Study on the relationship between urban road network morphology and spatial distribution of hotel industry: a case study of Nanjing City

As important venues for urban recreational and hospitality activities, hotels serve as the third space that connects tourists with the city. Their rational layout plays a crucial role in improving the convenience of tourist arrivals and enhancing their overall travel experience, thereby promoting the sustainable development of urban tourism. Using the main urban area of Nanjing, China as a case study, this study explored the relationship between road network morphology and the spatial distribution of the hotel industry from the perspective of spatial users. By employing research methods such as space syntax and kernel density analysis, we examine road network data and hotel points of interest to uncover this relationship. The results demonstrate that high agglomerations of first-, second-, and fourth-tier hotels are concentrated in specific areas, displaying a single-core distribution pattern. Conversely, high agglomerations of third-tier hotels are dispersed and exhibit multiple core areas of concentration. The distribution range of high-value areas in the global and local road network integration corresponds closely, while spatial disparities exist in the medium- and low-value areas. The spatial distribution of higher-tier hotels (first- and second-tier hotels) shows little correlation and coordination with both the global and local road network morphology. This can be attributed to the ability of higher-tier hotels to cater to global travelers, attracting a larger number of tourists and leading to their concentration in urban population and economic centers. Consequently, the influence of road network morphology on the spatial layout of higher-tier hotels is neglected. In contrast, the spatial distribution of lower-tier hotels (third- and fourth-tier hotels) demonstrates a strong correlation and coordination with the global road network morphology, while exhibiting little correlation and coordination with the local road network morphology. This indicates that high-value areas in the global road network are more likely to have agglomerations of lower-tier hotels, while the layout of lower-tier hotels is less influenced by the local road network morphology, thereby weakening the spatial advantages of local road network features such as streets and alleys. This research provides hotel layout optimization recommendations from the perspectives of policymakers, urban planners, destination marketing organizations, and hotel operators, thereby offering theoretical support for the sustainable development of the urban hotel industry.