAN COLETTI (gabrielf.coletti@gmail.com) on 2017-05-15T20:11:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Versão Final Gabriel Coletti.pdf: 1905120 bytes, checksum: 6f89fae014a1b117da8fd3fcbc30c15d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-05-16T14:50:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 coletti_gf_me_arafcl.pdf: 1905120 bytes, checksum: 6f89fae014a1b117da8fd3fcbc30c15d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-16T14:50:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 coletti_gf_me_arafcl.pdf: 1905120 bytes, checksum: 6f89fae014a1b117da8fd3fcbc30c15d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-27 / O número de estudos que tratam da internacionalização de empresas tem aumentado nos últimos anos. Esse aumento é verificado, em grande medida, devido à adequação das teorias que tratam do tema à dinâmica do setor de serviços, tendo sido elas elaboradas originalmente para explicar o investimento estrangeiro de empresas industriais. Tal fenômeno ocorre em função do crescimento da importância do setor terciário na economia mundial e, principalmente, pela incorporação de diversos serviços em todas as cadeias produtivas da indústria. Essas estruturas de produção acompanham a divisão internacional do trabalho, com etapas específicas distribuídas pelos países segundo suas competências produtivas. Essa distribuição foi possibilitada, entre outros fatores, pela diminuição dos custos de transporte internacional, que levou a um aumento não apenas nos fluxos de comércio mundial, mas também na atividade turística internacional. O turismo, por sua vez, é uma atividade que necessita de diversos serviços, dentre eles os de hotelaria. As grandes empresas que prestam serviços hoteleiros também adotaram a estratégia de expansão internacional nos últimos anos, mas sua dinâmica difere de outras empresas de serviços em função da heterogeneidade do setor terciário. Visto isso, este trabalho tem o intuito de explorar a capacidade explicativa das teorias de internacionalização, bem como a possibilidade de adapta-las à dinâmica real do mercado, considerando as estratégias das redes hoteleiras internacionais no Brasil. Verifica-se que as teorias de internacionalização possuem poder explicativo limitado para a indústria hoteleira. Para responder tais questões, foram levantados dois objetivos: analisar as estratégias de entrada das redes internacionais de hotelaria no Brasil, e, posteriormente, estruturar um referencial analítico que compreenda as peculiaridades do segmento estudado. O trabalho, que utiliza uma abordagem qualitativa dentro de estudo de múltiplos casos, é iniciado com a caracterização e dimensionamento do setor de serviços e do segmento de hotelaria, por meio de revisão bibliográfica e levantamento das atividades. Os dados utilizados nesta pesquisa são levantados junto à Smith Travel Research (STR Global), que correspondem as 15 maiores redes de hotelaria com base em seus números de hotéis no Brasil e em seu tipo de operação/estratégia de entrada, numa amostra total de 1872 hotéis. Para o referencial de teorias e estratégias de internacionalização, é estruturada uma revisão bibliográfica em livros e artigos de periódicos, sintetizando seus pontos principais, tornando possível o esforço de análise qualitativa entre seus fundamentos e os dados levantados. / The number of studies concerning companies' internationalization has increased in the past years. This increase occurs largely due to the adequacy of theories that deal with the subject to the dynamics of the service sector, and these were originally designed to explain the foreign investment of industrial companies. Such phenomenon occurs due to the growth of the importance of the tertiary sector in world economy and, mainly, the incorporation of several services in all the productive chains of the industry. These production structures accompany the international division of labor, with specific stages distributed by countries according to their productive competencies. This distribution was made possible, among other factors, by the decrease in international transportation costs, which led to an increase not only in world trade flows, but also in international tourism activity. Tourism, in turn, is an activity that requires several services, such as hospitality. The large companies that provide hotel services have also adopted the strategy of international expansion in recent years, but their dynamics differs from other service companies due to heterogeneity of the tertiary sector. Thus, this work intends to explore the explanatory capacity of internationalization theories, as well as the possibility of adapting them to the real market dynamics, considering the strategies of international hotel chains in Brazil. It is verified that the internationalization theories have limited explanatory power for the hotel industry. In order to answer such questions, two objectives were raised: to analyze the entry strategies of international hotel chains in Brazil, and, later, to structure an analytical framework that comprehends the peculiarities of the studied segment. The work, which uses a qualitative approach within multiple cases study, is initiated with the characterization and dimensioning of the service sector and the hotel segment through bibliographic review and survey of activities. The data used in this research are collected from Smith Travel Research (STR Global), corresponding to the 15 largest hotel chains based on their hotel numbers and type of operation/entry strategy, with a total sample of 1872 hotels. For the internationalization theories and strategies referential, a literature review is structured based in books and articles, synthesizing its main elements, making possible the effort of qualitative analysis between its fundamentals and the collected data.

The aim of the thesis is to analyze the current state of the international hotel industry and possibility of using international experience for the development of the hotel industry in Russia. The thesis is divided into three chapters. In the first chapter the hotel industry is examined from a theoretical point of view. The second chapter examines the trends of the international hotel industry, including the role of international hotel chains in the world. The third chapter is focused on the analysis of the influence of international hotel chains on the development and improvement of the hotel industry in Russia.

Актуальность темы вызвана новыми тенденциями в гостиничной сфере, где теперь недостаточно быть просто хорошим отелем. Нужно быть лучшим. И именно такое понятие как качество сервиса это то, на что первым следует обратить внимание. Цель исследования: анализ и повышение качества сервиса в отеле Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg. Для достижения поставленной цели были выполнены следующие задачи: изучена литература на тему исследования; охарактеризованы внутрикорпоративные стандарты Radisson Hotel Group направленные на обеспечение высококлассного сервиса; охарактеризованы внутренние стандарты по обеспечению качества сервиса в отеле Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg»; проанализированы разработанные автором проекты, нацеленные на повышение качества сервиса; проведен анализ отзывов гостей на предмет качества сервиса. Для детального изучения предмета исследования были применены такие инструменты как: социологический эксперимент; сопоставлена важность материальных и нематериальны ценностей в отеле при помощи анкетирования, рассчитан коэффициент весомости показателей конкурентоспособности и сделан вывод, что сервис является одним из основополагающих показателей при выборе отеля потребителем. Постоянное поддержание высокого сервиса и его улучшение требует большого количества времени и внимания. Это непрерывные тренинги, поддержание и актуализация стандартов отеля, разработка новых проектов и многое другое. Поэтому в отеле была введена должность «Менеджер по сервису и качеству» специально для детальной проработки обеспечения сервиса всех предоставляемых в отеле услуг. Эту должность занимаю я, и в её рамках я занималась проведением мероприятий по улучшению сервиса. Семантический анализ отзывов гостей показал, что сервис в Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg находится на высоком уровне и гости оценили его значительно выше, чем материальные показатели. Сервис – это неотъемлемая составляющая индустрии гостеприимства. Каждый этап взаимодействия гостя с отелем нельзя упускать из внимания. Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg это современный международный отель, который понимает важность предоставления качественного сервиса своим гостям и активно занимается его совершенствованием. В условиях жесткой конкуренции недостаточно обеспечить правильное соблюдение стандартов обслуживания. Необходимо опережать ожидания гостя. Обеспечение высококачественного сервиса это непрерывная работа по анализу мнения гостей, отслеживанию новых тенденций обслуживания, работа с меняющимися потребностями потребителей и постоянная разработка новых проектов для привлечения и удержания гостей. / The relevance of the topic is caused by new trends in the hotel industry, where now it is not enough to be just a good hotel. You have to be the best. And it is important to pay attention to such a thing as quality of service. Purpose of the study: analysis and improvement of the quality of service in the hotel Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg To achieve this goal, the following tasks were completed: studied literature on the research topic; characterized the internal corporate standards of the Radisson Hotel Group aimed at providing high quality service; characterized the internal standards for ensuring the quality of service at the Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg "; analyzed the projects developed by the author aimed at improving the quality of service; an analysis of guest reviews was carried out for the quality of service. For a detailed study of the subject of research, the following tools were used: sociological experiment and questionnaires. Maintaining high service and improving it constantly takes a lot of time and attention. These are continuous trainings, maintaining and updating hotel standards, developing new projects and much more. Therefore, the position of "Service and Quality Manager" was introduced in the hotel specifically for the detailed study of the provision of service for all services provided in the hotel. I occupy this position, and within its framework I was engaged in carrying out activities to improve the service. Semantic analysis of guest reviews showed that the service at Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg is of a high standard and the guests rated it significantly higher than material indicators. Service is an integral part of the hospitality industry. Each stage of the guest's interaction with the hotel should not be overlooked. The Park Inn by Radisson Ekaterinburg is a modern international hotel that understands the importance of providing quality service to its guests and is actively improving it. In a highly competitive environment, it is not enough to ensure that service standards are adhered to correctly. It is necessary to stay ahead of the guest's expectations. Providing high-quality service means continuous work on analyzing guests' opinions, tracking new service trends, working with changing consumer needs and constantly developing new projects to attract and retain guests.

La indústria hotelera es presenta avui com un dels subsectors més destacats del sector turístic i del sector econòmic espanyol. El seu impacte tant a l'economia com al seu entorn d'actuació és molt destacable i estratègic pel desenvolupament del país i la seva zona d'influència. Durant els últims anys, el sector basa la seva estratègia en un alt desenvolupament de la oferta. Durant aquesta mateixa etapa, la demanda ha experimentat una sèrie de canvis i disminucions ocasionats per la revolució de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació, l'aparició de nous segments i l'augment de l'exigència de la relació qualitat-preu, fet al que el sector hoteler no ha sabut adaptar-se.Fins a la data, tot i que la qualitat ha estat un element valorat pel sector, no s'han aconseguit grans avenços en el que respecta a la implantació d'aquesta filosofia. El sector públic espanyol aposta per a la seva implantació mitjançant el desenvolupament de normes de qualitat; el sector privat, paral·lelament, desenvolupa segells i marques turístiques per a destacar la qualitat dels establiments acollits. Tot i aquestes actuacions, la implantació no ha estat tant elevada com ho ha estat a d'altres sectors , fet que ha portat a plantejar si els plans desenvolupats són realment els més adequats pel sector.Per respondre a la problemàtica descrita i després d'una revisió de la bibliografia relacionada amb la qualitat, qualitat de servei i qualitat de servei aplicat a la hotelera, es planteja el propòsit del treball que és la determinació i priorització de quins són els aspectes de gestió que portaran a una cadena hotelera a millorar la seva qualitat de servei. Per a dur a terme el treball, s'han considerat les opinions d'un grup d'experts directius hotelers i els resultats d'una enquesta que s'ha realitzat a les cadenes hoteleres a Espanya.La metodologia d'anàlisi és doble, per a una banda s'ha aplicat la tècnica del concept mapping a les opinions d'un grup d'experts directius hotelers, fet que , després de l'aplicació del multidimensional scaling i un anàlisi clúster, ha suposat la determinació de 84 aspectes de gestió agrupats en set clústers que reflecteixen set àmbits de gestió a considerar per les cadenes hoteleres, que són: Gestió dels Recursos Humans, Gestió de màrqueting estratègic, Gestió de la informació de clients, Gestió interna de la cadena hotelera, Gestió interna de la qualitat, Gestió estratègica de la cadena hotelera i Gestió estratègica de la qualitat. Per d'altra banda s'ha utilitzat un procés de raonament qualitatiu, fonamentat en les ordres de magnitud, amb el propòsit de determinar quins són els aspectes prioritaris entre els trobats a la fase anterior. Per a dur a terme el procés, s'han utilitzat els resultats obtinguts d'una enquesta que s'ha fet a les cadenes hoteleres a Espanya. Els resultats mostren una importància cap al pensament estratègic de la cadena hotelera tot i que no és veu un clúster que sigui més valorat que els altres. / La industria hotelera se presenta hoy como uno de los subsectores más destacados del sector turístico y del sector económico español. Su impacto tanto en la economía como en el entorno de actuación es muy destacable y estratégico para el desarrollo del país y su zona de influencia.En los últimos años, el sector basa su estrategia en un desarrollo desmedido de la oferta. Durante esta misma etapa, la demanda ha experimentado una serie de cambios y disminuciones ocasionados por la revolución de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, la aparición de nuevos segmentos y el aumento de la exigencia de la relación calidad-precio, hecho al que el sector hotelero no ha sabido adaptarse.Hasta la fecha, aunque la calidad ha sido un elemento valorado por el sector, no se han conseguido grandes avances en lo que respecta a la implantación de esa filosofía. El sector público español apuesta por su implantación mediante el desarrollo de normas de calidad; el sector privado, paralelamente, desarrolla sellos y marcas turísticas para destacar la calidad de los establecimientos acogidos. Pese a todas estas actuaciones, la implantación no es tan elevada como ha sido en otros sectores, lo que ha llevando a plantearse si los planes desarrollados son realmente los más adecuados para el sector.Para responder a la problemática descrita y tras una revisión de la bibliografía relacionada con la calidad, calidad de servicio y calidad de servicio aplicada a la hotelería, se plantea el propósito de este trabajo que es la determinación y priorización de cuáles son los aspectos de gestión que llevarán a una cadena hotelera a mejorar su calidad de servicio. Para desarrollar el trabajo, se han considerado las opiniones de un grupo de expertos directivos hoteleros y los resultados de una encuesta que se ha realizado a las cadenas hoteleras en España.La metodología de análisis utilizada es doble, por un lado se ha aplicado la técnica del concept mapping a las opiniones de un grupo de expertos directivos hoteleros, hecho que, tras la aplicación un multidimensional scaling y un análisis clúster, ha supuesto la determinación de 84 aspectos de gestión agrupados en siete clústeres que reflejan siete ámbitos de gestión a considerar por las cadenas hoteleras, que son: Gestión de los Recursos Humanos, Gestión de marketing estratégico, Gestión de la información de clientes, Gestión interna de la cadena hotelera, Gestión interna de la calidad, Gestión estratégica de la cadena hotelera y Gestión estratégica de la calidad.Por otro lado se ha utilizado un procedimiento de razonamiento cualitativo, basado en las órdenes de magnitud, con el propósito de determinar cuáles son los aspectos prioritarios de entre los expuestos en la fase anterior. Para llevar a cabo el procedimiento se ha utilizado los resultados obtenidos de una encuesta realizada a las cadenas hoteleras en España. Los resultados muestran una importancia hacia el pensamiento estratégico de la cadena hotelera pero sin que haya un clúster más importante que los demás. / The hotel industry is presented today as one of the most important sub-sectors of the Spanish tourism industry and economic sector. Its impact on both the economy as well as the environment is significant and also strategic for the country's development and its area of influence. In recent years, the industry has based its strategy on an excessive development of market supply. There have been a number of changes and down turns in demand during this period, caused by the ITC revolution, the emergence of new segments and an increasing demand for value for money, to which the hotel industry has failed to adapt. To date, and although quality has been an element valued by the industry, not much progress has been achieved with regard to the implementation of that philosophy. The Spanish public sector has decided on its implementation through developing quality standards; the private sector, in parallel, has developed seals of quality and tourism brands to enhance the quality of establishments. In spite of all these measures, implementation is not as high as it has been in other sectors, which has led experts to consider whether the plans developed are in fact suited to the sector. To respond to the above-described problem - and following a review of the literature related to quality, service quality and service quality applied to the hotel industry - this paper puts forward the identification and prioritisation of those management aspects which lead a hotel chain to improve its service quality. In developing the paper, we have considered the views of a group of expert hotel managers and the results of a survey carried out among hotel chains in Spain.The analytical methodology used is twofold: on the one hand the concept mapping technique has been applied to the views of a group of expert hotel managers, which, after applying a multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, led to the identification of 84 management aspects grouped into seven clusters reflecting seven management areas to be considered by hotel chains. These are: Human Resource Management, Strategic Marketing Management, Client Information Management, Internal Hotel Chain Management, Internal Quality Management, Strategic Hotel Chain Management and Strategic Quality Management. On the other hand, a qualitative reasoning procedure based on the orders of magnitude has been used with the aim of identifying the priority areas of the findings for the previous phase. The results of a survey on hotel chains in Spain have been used to carry out the procedure. These results reveal an import shift towards strategic thinking among hotel chains but without there being one cluster that is more significant than the rest.