Striking a paradoxical balance: Shakespearean insights for hospitality management

Abstract

This paper examines how Shakespeare’s thoughts on hospitality still resonate with modern-day hotel guests. Focusing on three plays - Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and The Tempest - we analyze the nuances of hospitality as depicted by Shakespeare and explore the implications of his insights for modern hotel managers. Shakespeare’s portrayal of hospitality as paradoxical highlights the importance of balancing customer expectations and corporate goals to enhance guest satisfaction and loyalty. Drawing from the mentioned plays, we propose practical strategies for creating a hospitable environment and building positive guest-employee reciprocity and relationships. This paper provides significant conceptual implications for the hospitality industry and offers actionable insights by proposing a business model for hotel managers to adapt Shakespearean hospitality concepts into practice.