THE CHANGING BEHAVIOR OF HOTEL GUEST DURING PANDEMIC COVID 19: CASE OF SURABAYA HOTELS

Abstract

The pandemic of COVID19 had brought a significant drop in hotel occupancy in Surabaya. The concept of “stay vacation” becomes populer among local people stay in the hotel that offer longer stay to enjoy the facilities. In terms of guest behavior , there is a significant changing in the way they stay at the hotel. There are some changing of perspectives and activities while they are staying. The adaptation strategy is an effort through planned actions taken by hotel managers to be able to overcome problems related to the surrounding physical environment. The adaptation strategy pattern done by hotel manager is conducted to suit the consumer behavior triggered by a pandemic situation. These adjustments can change hotel services according to recommended health protocols in times of pandemics, so they change the hotel service environment according to consumer needs.This qualitative study focuses to analyze the behavior changing of hotel guest and how the hotels adapt the changing during the pandemic. It discusses the length when the stay, what kind activities that they do and what are their perspectives toward hotel facilities. The concept of social construction and consumer behavior principles are used to base the discussion. The informants are taken from hotel managers and hotel guest who are staying in hotel during the pandemic. The result of the study reveals that there are changing behaviour of hotel guest when they are staying in the hotel during the pandemic. The changing can be seen in the way the use room and hotel facilities and they way they order and consume food and beverage from the hotel. They also tend to focus on cleanliness, health and safety of the hotel facilities. This study gives insights for the hotel operators to be able to adopt with behavior changing of the guest to create better consumer experience.