1. Introduction

As User-Generated Content (UGC) becomes increasingly important, the service sector plays a pivotal role in the national economy, and high-end hotels face intensifying competition. In this context, perceived service quality has emerged as a critical determinant of success. Early theories, such as Holbrook and Hirschmanication prospecteived value, Grönroose service sector plays a growing role in the, and Parasuramance sector highlights the importance of customer perception [1-3]. Zeithaml conducted in-depth research on consumer psychology and rigorously explored the issue of perceived value in products or services [4]. Rust and Oliver later identified service product, environment, and delivery as core elements [5].

The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing, as a top-tier hotel brand, sets a standard for service in the city. With the rise of digital platforms, user-generated content (UGC) now offers rich, real-time insights into customer experience, supplementing traditional survey methods. UGC reviews reveal not only satisfaction levels but also detailed feedback, making them valuable for service research.

Recent studies have explored user behavior in UGC communities, including motivations for content creation [6-9]. Some scholars have also studied the interactive behaviors and collaborative information behaviors of users within UGC communities [10]. However, most focus on models like SERVQUAL or broad satisfaction metrics, often lacking brand-specific or Chinese-language analysis. There is limited research that systematically analyzes UGC in the context of a specific hotel.

To address this, the present study uses Octoparse to collect customer reviews of The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing from major travel platforms. Through text mining—specifically word frequency, sentiment, and topic analysis—the authors im to identify key patterns in customer perceptions. The goal is to build a framework for assessing service quality through UGC, enhance understanding of high-end hotel service, and offer practical suggestions for management.

2. Case study

The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing is the first Ritz-Carlton hotel established by Marriott International in Jiangsu Province. Located in the high-rise section of Deji Plaza Phase II, at the heart of Nanjing’s Xinjiekou business district, it has quickly secured a strong position in the luxury hotel market since its opening in 2020. The hotel combines local cultural elements with international design aesthetics to create an elegant environment, while providing high-quality services. Emphasizing talent development and service innovation, it strives to enhance guest experience. However, amid fierce competition, growing concerns over guest privacy, and evolving customer demands, the hotel must continuously refine its management and service strategies to maintain its brand reputation.

3. Problem analysis

3.1. Service attitude

The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing shows notable issues in service attitude, especially during check-in. Many guests reported that front desk staff lacked enthusiasm and initiative, often appearing cold or unfriendly. This negative first impression damaged customer trust. As a luxury five-star hotel, service should go beyond basic needs to show care and proactive support. The front desk, as the main contact point, greatly influences overall customer satisfaction.

Some guests also noted inconsistencies between phone reservations and on-site service, with staff handling special requests rigidly, sometimes requiring manager intervention. This reveals gaps in staff training and service standards. Poor service attitude not only affects individual stays but also harms online reputation and brand image, weakening the hoteling special requests

To stay ahead in the competitive market, improving staff professionalism, streamlining service processes, and enhancing training and incentives are urgent priorities. Only by doing so can the hotel meet the high expectations of a premium brand and build lasting customer loyalty.

3.2. Room cleanliness

The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing has shown concerning issues in room cleanliness, undermining guests’ trust in its basic services. Some guests found hairs on pillows after showering, indicating lapses in cleaning procedures. For a luxury hotel of this level, cleanliness is fundamental, directly affecting guest comfort, safety, and brand image.

Bedding, which contacts guests directly, must be thoroughly sanitized and replaced. Poor cleaning not only harms the stay experience but raises doubts about overall hygiene. These problems suggest weaknesses in cleaning routines, staff training, supervision, and quality control.

Especially post-pandemic, guests pay more attention to hygiene details than lavish decor, influencing repeat visits and online reviews. To maintain its luxury status, the hotel must improve cleaning protocols, strengthen staff training and assessments, and enforce stricter quality checks to ensure guests feel respected and comfortable.

3.3. Breakfast variety

The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing faces issues with breakfast service, especially in variety and responsiveness. Guests report the menu is limited compared to other Ritz-Carlton hotels, lacking choices to meet diverse needs. During peak hours, only part of the dining area is open, reducing comfort and showing inflexible management.

Some dishes, like small wontons, received complaints about taste and quality, indicating problems in ingredient selection and flavor control. Service is also slow; staff often fail to refill coffee promptly but are quick to clear plates, suggesting misplaced priorities.

Breakfast at a luxury hotel should reflect brand quality and hospitality. Nanjing Ritz-Carlton needs to improve menu diversity, service flow, and staff awareness to meet guest expectations and protect its high-end reputation.

4. Recommendations

4.1. Improving service attitude

To address the prominent service attitude problems at the Ritz-Carlton Nanjing, the hotel should implement systematic improvements on multiple levels to restore the service standards expected of a high-end brand. First, it should strengthen training for front desk staff focusing on professionalism and service awareness, especially in areas such as interpersonal communication, emotional management, and courteous reception, ensuring that employees present a professional, warm, and respectful attitude when interacting with guests.

Second, the hotel needs to establish clear and enforceable service standards and procedures, supported by regular service quality evaluations and anonymous guest inspections, creating effective supervision and incentive mechanisms to prevent indifferent service from becoming routine.

At the same time, communication between front and back offices should be optimized to ensure consistency among phone, online reservations, and on-site operations, avoiding customer experience gaps caused by information asymmetry.

Additionally, the hotel should actively promote the concept of personalized service, encouraging employees to flexibly adjust their service methods based on customer characteristics while respecting standard procedures, thereby enhancing guest satisfaction and ensuring service quality does not become routine or inconsistent.

Finally, a clear reward and punishment system should be introduced, linking customer feedback and satisfaction evaluations with staff promotions or bonuses, thereby motivating employees to adhere to standards while providing an enhanced, personalized guest experience.

Through these multi-dimensional improvements, the hotel can effectively resolve service attitude issues, strengthen its brand position in the fiercely competitive luxury hotel market, and truly realize its reputation and value as the "ceiling" of service quality.

4.2. Improving hygiene standards

Facing concentrated complaints about room cleanliness, Ritz-Carlton Nanjing urgently needs to strengthen the systematic management of its housekeeping process. As a luxury hotel, room hygiene is not only a basic service but also a key reflection of brand reputation. It is recommended that the hotel establish a three-level inspection system of “cleaning – re-inspection – confirmation” to ensure every room meets high cleaning standards before guest check-in.

The hotel should enhance detailed training and performance evaluation for cleaning staff, especially in critical areas such as bedding replacement, hair removal, and bathroom disinfection, to standardize procedures and clarify responsibilities. Additionally, implementing a cleaning information disclosure system—such as posting signed cards of the cleaner and inspector for the day—can increase service transparency and boost guest trust.

In the post-pandemic era, guests’ attention to hygiene has reached unprecedented levels. Only by strictly maintaining this service baseline can the hotel secure its luxury positioning and truly earn guests’ peace of mind and positive reputation.

4.3. Enhancing the dining experience

Ritz-Carlton Nanjing needs to address the current shortcomings in its breakfast service, especially regarding food variety and service responsiveness, and adjust its management and operations to align with its luxury brand image. First, the hotel should enrich the breakfast menu based on customer profiles and dietary preferences, offering a balanced mix of Western and Chinese dishes as well as local specialties to meet diverse guest needs. To tackle complaints about food quality, it is recommended to strengthen supervision of ingredient sourcing and implement strict quality checks to ensure consistent taste and standards.

Additionally, the hotel should be flexible in opening dining areas during peak times to avoid limiting guests’ dining comfort, reflecting a customer-centered service approach. Staff training should focus on enhancing proactive service awareness, paying attention to details like timely coffee refills and guiding guests to seats to create a warmer service atmosphere. At the same time, employees should be encouraged to shift from an “efficiency-first” mindset to an “experience-first” approach, avoiding mechanical behaviors such as overly eager plate clearing, so that service truly shows care for guests.

As a high-end hotel, breakfast is not just a meal but a symbol of culture and quality. Only by improving both content and service processes can each breakfast experience enhance and reflect the brand’s value.

5. Conclusion

This study takes the Nanjing Ritz-Carlton Hotel as a case, using user-generated content (UGC) data and text mining methods to systematically analyze customers’ genuine perceptions of the hotel’s service quality. It focuses on identifying existing service issues and offering targeted improvement suggestions. The results show that, first, in terms of service attitude, front desk staff generally display cold and passive behavior, especially during check-in and handling special requests. This damages customers’ initial experience and contradicts the hospitality expected from a high-end hotel. Second, issues with room cleanliness, such as finding hair on pillows, reveal serious lapses in cleaning processes, indicating a need for better housekeeping management, attention to detail, and supervision. Negative feedback on hygiene undermines guests’ trust in the hotel’s basic services. Third, breakfast service quality is another major complaint. Guests criticize the limited variety and average taste of breakfast dishes at Nanjing Ritz-Carlton, which fail to meet diverse dietary needs. Additionally, restricted dining areas during peak hours and slow service response lower overall dining satisfaction, clashing with the hotel’s “top-tier” brand promise.

This study enriches the theoretical research on high-end hotel service quality by combining UGC perspectives with text mining analysis. Compared to traditional satisfaction surveys, the data here reflect more authentic and timely user experiences, offering valuable insights for industry managers. Practically, the research provides hotel managers with clear evidence to pinpoint service weaknesses, helping them develop more precise and effective improvement strategies. For other luxury hotels, the problem identification framework and data analysis model proposed here have wider applicability, serving as tools to enhance service management.

However, there are limitations. First, UGC data comes mainly from specific platforms, which may introduce bias and not fully represent all customers. Second, the study relies largely on qualitative analysis and thematic summaries, lacking extensive quantitative validation; thus, the generalizability of conclusions needs further testing.

Future research could improve by expanding data sources and sample sizes to increase representativeness, incorporating quantitative models and machine learning for automatic issue detection and risk alerting, and combining customer perceptions with actual service operation data to explore deeper UGC applications in management optimization.

With ongoing study and refinement, UGC analysis is expected to become a crucial tool for luxury hotels to enhance service quality and customer satisfaction, supporting the construction of truly customer-centered service systems.