Sensory Marketing and Firm Performance in Hotels a Case Study of G-Pinnacle Hotel Ilorin, Kwara State

In the increasingly competitive hospitality industry, creating memorable and emotionally engaging customer experiences is vital for firm performance. This study examines the impact of sensory marketing on customer satisfaction in the hotel sector, focusing on G-Pinnacle Hotel in Ilorin, Kwara State. Specifically, it investigates the effects of three sensory marketing dimensions visual, olfactory, and gustative on customer satisfaction, retention, and repeat patronage. The main objective is to examine the impact of service convenience on customer patronage. The specific objectives to achieve are (i) examine the impact of visual marketing on G pinnacle customers’ satisfaction. (ii) ascertain the effect of olfactory sensory marketing on G pinnacle customers’ retention. (iii) determine the influence of gustative marketing on G pinnacle customers’ repeat patronage. Adopting a quantitative research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 365 hotel guests, with 332 valid responses analyzed. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were employed to interpret the data. The findings indicate that visual marketing significantly enhances customer satisfaction through the aesthetics and structure of the hotel environment. Olfactory marketing positively influences customer retention by evoking a sense of luxury and emotional well-being through ambient scents. Gustative marketing, through food quality and taste, was found to encourage repeat patronage. The study concludes that integrating sensory marketing into hotel operations is essential for improving customer experiences and driving business success. It recommends that hotel managers strategically adopt multi-sensory approaches to strengthen brand identity and performance. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by addressing a contextual gap in the application of sensory marketing within the Nigerian hotel sector