Paper Title
Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction: A Case Study of Budget Hotels in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abstract
On the back of Thailand’s growth in tourism and the importance of the hospitality industry to the country, budget hotels have also been on the rise, growing more rapidly than its counterparts. While studies have been examined the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry and in different geographical contexts, studies which in different types of hotels, particularly in budget hotels have been limited. This study aims to fail that gap of knowledge by exploring the impact of service quality on customer satisfaction of budget hotels in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The SERVQUAL model of service quality with the five dimensions: tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy were used to examine service quality and its impact on customer satisfaction. Data was collected from 115 budget hotel users in Chiang Mai. The results of the study indicated that service quality had an impact on customer satisfaction, with assurance had a significant positive correlation with customer satisfaction. While the other four dimensions did not show significant correlations, their relationship with customer satisfaction were also positive. A clear understanding of the impact of service quality and customer satisfaction may allow managers and hoteliers alike to undertake appropriate courses of action in improving the dimensions of service quality, with a particular focus on assurance so as to improve customer satisfaction at budget hotels. Keywords - Budget Hotels, Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction