ABSTRACT:
This study explores how hotels in Slovakia use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as a communication-driven strategy to build and maintain guest relationships. CRM is examined as a framework that integrates multiple communication channels and touchpoints to enhance guest satisfaction, foster loyalty, and contribute to the long-term sustainable performance of hotel enterprises. Four hypotheses were formulated regarding hotel customer orientation, communication channels, influencing factors and barriers to CRM implementation. These hypotheses were tested using data from an online questionnaire survey completed by hotels in Slovakia. Results show that hotel classification and size, especially the number of employees, significantly affect the scope of CRM communication activities. Financial constraints emerged as a key barrier. The findings provide valuable insights into how communication practices within CRM frameworks can be benchmarked across the hospitality sector to support more sustainable business operations.
KEY WORDS:
customer relationship management, customer satisfaction, hotel management, marketing communication, sustainability
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2026.Vol.17.No.1.7