Metaphor and hyperbole offer luxury and comfort : figurative language in high-end hotel websites

Abstract

The thesis investigates the use and effectiveness of metaphor and hyperbole on proprietary five-star luxury hotel websites in Singapore and Hong Kong. Previous research across different fields has yielded a substantial body of empirical evidence regarding the use of metaphor in various types of discourse, ranging from psychotherapy and politics to education and business communication. However, limited research exists on the relationship between metaphor and more segmented economic industries, such as the luxury sector. In addition, while most studies on figurative language concentrate on metaphor, other rhetorical devices, particularly hyperbole, have received less attention, despite their prevalence in real-world discourse. Therefore, the present research aims to fill these caveats by describing linguistic realizations, usage patterns, and discursive functions of metaphor and hyperbole, and by testing for their persuasive effects on purchase intention in promotional tourism discourse. To accomplish this, two corpora of luxury hotel websites from Singapore and Hong Kong are built, comprising a total of approximately 186,000 words. The research begins by exploring how facilities and amenities in luxury hotels are portrayed through the use of various metaphors derived from different source domains that align with the distinctive features of the advertised products or services, with the aim of captivating potential consumers. Following this, the inquiry inspects the employment of hyperboles, specifically analysing the distribution of different categories of intensified language in promotional discourse and their ability to engender positive dispositions towards the advertised products or services. The thesis further discusses the phenomenon of metaphorical hyperbole, taking a cognitive linguistic perspective, and proposes cognitive models that classify metaphorical hyperboles into two categories according to their approaches to synthesizing metaphorical and hyperbolic readings. Finally, a 2 (metaphor: present/absent) × 2 (hyperbole: present/absent) experiment with between-subjects design is conducted, which is based on the results of the preceding corpus analysis, to explore the extent to which figurative devices have impacts on recipients and their underlying working mechanisms. The findings of the research reveal that the strategic use of metaphor and hyperbole contributes to the creation of a fantasy-like image for high-end hotels and effectively conveys core values such as prestige, aesthetics, and high-quality within the contemporary luxury industry. Furthermore, the differences observed regarding the deployment of figurative language between Singapore and Hong Kong reflect different tourism positioning strategies, as a result of the particularities of the two regions as former British colonies and how they are capitalised on for the transformation during the post-colonial period. Moreover, the results of the experimental research do not indicate the direct effects of figurative language on recipients’ willingness to book a hotel room. Instead, they demonstrate the indirect effects of metaphors on affective text perception, which subsequently positively influences consumers’ purchase intention, demonstrating the subtle working mechanism of figurative language. I conclude the thesis by synthesising key findings and emphasising the theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions. The limitations of the study are acknowledged, and potential directions for future research that can address these limitations are presented.