How Consumer Photo Reviews and Online Platform Types Influence Luxury Hotel Booking Intentions Through Envy

When booking hotels, travelers often rely on content created by other consumers to inform their decisions. This study examines the effect of consumer-generated photos of luxury hotels, specifically those that emphasize the quality of one’s experiences versus the quality of the hotel’s facilities, as well as the type of platform through which such photos are shared, such as social media versus review websites. Drawing on the Social Comparison Theory, this study aims to understand how these factors influence a consumer’s booking intention and overall attitude toward hotels by examining the role of envy. An online experiment employing a 2 (photo content: experience-focused vs. facility-focused) × 2 (platform type: Instagram vs. Tripadvisor) between-subjects design was conducted with 275 American adults. Results showed that photo content significantly influenced the levels of envy among consumers. Specifically, experience-focused photos generated significantly higher levels of envy than did facility-focused photos. Furthermore, envy fully mediated the relationship between photo content and consumer attitudes and behaviors. Both interaction and moderated mediation were found between photo content and platform type. This research contributes to the Social Comparison Theory and the corresponding literature on envy, specifically in the context of luxury hotel marketing and social media consumer behavior. Additionally, it offers practical insights for hotel online review managers to consider, such as which types of photo content and photo sharing platforms to prioritize in order to enhance business value.