Conceptualising and operationalising the research interface between facilities management and hospitality management

This paper examines conceptual links between facilities and hospitality management in the context of customer satisfaction. In both areas, there has thus far been a lack of theorising about the subject‐matter which might legitimately be encompassed within subject boundaries. By focusing on the single area of customer satisfaction an attempt is made to show how this process might proceed, albeit in a narrowly focused manner. The paper examines “hard” and “soft” dimensions to facilities management in hotels by means of an investigative probe into the nature of customer complaints in hotels. No claims are made for the generalisability of findings, rather it is the intention to show how, in the application of facilities management concerns, it is possible to engage in conceptual development and empirical study.