Framing sustainability in luxury hotels: impact or commitment?

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine how luxury hotels should frame sustainability narratives by comparing achieved environmental impact with future sustainability commitments. This study examines their effects on willingness to stay (WTS), with perceived hedonic value (HV) and hotel integrity (HI) as mediators and message abstraction and greenwashing risk as moderators. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments using scenarios describing a fictitious luxury hotel were conducted. Study 1 (n = 329) used a 2 × 2 design with sustainability message framing (achieved impact vs future commitment) and message type (concrete vs abstract) manipulated. HV and HI were examined as mediating mechanism. Study 2 (n = 233) examined the moderating role of greenwashing risk (high vs low) on the effects of message framing through HI. Findings Study 1 showed that impact-based framing increased WTS through higher HV, particularly when the message was abstract. Message type did not influence the HI pathway. Study 2 showed that when greenwashing risk was high, impact framing strengthened HI and, in turn, WTS. Practical implications Luxury hotels should focus on verifiable outcomes already achieved when communicating their sustainability efforts. This becomes particularly important when greenwashing risk is salient. Impact-based framing helps preserve anticipated HV. Also, evidence of achieved outcomes can strengthen perceptions of HI when sustainability claims are questioned. Originality/value This study extends attribution theory and construal level theory by showing that sustainability messages influence consumers through distinct psychological mechanisms.