ASSESSMENT OF CLEANLINESS AND HYGIENE STANDARDS IN STAR HOTELS IN LUCKNOW: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

This study focused on cleanliness and hygiene conditions of the star rated hotels in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Guest perceptions were tested on 15 room cleanliness/hygiene elements such as room cleanliness, public areas, bathroom cleanliness, recreational facilities, restaurant hygiene and housekeeping responsiveness. A mixed method design was used, the primary data were obtained by stratified random sampling among 400 guests of 3-star hotels, 4-star hotels, and 5- star hotels. Descriptive statistics, independent sample T-test, ANOVA (one-way), Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. The results show that 5- star hotels had better scores than other categories of hotels in all dimensions of cleanliness yet areas like swimming pool cleanliness (M=3.78), Fitness Centre hygiene (M=3.72) and Pest control (M=3.65) need improvement. Customer satisfaction overall across cleanliness was measured at 3.93 (moderate to high level of satisfaction). Hypothesis testing showed that guests feel cleanliness and hygiene standards are perceived significantly high (p