This article examines the effect on price of different characteristics of holiday hotels in the sun-and-beach segment. The effect on price is estimated under the hedonic function perspective by means of random effect models, known also as mixed or panel models. Some 82,000 prices were gathered between 1991 and 1998 from tour operator catalogues. The study reveals huge price differences between 4-star hotels and the rest, coupled with practically no difference between 1-star and 2-star hotels. Other attributes with a significant effect on price are town, hotel size, distance to the beach and availability of parking place. The results can assist hotel managers in shaping pricing and investment strategies.Keywords: pricing; hedonic functions; hotels; random effect models; hierarchical models.This article studies the effect on prices of the different characteristics or attributes of a holiday hotel in the sun-and-beach segment. Such attributes include, among others, the town in which the hotel is located, star category, size, and the services available to guests. Prices are examined from the supply perspective, assuming that the hotel market is in a monopolistic competition situation in which the hotel manager can differentiate its offer. We consider tour operators' prices, which coincide with what most tourists pay as tour operators constitute the most frequent distribution channel for tourist hotels in the sun-and-beach market segment (Espinet, 1999).

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A composite index, based on function analysis and including thirteen sub-indices, was developed to assess the overall quality of urban and urbanized beaches in the Mediterranean area. The aggregation of components and sub-indices was based on two questionnaires completed by beach users and experts. Applying the new Beach Quality Index (BQI) demonstrated that the quality of beaches could be improved. In general, the strongest aspects of the beaches assessed were those related to short-term user demand, and the weakest were those related to the consequences of human pressure on the area, in particular, erosion problems. The composite index is intended to be used together with Environmental Management Beach Systems (EMBs) as a hierarchical management scorecard and in monitoring programs. This new tool could also make planning more proactive by synthesizing the state of the most important beach processes.

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