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Abstract

Although hospitality research has expanded considerably, limited attention has been given to the relationships between customer experience, customer engagement, and revisit intention in independent budget hotels. This study examines the direct relationships among customer experience, customer engagement, and revisit intention among guests of PLC Hotel, an independent budget hotel in Bitung, Indonesia. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey conducted in June 2026. Through purposive sampling, 250 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that customer experience positively affects customer engagement (β = 0.808; t-value = 15.362) and revisit intention (β = 0.399; t-value = 3.303). Customer engagement also has a significant positive effect on revisit intention (β = 0.427; t-value = 4.197). The findings indicate that both customer experience and customer engagement are directly associated with customers’ intention to revisit the hotel. Customer experience also has a strong positive relationship with customer engagement, suggesting that more positive experiences are associated with higher levels of customer engagement. The study provides empirical evidence from independent budget hotels, where customer relationships may be developed through personalized service alongside available hotel facilities. The findings also provide practical guidance for hotel managers seeking to encourage repeat visits by improving customer experiences and strengthening customer engagement.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.