Thai hotel classification: a cluster analysis based on entrepreneurial marketing characteristics

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore whether there is any meaningful clusters of Thai hotels based on entrepreneurial marketing variables and the demographic characteristics of hotels and their managers. Exploratory two-step cluster analysis was adopted since it can deal with both categorical and continuous data simultaneously. The analysis resulted in nine clusters, each with its own unique characteristics. The findings indicated that three major characteristics of hotel and hotel managers —hotel size, gender, and types of manager (owner vs. non-owner) — play important roles in the cluster formation process. It is suggested that future research in entrepreneurial marketing investigate the relationships between the characteristics of hotels and their managers and entrepreneurial marketing attributes in more detail in order to advance knowledge in this relatively new area of research.