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Browsing by Author "Vila, Mar"

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    Differences in seasonal price patterns among second home rentals and hotels: empirical evidence and practical implications
    Salo, Albert; Garriga, Anna; Rigall-I-Torrent, Ricard; Vila, Mar; Sayeras Maspera, Josep Maria (Tourism Economics, 2012)
    Hotels and second home rentals are two of the most important tourist accommodation options in Spain. In terms of seasonality, almost all previous studies have analyzed tourism demand from the point of view either of total arrivals or the number of tourists lodged in a single accommodation type (hotels, rural accommodation, etc). However, there are no studies focusing on price seasonality or comparing seasonality among different accommodation types. By using seasonality indicators and a price index constructed by means of hedonic methods, this paper aims to shed some light on seasonal pricing patterns among second home rentals and hotels. The paper relies on a 2004 database of 144 hotels and 1,002 apartments on the Costa Brava (northeast Spain). The results show that prices for second home rentals display a smoother seasonal pattern than hotels due to reduced price differences between shoulder (May and October) and peak periods (August).
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    Innovative Practice in the Spanish Hotel Industry
    Vila, Mar; Enz, Cathy A.; Costa, Gerard (Cornell University Press, 2012-02)
    A survey of corporate-level senior research and development managers in twenty-seven of Spain’s largest hotel chains found a general bias toward innovation, as the majority have formal R&D departments and offer rewards for innovative concepts. Considering a framework that includes four types of innovation (i.e., product innovations, process innovations, enhanced knowledge of market, and management innovations), the survey found that the chains focused the greatest innovation efforts on improving management. However, the innovations most frequently mentioned involve enhanced knowledge of the market, including the use of new sales channels and communication improvements. Case studies of four hotel concepts depict innovations intended to be singular, that is, hard to duplicate. NH Hoteles uses its customer data center to segment customers and create targeted communications and special offers; Hoteles Hesperia has allied with Michelin- rated chefs to upgrade its hotel restaurants both in terms of menu and image; Chic&Basic has installed modest-price but high-quality inns in center-city locations that usually host luxury hotels or poor quality guest accommodations; and Marqués de Riscal has developed City of Wine, in the Rioja region of Spain, complete with a Frank Gehry–designed hotel operated by the Starwood Luxury Collection.