This study explores the negotiation process underpinning the creation of authentic experiences in luxury lodges. The findings of this study highlight how this is a balancing act performed by the hosts through the provision of an authentic experiential platform connecting guests with unique places and genuine people and is of a luxurious nature. Staged experiences are authenticated by the guests through their bodies and minds, activating, in turn, experiences of existential authenticity. Contributing to service marketing and management literature, the study departs from purely abstract authenticity conceptualisations by applying an experience design and management lens to understanding authentic experiences. Practically, our findings demonstrate how authenticity is operationalised in luxury lodges and how these experiences are understood and valued by tourism and hospitality consumers and providers, providing crucial implications for luxury accommodation marketers and managers.
AriffinAAMMaghziASoonJLM, et al. (2018) Exploring the influence of hospitality on guest satisfaction in luxury hotel services. e-Review of Tourism Research15(1): 1–20. Texas A and M University.
2.
AzizFSHSelamatNH (2016) Constructing authenticity through hospitality: examining host-guest relations of a Malay homestay program. Asian Journal of Tourism Research1(Special Issue): 18–36.
3.
BelhassenYCatonK (2006) Authenticity matters. Annals of Tourism Research33(3): 853–856.
4.
BergsYMitasOSmitB, et al. (2020) Anticipatory nostalgia in experience design. Current Issues in Tourism23(22): 2798–2810. Routledge.
5.
BirinciHBerezinaKCobanogluC (2018) Comparing customer perceptions of hotel and peer-to-peer accommodation advantages and disadvantages. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management30(2): 1190–1210.
6.
BjørnholtMFarstadGR (2014) Am I rambling?’ on the advantages of interviewing couples together. Qualitative Research14(1): 3–19.
7.
BraunVClarkeV (2014) What can “thematic analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers?International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being9(1): 26152.
8.
BrooksCSoulardJ (2022) Contested authentication: the impact of event cancellation on transformative experiences, existential authenticity at burning man. Annals of Tourism Research95: 103412. Elsevier Ltd.
9.
BrunerEM (1994) Abraham Lincoln as authentic reproduction: a critique of postmodernism. American Anthropologist96(2): 397–415.
10.
BuehringJO’MahonyB (2019) Designing memorable guest experiences: development of constructs and value generating factors in luxury hotels. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights2(4): 358–376.
11.
CetinGWallsA (2016) Understanding the customer experiences from the perspective of guests and hotel managers: empirical findings from luxury hotels in Istanbul, Turkey. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management25(4): 395–424. Routledge.
12.
ChatzopoulouEGortonMKuznesofS (2019) Understanding authentication processes and the role of conventions: a consideration of Greek ethnic restaurants. Annals of Tourism Research77(September 2018): 128–140. Elsevier.
13.
ChenHJiaoYLiX, et al. (2022) Family tourism: interpersonal interaction, existential authenticity and quality of tourist experience. Journal of Vacation Marketing28(1): 82–94.
14.
CohenE (1979) A phenomenology of tourist experiences. Sociology13(2): 179–201.
15.
CohenECohenSA (2012) Authentication: hot and cool. Annals of Tourism Research39(3): 1295–1314.
16.
CzarniawskaB (2007) Shadowing: And Other Techniques for Doing Fieldwork in Modern Societies. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press.
17.
de Andrade-MatosMBRichardsGde Lourdes de Azevedo BarbosaM (2022) Rethinking authenticity through complexity paradigm. Annals of Tourism Research92: 103348. The Author(s).
18.
DenzinNKLincolnYS (2011) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. 4th ed. California, CA: Sage.
19.
Di DomenicoMLynchPA (2007) Host/guest encounters in the commercial home. Leisure Studies26(3): 321–338.
20.
Di DomenicoMMillerG (2012) Farming and tourism enterprise: experiential authenticity in the diversification of independent small-scale family farming. Tourism Management33(2): 285–294.
21.
EisenhardtKM (1989) Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review14(4): 532–550.
FarrellyFKockFJosiassenA (2019) Cultural heritage authenticity: A producer view. Annals of Tourism Research79(October): 102770.
24.
FlickU (2002) An Introduction to Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
25.
GardinerSVadaSYangECL, et al. (2022) Recreating history: the evolving negotiation of staged authenticity in tourism experiences. Tourism Management91(February): 104515. Elsevier Ltd.
26.
GilmoreJHPineJBI (2007) Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want. Boston: Harvard Business Press.
27.
HarkisonT (2018) The use of co-creation within the luxury accommodation experience – myth or reality?International Journal of Hospitality Management71: 11–18. Elsevier Ltd.
28.
HarkisonTHemmingtonNHydeK (2019) The paradox of “family”; creating a family environment without children in luxury accommodation in New Zealand. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes11(2): 226–234.
29.
HarkisonTHemmingtonNHydeKF (2018a) Creating the luxury accommodation experience: case studies from New Zealand. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management30(3): 1724–1740. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
30.
HarkisonTHemmingtonNHydeKF (2018b) Luxury accommodation – significantly different or just more expensive?Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management17(4): 231–243. Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
31.
HassanliNAshwellJ (2020) The contribution of small accommodations to a sustainable tourism industry. Current Issues in Tourism23(3): 261–264. Taylor & Francis.
32.
HolmqvistJDiaz RuizCPeñalozaL (2020) Moments of luxury: hedonic escapism as a luxury experience. Journal of Business Research116(August 2020): 503–513. Elsevier.
33.
HsiaoAMaEJManfredaA, et al. (2023) A social exchange perspective on boosting customer loyalty through culturally competent servers. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management00(00): 1–23. Routledge.
34.
HwangJSeoS (2016) A critical review of research on customer experience management. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management28(10): 2218–2246.
JohanssonR (2007) On case study methodology. Open House International32(3): 48–54.
37.
KandampullyJBilgihanAAmerSM (2023) Linking servicescape and experiencescape: creating a collective focus for the service industry. Journal of Service Management34(2): 316–340.
38.
KnudsenBTWaadeAM (2010) Performative authenticity in tourism and spatial experience : Rethinking the relations between travel, place and emotion. In: Re-Investing Authenticity: Tourism, Place and Emotions. Bristol: Channel View, 1–20.
39.
KnudsenDCRicklyJMVidonES (2016) The fantasy of authenticity: touring with Lacan. Annals of Tourism Research58: 33–45. Bristol: Elsevier Ltd.
40.
KolarTZabkarV (2010) A consumer-based model of authenticity : an oxymoron or the foundation of cultural heritage marketing ?Tourism Management31(5): 652–664. Elsevier Ltd.
41.
LamontM (2014) Authentication in sports tourism. Annals of Tourism Research45: 1–17. Elsevier Ltd.
42.
LeTHArcodiaCAbreu NovaisM, et al. (2021a) Exploring the multi-dimensionality of authenticity in dining experiences using online reviews. Tourism Management85: 104292. Elsevier Ltd.
43.
LeTHArcodiaCNovaisMA, et al. (2022) How consumers perceive authenticity in restaurants: a study of online reviews. International Journal of Hospitality Management100: 103102. Elsevier Ltd.
44.
LeTHArcodiaCNovaisMA, et al. (2021b) Producing authenticity in restaurant experiences: interrelationships between the consumer, the provider, and the experience. Tourism Recreation Research46(3): 360–372. Taylor & Francis.
LightDBrownL (2020) Dwelling-mobility: a theory of the existential pull between home and away. Annals of Tourism Research81(February 2019): 102880. Elsevier.
47.
LovellJThurgillJ (2021) Extending hot authentication: imagining fantasy space. Annals of Tourism Research87: 103138. Elsevier Ltd.
MacCannellD (1973) Staged authenticity: arrangements of social space in tourist settings. American Journal of Sociology79(3): 589–603.
50.
ManfredaA (2022) Luxury Accommodation. In: BuhalisD (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486.
51.
ManfredaAMelissenFPresburyR, et al. (2023) A model of luxury lodge experience quality. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management54(March): 486–499. Cheltenham: Elsevier Ltd.
52.
ManfredaAPresburyRRichardsonS, et al. (2022) The building blocks of luxury accommodation experiences: a meta-ethnographic synthesis. Tourism Management Perspectives41(January 2022): 104–107.
53.
McIntoshAJSiggsA (2005) An exploration of the experiential nature of Boutique accommodation. Journal of Travel Research44(1): 74–81.
54.
McLeayFLichyJMajorB (2019) Co-creation of the ski-chalet community experiencescape. Tourism Management74: 413–424. Elsevier.
55.
ModyMHanksLDogruT (2019) Parallel pathways to brand loyalty: mapping the consequences of authentic consumption experiences for hotels and Airbnb. Tourism Management74: 65–80. Elsevier.
56.
MooreKBuchmannAMånssonM, et al. (2021) Authenticity in tourism theory and experience. Practically indispensable and theoretically mischievous?Annals of Tourism Research89: 103208. Elsevier Ltd.
57.
MorrisonAMPearcePLMoscardoG, et al. (1996) Specialist accommodation: definition, markets served, and roles in tourism development. Journal of Travel Research35(1): 18–26.
58.
MoscardoGBenckendorffP (2010) Sustainable luxury: oxymoron or comfortable bedfellows. In: 2010 international tourism conference on global sustainable tourism, Mbombela, Nelspruit, South Africa, 2010;15–19.
59.
MuraP (2015) Perceptions of authenticity in a Malaysian homestay – A narrative analysis. Tourism Management. 51: 225–233. Elsevier Ltd.
60.
MuskatBHörtnaglTPrayagG, et al. (2019) Perceived quality, authenticity, and price in tourists’ dining experiences: testing competing models of satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Journal of Vacation Marketing25(4): 480–498.
61.
NguyenTHHCheungC (2016) Chinese Heritage tourists to heritage sites: what are the effects of heritage motivation and perceived authenticity on satisfaction?Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research21(11): 1155–1168.
62.
PaulauskaiteDPowellRCoca-StefaniakJA, et al. (2017) Living like a local: authentic tourism experiences and the sharing economy. International Journal of Tourism Research19(6): 619–628.
63.
PearcePLMoscardoGM (1986) The concept of authenticity in tourist experiences. Journal of Sociology22(1): 121–132.
64.
ReisingerYSteinerCJ (2006) Reconceptualizing object authenticity. Annals of Tourism Research33(1): 65–86.
65.
RevillaGDoddTH (2003) Authenticity perceptions of Talavera pottery. Journal of Travel Research42(1): 94–99.
66.
Rickly-BoydJM (2012) Authenticity & aura: a Benjaminian approach to tourism. Annals of Tourism Research39(1): 269–289. Elsevier Ltd.
67.
RicklyJM (2022) A review of authenticity research in tourism: launching the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on authenticity. Annals of Tourism Research92: 103349. Elsevier Ltd.
68.
Rickly JM and McCabe S (2017) Authenticity for tourism design and experience. In: Fesenmaier D and Xiang Z (eds) Design Science in Tourism. Tourism on the Verge. Cham: Springer. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-42773-7_5.
RishiMJauhariVJoshiG (2015) Marketing sustainability in the luxury lodging industry: a thematic analysis of preferences amongst the Indian transition generation. Journal of Consumer Marketing32(5): 376–391. Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
71.
RyanCStewartM (2009) Eco-tourism and luxury – the case of Al Maha, Dubai. Journal of Sustainable Tourism17(3): 287–301.
72.
SheldonPJ (2020) Designing tourism experiences for inner transformation. Annals of Tourism Research83(April): 102935. Elsevier.
73.
StarmanAB (2013) The case study as a type of qualitative research. Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies64(1): 28–43.
74.
TasciADAKnutsonBJ (2004) An argument for providing authenticity and familiarity in tourism destinations. Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing11(1): 85–109.
75.
ThriftN (2004) Intensities of feeling: towards a spatial politics of affect. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography86(1): 57–78.
76.
TobinGABegleyCM (2004) Methodological rigour within a qualitative framework. Journal of Advanced Nursing48(4): 388–396.
VidonESRicklyJM (2018) Alienation and anxiety in tourism motivation. Annals of Tourism Research69: 65–75. (February 2017). Elsevier.
80.
VidonESRicklyJMKnudsenDC (2018) Wilderness state of mind: expanding authenticity. Annals of Tourism Research73(June): 62–70.
81.
WallsAOkumusFWangY, et al. (2011) Understanding the consumer experience: an exploratory study of luxury hotels. Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management20(2): 166–197.
82.
WangN (1999) Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research26(2): 347–370.
83.
WangY (2007) Customized authenticity begins at home. Annals of Tourism Research34(3): 789–804.
84.
WilsonADOnwuegbuzieAJManningLSP (2016) Using paired depth interviews to collect qualitative data. Qualitative Report21(9): 1549–1573.
85.
WirtzJHolmqvistJFritzeMP (2020) Luxury services. Journal of Service Management31(4): 665–691.
WuSHGaoY (2019) Understanding emotional customer experience and co-creation behaviours in luxury hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management31(11): 4247–4275.
88.
YeIQHughesKWaltersG, et al. (2020) Up close and personal : using high engagement techniques to study Chinese visitors’ landscape perceptions. Tourism Management Perspectives33(January 2020): 100629. Elsevier.
89.
YeomanIMcmahon-BeattieU (2018) The future of luxury: mega drivers, new faces and scenarios. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management17: 204–217.
90.
YinRK (2013) Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: Sage Publications.
91.
ZhangYXiongYLeeTJ (2020) A culture-oriented model of consumers’ hedonic experiences in luxury hotels. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management45: 399–409.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
