Unveiling memorable hotel experiences: A grounded theory analysis of international tourists’ journey at yanggakdo hotel in Pyongyang

This study employs grounded theory to explore the memorable experiences of international tourists at the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea. Through an analysis of data sourced from online English reviews on Tripadvisor, a total of 171 concepts, 16 subcategories, and 6 main categories are identified. The core category revolves around tourists’ emotions, psychological changes, and memories. Findings indicate that international tourists’ memorable hotel experiences result from the interplay between North Korean service providers and the tourists’ own perceptions and behaviors. Key elements include the “emotional tone” before arrival, “positive and negative experiences” during the stay, and “memories” after departure, with tourists’ psychological changes forming an overarching narrative. These findings contribute to the development of a theoretical framework illustrating the formation mechanism of memorable hotel experiences for international tourists. The proposed theoretical model holds significance both in theory and practice, addressing gaps in tourism experience research within unique hotel contexts and providing practical references for international tourists, North Korean service providers, and the broader global hotel industry.