Deficiencies in Soft-Skills Training and Their Effect on Guest Experience in Luxury Hotels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of soft-skills on the development of service excellence, emotional attachment, and customer satisfaction in the luxury hospitality industry. To accomplish this, the study used qualitative research by conducting four semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders: a general manager, senior executive, hospitality consultant, and operations manager. The findings reveal that within the luxury service industry, emotional skills like emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, and valuing cultural diversity of guests and colleagues are the most invaluable soft-skills and, very often, outweigh technical competencies from marketing, sales, or accounting disciplines. The training in soft-skills development is primarily attained through coaching, with little emphasis on formal classroom instruction. The purpose of this study is to draw attention to the existing gaps in the industry, particularly the soft-skills gap arising from limited personalized coaching, cultural insensitivity, and training models that prioritize operational skills while neglecting the human aspect of service. The findings extend the literature by showing the necessity of training systems that are personalized, culturally informed, and centered on human mindset development. One key conclusion is that the soft-skills required within luxury hospitality are intrinsically human; to make these effective, one needs time, continuity, and organizational support. The study will be useful to hospitality educators, managers, and hotel operators in pursuit of service culture and guest experience improvements in a luxury environment.