Estrategias de fijación y ofuscación de precios en los hoteles de sol y playa[Pricing and obfuscation strategies for sun and beach hotels]

In this paper, we show that the pricing of sun and beach vacations in its most common form – three star hotels situated on the Baleares islands – follows the same guidelines as many currently consumed goods and services. Mature foreign markets in which there are no clear leaders tend to show price dispersion due to promotions and discounts introduced arbitrarily by some bidders, as well as the reactions of competitors. There is a basic price in these markets, which for hotels is determined by the type of establishment, location, size, and facilities, and the level of saturation and degree of specialization of the destination in which it is integrated. Add to this basic price intangible factors: service quality and brand power – of the hotel and destination – and finally, promotions.