10: Telling the Tale of a 5-Star Hotel: The Servicescape Stories in Shaping Customers’ Experiences Online

Consumer behaviour is a concept that has proven to be a primary challenge for organisations, particularly within the tourism sector and is widely regarded as a critical success factor. The consumption experience, which has historically been linked to decision-making based on rational criteria, is one of the domains of consumer behaviour that has witnessed the most significant advancements since the late 20th century. The introduction of elements on the hedonic dimension of consumption has given rise to novel research avenues and has profoundly impacted decision-making processes. In this context, an experience occurs when a company intentionally uses services as a stage and goods as cues to engage customers. Tourism is, by nature, an industry of hedonic experiences, and the design of a positive and memorable experience must include sensory stimuli, themes, products and physical and human elements. Although this is not a recent topic, studies in hospitality are scarce. The present study addresses this lacuna by exploring the factors influencing the customer experience at a hotel resort in the Algarve, southern Portugal. The research design is exploratory, employing a qualitative approach through thematic content analysis of customer comments on the TripAdvisor platform collected between June 2022 and July 2023. The results indicate that physical stimuli and employee performance significantly impact the consumer experience while themes and factors related to the product have the least impact. The main theoretical and management implications are discussed.