age Hill Inn Above Onion Creek is a popular lodging destination for those visiting the Texas Hill Country to relax and experience nearby attractions and activities. Located in Kyle, Texas, the $88-$acre property is $25$ miles south of Austin, Texas, and a few hours drive from San Antonio and Dallas. The property, formerly known as the Inn Above Onion Creek, was purchased in $2012$ by Eric Goldreyer, founder of Bedandbreakfast.com, and John Banczak, former president of the company. The new owners focused on enhancing the popular Inn Above Onion Creek by adding new services, updating the facilities, and expanding the use of environmentally conscious practices. John Banczak was quoted in The Houston Chronicle as saying, $$When we purchased the inn, we loved the location and topography of the land and surrounding area, and the architecture and layout of the main inn and buildings$...$So we set out to redesign with a modern yet rustic aesthetic, while trying to stay true to the Hill Country area.$$

A conversation between Amy Dolan, the innkeeper, and a consultant indicated three needs: $(1)$ the need to understand guests$$ expectations, $(2)$ the need to determine and monitor guests$$ perceptions, and $(3)$ the need to identify potential service failure points. She said, $$We do our best to maintain excellent service in order to build repeat business and obtain positive word of mouth. If guests$$ expectations are not met, then they are likely to be dissatisfied and occupancy rates will decline. That means lower revenues.$$ To continue attracting previous guests of the Inn Above Onion Creek and build loyalty among ones staying at the inn for the first time, $$We must listen closely to understand what they expect when deciding to stay here and, afterward, how they feel about their experience. With this feedback, we can provide an experience that meets expectations and effectively resolve service problems that are creating guest dissatisfaction.$$ In addition to knowing more about guest expectations and perceptions, she said it would be good to identify potential service failure points. These could then be monitored more closely, thus ensuring guest satisfaction.

BACKGROUND

When operating as the Inn Above Onion Creek, the lodging was designed to resemble a Texas homestead of the $1800$s with a main house of rustic redwood and a second building similar to one an owner would build when expanding the family$$s living area. The twelve guest rooms, named after famous Texans, conveyed the homestead image with a mix of modern amenities and antique furnishings. A gourmet breakfast and dinner were included with each overnight stay. Among the design changes for Sage Hill Inn Above Onion Creek were updated guest rooms with new flat$-$screen TVs and more contemporary furnishings. There are three suites, eight guest rooms, three cottages$,$ and a three$-$bedroom ranch house. The cottages and ranch house include amenities such as gourmet kitchens, oversized porches, and a private hot tub. The grounds were improved with a larger pool deck, a $14-$person spa, and a large outdoor fire ring. Many other changes and service additions were completed, such as opening the Garden Spa in a separate building with four massage rooms, a lounge, and covered porch overlooking a flower garden. The website for the inn has numerous photographs of accommodations and descriptions of services and activities available to guests $($www$.$sagehill.com$).$

A gourmet prix fixe breakfast and three$-$course dinner are included with each overnight stay and lunch is available, by reservation, for an extra fee. Individuals not staying at the inn may also enjoy dining at the inn by making reservations in advance. Chef Ryan Castille creates the menus with fresh produce from the garden and draws on local suppliers for seasonal ingredients.

The dining room is always open with complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks, and a selection of homemade cookies. Across from the dining area is a large library with enough seating and tables for meetings and a wide selection of books, games, and DVDs$.$

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GUESTS$$ EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS

Knowing what guests expect is important because their satisfaction with the quality of a service is formed by comparing perceptions of a stay to previously formed expectations. Amy Dolan talked with the consultant about how guests$$ expectations form as they find out about a hotel property from a variety of sources, including friends and family, guidebooks, websites, and previous experiences at the inn, or similar properties. She stressed that, $$the website plays a big part in shaping perceptions of what they may experience when staying at the inn.$$ The consultant said that it would be good to examine the website $($www$.$sagehill.com$)$ for explicit promises $($e$.$g$.,$ breakfast and dinner menus$)$ and implicit promises $($e$.$g$.,$ pictures of the inn$)$ that influence the development of expectations. He suggested that the Five Dimensions of Service Quality could