Customer satisfaction in Kazakhstan hotels: Evidence for different cities, hotel segments and type of guest

Abstract

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is increasingly influential in the hospitality industry, shaping customer perceptions and decision-making. This study aims to analyse hotel guest satisfaction and its key determinants based on online reviews of hotels located in the three largest cities in Kazakhstan. The study uses a dataset of guest reviews from a major travel platform and applies statistical analysis, regression models, and content analysis. Six service attributes are examined alongside overall satisfaction, considering differences across cities, hotel star ratings, and guest types. The empirical analysis covers 106 hotels and almost 14,000 reviews, including 7,075 reviews written in English, while the qualitative analysis examines 1,630 recent English-language reviews. The results indicate that “value” and “service” show the strongest correlations with overall satisfaction across all segments. Regression findings highlight “rooms” and “service” as the most significant predictors, although the relative importance of individual attributes varies across hotel categories, cities, and guest types. Satisfaction ratings vary notably by hotel category, location, and type of guest, confiming heterogeneity in the evaluation of hotel experiences. Content analysis further identifies recurring themes related to rooms, staff, breakfast, location, and check-in, with negative feedback mainly associated with room size and facilities, air conditioning, cleanliness, food service, and communication issues. Overall, despite some segment-specific differences, guest experience themes remain consistent across hotel classifications and reviewer profiles. The findings contribute to the literature on eWOM and hospitality in emerging tourism destinations by combining quantitative ratings with qualitative review content and provide actionable insights for hotel managers seeking to improve service quality and enhance guest satisfaction in Kazakhstan.