The Impact of Smart Hotel Technology on Guest Satisfaction and Loyalty: A User Competency Perspective

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of smart hotel technology on guest satisfaction and loyalty by examining the perceptions and experiences of hotel guests. Through a sample of 332 guests staying at smart technology-equipped hotels, Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between user competency, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and loyalty. The results reveal that user competency significantly influences guests' perceptions of the benefits and convenience of smart hotel technology. Moreover, as reflected in guests' perceptions, the adoption process significantly affects both satisfaction and loyalty levels. These findings underscore the importance of understanding user perspectives and market readiness for successful technology implementation in smart hotels. The study's implications extend to smart hotel managers, highlighting the necessity of ensuring user competency and readiness to maximize technology's potential benefits. Furthermore, this research contributes to developing a comprehensive model for understanding smart hotel guest loyalty, offering a novel user-centric perspective on enhancing guest experiences in the digital tourism era.

Keywords

• smart hotel technology
• guest satisfaction
• loyalty