How do hotel firms obtain a competitive advantage?

Hotel managers need to understand how their firm can achieve a competitive advantage (CA) over their competitors. Three conceptual frameworks: Porter’s five, forces approach, the resource‐based approach, and the relational approach, have assisted managers in identifying the sources of CA. Although these three approaches pursue similar goals such as customer value creation and high firm performance, hotel managers have focused on only one of these approaches, limiting their understanding of the sources of CA. Why these three approaches need to be integrated to understand the sources of CA is discussed and a more comprehensive approach to strategic management in the lodging industry is proposed. Implications for research and practice are also offered.