Can merging hotels improve efficiency? Data-driven model uncovers major gains

Researchers have developed a data-driven analytical framework that reveals how hotel mergers can generate significant resource savings, even among properties that already operate efficiently. Published in The Journal of Engineering Research, the study analyzes potential merger scenarios among 58 hotels in Oman using an integrated framework that combines inverse data envelopment analysis (IDEA) with an ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator. The approach evaluates how operational inputs—such as rooms, beds, staff, and salaries—can be optimized when two hotels merge.