Determinants of Satisfaction with the Services of Luxury Hotels in Barcelona

The aim of this article is to assess the quality of services in five-star hotels in Barcelona based on guest reviews published on the Booking.com platform. The choice of research topic is justified by the growing importance of online booking and review systems in shaping hotel reputation and tourists’ purchasing decisions, as well as by the relatively limited number of empirical studies linking price levels with perceived service quality in the upscale urban hotel segment. The study covered 39 hotels, for which 507 records were obtained, including data on guest sub-ratings (location, service, etc.) and accommodation prices. The Pearson correlation coefficient was applied to identify relationships between pricing levels and guest satisfaction. The research hypothesis H1 was formulated as follows: The price level of a hotel is correlated with the level of guest satisfaction. The results indicate statistically significant correlations for two categories: cleanliness (r = 0.320) and comfort (r = 0.329), which confirms the key importance of tangible elements in the perception of service value. Other factors, including staff performance, location, and facilities, showed no significant correlations with price. Spatial analysis confirmed the concentration of five-star hotels in the central districts of Barcelona (Eixample, Ciutat Vella), highlighting the association between location prestige and perceived service quality. The findings provide a basis for further research on the relationships between pricing, guest satisfaction, and the reputation of luxury hotels within the spatial structure of a city.