89 HANDEL WEWNĘTRZNY 2018;4(375):89-100 (tom I) Edyta Gołąb-Andrzejak Politechnika Gdańska Marcin Gębarowski Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Krakowie Creating Hotel Services from a Perspective of Extraordinary Customer Experience Summary This conceptual article aims to explore the process of providing hotel services in the context of requirements arising from the experience economy. Both the con- cept of experience marketing and the concept of customer experience management provided a theoretical framework for the discussion. Based on a review of litera- ture and conclusions derived from hotel managers’ experiences, a research model is proposed, which may be of some importance for researchers, as it may serve as a basis for future studies relating to hotel services. On the other hand, as far as practitioners are concerned, this model may be a starting point for developing a range of hotel services that stand out in the market and fully meet the expectations of contemporary customers, who are orientated towards extraordinary experience. The developed model demonstrates that hotel services consist of many so-called touch points where experiences should be examined, and each of these moments of contact with the brand should be incorporated into an integrated process of hotel guest experience management. Key words: hotel service, experience economy, experience marketing, customer experience management, extraordinary experience. JEL codes: L83, M31, Z33 Introduction The experience economy is perceived as another stage of market development. In a con- temporary world in which brands rule, products are no longer bundles of functional char- acteristics but rather a means to provide and enhance customer experiences (Schmitt 1999, p. 54). Nevertheless, the literature refers to the fact that experiences provided for custom- ers must not be ordinary, but extraordinary (Abrahams 1986, p. 49; Arnould, Price 1993, p. 25), meaningful (Boswijk, Thijssen, Peelens 2007, p. 24; Riivits-Arkonsuo, Leppiman 2014, p. 6) or memorable (Kotler 2003, p. 62; Stuart 2006, p. 149). Offering such experiences is becoming, so to speak, ‘a contemporary market imperative’. Attention must be drawn to the special importance of customer experiences in the service sector, since from the experience marketing perspective, service companies are in a privileged position. Due to the fact that production and consumption are inseparable, handel_wew_4-1-2018.indd 89 13.08.2018 12:24:43