No abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to link consumer use of technology to two very popular themes in the hospitality industry: boutique hotels and environmental responsibility. Design/methodology/approach -The case study focuses on how boutique hotels legitimize their green practices through the use of technology -web sites, social media -to communicate their environmental recognitions to discerning eco-conscious consumers seeking small lodgings. The authors analyze the type of environmental legitimacy practices used by the boutique hotel segment of the tourism industry, using a variety of international, regional, or trade recognized environmental evaluation assessments to legitimize their boutique hotel green practices. A diverse sample of boutique hotel accommodations in two attractive, but similar international destinations -Istanbul, Turkey and San Francisco, California -are used, through content analysis of hotel web sites. Findings -San Francisco Bay Area hoteliers, in the majority of instances, used their web sites to illustrate one international standard, LEED certification, for building structure. However, these hoteliers generally reported use of varying regional standards for legitimizing their green practices. Istanbul hoteliers reported on maintaining international standards for legitimizing their green practices, but did not seek specific standards for building structures. Research limitations/implications -Future research surveys of specific consumer perceptions of their search and experience would prove valuable in terms of destination selection and experience of environmentally-conscious boutique hotels. Social media and related web sites utilize consumer self-reporting, which would add additional insight for future research in this area. Originality/value -The authors' analysis studies the web promotion of two similar geographic tourism destination boutique hotels' use of international versus regional legitimacy of their environmental practices.

The Michelin star system in Europe is the best-known and most respected ranking system for high-quality or haute cuisine restaurants. This study examines Michelin’s grading procedures and how chefs and restaurateurs perceive the ranking system and the Michelin awards. The study surveyed chefs in thirty-six restaurants ranked as having two or three Michelin stars over the period of ten years in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. The chefs identified the following key factors that attributed to the success of their restaurants: investment and investment types, sources of financing, pursuit of excellence, and culinary craftsmanship involved. While the Michelin star chefs were tremendously successful as culinary artisans, this study revealed that the financial success of the Michelin star-rated restaurants was far more heterogeneous.

Purpose -The aim of this paper to shed light on the strategies adopted by chefs and to identify the most successful in terms of Michelin rating and profitability. Design/methodology/approach -In-depth exploratory interviews with 20 great chefs located in France, Belgium, the UK and Switzerland having gained two or three Michelin stars over the last ten years. Findings -Chefs use three different strategies for revenue-generation: core business, full diversification and partial diversification. The reasoning behind the choice of strategy varies between two-and three-star restaurants. The first strategy seems to lead to higher Michelin star ratings, and strategy, the second seems superior in terms of profitability. The third strategy yields inferior results, but is less risky.Research limitations/implications -The observations are constrained to "recently successful" restaurants, and hence may not be applicable to longer-standing restaurants. Practical implications -Concentrating on the core business leads to higher star rating, but lower profitability. Full diversification increases profitability but can jeopardize Michelin rating. The middle-of-the-road approach seems inferior in any case. Originality/value -To this day, little research has been conducted on the way in which great chefs having two or three stars in the famed Michelin Red Guide run their businesses. In particular, very little is known about their revenue-generating strategies: what options are available and which revenue models are the "best". This paper is exploratory in nature and aims to inform further research about luxury restaurants.

PurposeThe haute‐cuisine industry must cope with two, apparently antagonist demands from customers: providing reliable advice about the choice of restaurant, while concurrently preserving the “magic of discovery” and creativity every haute‐cuisine restaurant should provide. This paper has the objective of analysing how the Michelin guide “star system” operates as a “signalling device” in the industry, and handles these two market requirements. The research also explores how secrecy contributes to preserve chefs' creativity for the benefit of customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe research is derived from 20 exploratory field interviews of chefs belonging to the “star system” in France, Switzerland and the UK.FindingsField research and analysis reveal the pressure to minimize type II errors, i.e. of selecting restaurants that do not merit inclusion and, consequently, increase type I errors. This behaviour explains the stability, reliability and consistency of the system.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is needed to analyse the extent to which the phenomenon observed in the haute‐cuisine industry is manifest in other artistic (i.e. fashion) or hospitality (i.e. hotels) related sectors.Practical implicationsThere is no unique route to the star system. The best way for chefs to increase the odds to get promoted is to focus on quality, develop their own style and be patient. The policy of the Michelin guide opens the door for competing guides willing to take more risk of type I errors.Originality/valueThis exploratory research is the first attempt to analyse the role of gastronomic guides in the haute‐cuisine sector.