Do these findings,however,apply only to hotelssituated in particular areas?Is it possible that theexternal environment can affect a guest's well-being?The company's research covered a wholerange of different hotel types,both independenthotels and those which are part of large chains.Theyinvestigated chic so-called boutique hotels in theheart of downtown business districts,statelymansions located in the depths of beautifulcountryside,and plush hotels built at the edge oftropical beaches surrounded by palm trees andidyllic blue ocean.And the research concluded thatwhat was outside the hotel building simply didn't matter.This is a fascinating revelation andthose of you hoping to move into careers in the travel and leisure industry would be welladvised to look at the findings in more detail.
But back to the main point of this lecture...the need to feel at home.What can the hotelindustry do about it?And is the very idea so subjective that it's impossible to do anythingabout it on a global basis?