Smart Technology for Enhancing Guest Experience in Luxury Hotels Dissertation

Introduction

Background

Many industries across the world have embraced new technologies and deployed them in a variety of ways. The hospitality industry is one of those that have seen some destructive technologies change entire operations. The transformation is particularly visible in luxury hotels that integrate smart technologies to serve customers better. In countries as the United States and China, smart hotels have emerged and revolutionized how guests experience hotel services (A&S Adria, 2020, para. 1). The new technologies are deployed in such practices as energy management, predictive maintenance, big data, and smart guest experiences (Attala, 2019, para. 1; Haude, 2020, para. 3; Silver, 2017, para. 9). These developments are spearheading the revolution in the global hospitality market where some observers claim that the millennials are being targeted (Silver, 2017, para. 1; Steffanni, 2019, para. 1; Estner & McBeth, 2018, para. 29). Therefore, the new era of the hotel industry will depend on the extent to which the businesses embrace the technologies and how the millennials respond to them.

The case of China is particularly interesting because the country has developed multiple businesses founded on new technologies. Even scholars have been attracted to this phenomenon, where the focus has majorly been on the consumer experiences with these innovations (Xuan & Pan, 2021, p. 116). However, much of the information regarding the emergence of smart hotels and how customers feel about them can be found in the new media and other commentary platforms. For example, the use of artificial intelligence in the operation of hotels is an emerging theme attracting the attention of many people (Globetrender, 2020, para. 1; Brunet, 2019, para. 1). With artificial intelligence, some of the operations include contactless services and unmanned hotel rides (China Travel News, 2020, para. 3; Yao, 2020, para. 2). It is important to notice that these new technologies are an addition to those that have already taken root in the industry, including remote checking and online booking (Singh, 2018, Para. 3). These features have made the hotels have the appearance and feel of luxury. The most notable element is the positive reviews from the consumers.

The fact that the news media and other platforms portray a positive image of smart technologies regarding customer experiences means that new research on this subject is needed. The theme of consumer satisfaction has been extensively explored in the context of the hotel industry. The scholarly work in this field has addressed multiple topics, which include service quality and attribute performance and how these influence customer satisfaction. (Srivastava, 2018, p. 42; Bi et al., 2020, p. 2). These scholars acknowledge that customer satisfaction is the key to the success of all businesses in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the new experiences created by the smart technologies may need to be studied and the knowledge could be useful in predicting the prospects of both luxury hotels and smart technologies.

Problem Statement

The implementation of smart technologies in luxury hotels is intended to improve the customer experience. As a service business, it can be argued that the factors associated with the quality of service and the interpersonal interactions between customer service personnel and the clients are critical in determining satisfaction levels. These sentiments have been expressed by several scholars who believe service features, empathy, tangibility, and hotel image can influence customer experience and satisfaction (Le, Nguyen, and Le, 2020, p. 920; TeamTrilyo, 2018, para. 1). However, the new technologies are shifting this paradigm where smart hotels are designed to be contactless (Magloff, 2020, para. 1; Hao, Xiao, and Chon, 2020, p. 7). Therefore, the current literature on customer satisfaction may be inadequate in explaining how smart technologies influence consumer experiences. The key argument is that a new model of service is emerging, which has not been adequately studied. Many questions arise, including whether the clients appreciate the benefits offered by new technologies. In certain aspects, including online booking and payments, the customers may have already become used to the time-saving aspects of the new technologies.

The services offered in hotels are diverse, which explains why these businesses employ many front-line workers. Examples include cleaning, chefs, reservation ticket agents, planners, clerks, and management staff. Smart technologies can be used to replace several of these positions, as illustrated by examples hotels employing only two staff members (TeamTrilyo, 2018, para. 1). The rest of the positions have been offered to smart machines, especially with the advances in artificial intelligence. A critical question that needs to be addressed in this new operational design is how the robots and other machines deployed affect consumer experience. Additionally, the quality of contactless services remains unexplored, which means that massive research gaps have been left. However, this research may not be based on the assumption that all luxury hotels have become contactless. The rationale is that most hotels still employ people in addition to the smart technologies intended to support customer service. The level of technology deployment and the types of technologies may vary across hotels in China. Therefore, there is a pressing need to research how these technologies are enhancing guest experiences in luxury hotels.

Research Objectives and Questions

The main objective of this study is to establish how smart technologies used in the luxury hotels in China enhance guest experiences. To achieve this, the research explores the concept of smart technologies and smart hotels to offer an understanding of innovative practices. The types of technology and how each is used in customer service are explored and the perceptions of people regarding the new technologies are outlined. The specific objectives are presented below, from which the research questions will be derived.

• To explore how smart technologies affect performance expectancy in Chinese hotels.
• To explore how smart technologies in the Chinese hotel industry affect social bonding
• To explore how technology affection is achieved in Chinese luxury hotels.
• To explore how technology dependence enhances customer experience in Chinese hotels.
• To explore how technology readiness affects guest experience in Chinese hotels.
• To explore how technology innovativeness enhances the guest experience in Chinese hotels.
• To explore the role of smart technologies in creating technology identity in Chinese luxury hotels.

Research questions

• How do smart technologies affect performance expectancy in Chinese hotels?
• How do smart technologies in the Chinese hotel industry affect social bonding?
• How does technology affection is achieved in Chinese luxury hotels?
• How does technology dependence enhance the customer experience in Chinese hotels?
• How does technology readiness in affect guest experience in Chinese hotels?
• How does technology innovativeness enhance the guest experience in Chinese hotels?
• What is the role of smart technologies in creating technology identity in Chinese luxury hotels?

Significance of the Study

The current study plays a critical role in building on the available literature on customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry. As explained in the problem statement, a new paradigm is emerging where the service industry is shifting towards contactless operations. The available body literature is founded on the notion that services offered in the hotel industry require getting into contact with the consumers. In such a case, the quality of service and how workers present themselves to clients affect customer experience. In the new mode of operation where smart technologies have been integrated, new packages of services are emerging, and which are not adequately studied. This study seeks to fill this research gap by exploring the subject of customer satisfaction in the light of smart technologies.

Literature Review

Introduction

The research seeks to explore the broader subject of customer satisfaction as part of the overall consumer experiences with the services offered in Chinese hotels. Therefore, the literature review should shed light on this subject and offer an outline for the rest of the chapter. The subject of customer satisfaction has been explored by multiple scholars who have managed to establish those factors positively affecting consumer experiences in the hotel industry and across other service sectors. The case study of China may also be possible to study by exploring what researchers have already done. Even though smear hotels are deemed to have brought about a paradigm shift regarding how customers are served, it can be argued that the factors affecting satisfaction remain the same. In this case, the main factor is technology, under which the various ways it affects customer experience should be explored. The literature review chapters offer a theoretical and conceptual framework where these variables and their relationships are outlined. The hypotheses, a critique of current literature, and the research will then follow.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

The key themes in this research are customer experience and customer satisfaction. Therefore, there is a need to define and understand each term and specify how they will be used in this research. The term customer experience can be defined based on multiple perspectives as explained by Pei et al. (2020). First, customer experience can be used to insinuate the internal and subjective reactions to the contact between a customer and a business. In this case, the elements that comprise customer experience include the quality of such services as packaging, advertising, user-friendliness, reliability of service or product, or function (Hult et al., 2019, p. 11). Second, customer experience can be described as emanating from consumers’ feelings of various levels, which include psychology, rationale, emotion, and mentality (Sebald and Jacob, 2020, p. 319). With these definitions, it is important to acknowledge that customer experience involves all points of contact, from the initial product research to the final consumption (Otterbring and Lu, 2018, p. 456). Therefore, customer experience can be used to imply what the customer goes through during the buying process.

It is important to acknowledge other definitions or descriptions of the term customer experience. According to Nobar and Rostamzadeh (2018, p. 420), the term means clients experience quality and their subjective reactions to it and the firm. This definition mirrors that of Pei et al. (2020) but also includes the integral concept of quality. Therefore, it apparent that different contexts have seen varied definitions of this term as observed by Becker and Jaakkola (2020, p. 636). For example, the studies on responses to stimuli may focus on the business-customer interface, in which case the customer experience covers the entire consumption process. Regardless of the definition or the field of research, the term customer experience is a very broad term that covers many elements, which means it is far from a singular outcome.

The second terminology is that of customer satisfaction, which should be distinguished from experience. The rationale is that satisfaction can be perceived as the result of an experience, which means that customer satisfaction is only a part of customer experience. However, it is important to observe that the term customer satisfaction has also had diverse definitions, which often depend on the nature and scope of the research. According to Pakurár et al. (2019, p. 3), customer satisfaction tends to measure organizational performance according to the needs of the consumers. Therefore, the feedback from the consumers is the foundation upon which the their levels of satisfaction can be estimated, especialy after the consumption has taken place (Al-jazzazi & Sultan, 2017, p. 275). Most importantly, customer satisfaction can be described as the feeling regarding the output of an evaluation process, which is often used to compare expectations against what is received (Sultana et al., 2016, p. 98). Similar to customer experience, customer satisfaction is also an assessment of the feelings towards products, services, of the entity offering them.

While there are several attempts to define the term satisfaction, the basic tenet is that this concept involves an assessment of feelings after consumption. According to Al-Omar, Alomari, and Aljawarneh, (2020, p. 844), satisfaction entails an evaluation of the post-purchase, which is also the result of the experiences over time. Another definition is offered by Afthanorhan et al. (2019, p. 15), who posits that customer satisfaction is the state of a person’s feelings after comparing the products received with its perceived performance. This description is similar to that of Sultana et al. (2016, p. 98) because the focus is on expectation versus reality. As a philosophy, customer satisfaction can be used to imply both the ability and responsibility of a firm to meet the needs of a customer, often by forecasting and managing their expectations (Nobar and Rostamzadeh, 2018, p. 419). Therefore, the term customer satisfaction is concerned with how well goods and services are offered and how the customers feel about the consumption experience.

With the detailed definitions of these two terminologies, it is important to understand how both are used in this research. First, the topic mentioned customer experience, which covers the entire consumption process. In a hotel setting, the consumption begins with the clients searching and researching the hotels and their services. Depending on the mode of operation, the customers can make contact with the firms, either for booking or in search of further information or guidance. The actual consumption takes place when the clients visit the premises and receive all the services that have been requested. Unfortunately, there are hardly any frameworks for measuring customer experience focusing on the feelings at every stage. Therefore, the concept of customer satisfaction is used as an alternative terminology because satisfaction can be measured. The rationale for this position is that the definition of the term satisfaction highlights the result of the entire consumer experience, which can be expressed through evaluating the responses of the clients (Sultana et al., 2016, p. 98). Therefore, satisfaction sums up experience, which means that positive feedback on satisfaction scales indicate overaal positive experience.

With the relationships between satisfaction and experience established, it follows that the conceptual model can be developed using satisfaction. As a construct that can be measured, satisfaction can be broken down into smaller themes called determinants, which will serve as the independent variable. The factors of satisfaction affect the level of satisfaction, which makes satisfaction the dependent variable. Using this conceptualization, all aspects that can affect customer satisfaction will appear on the left-hand side of the model. Before developing the model, it is important to acknowledge that the main factor being investigated is smart technologies and their influences on customer experience. Technology affects satisfaction in several ways, and it is these mechanisms that will be used as the dependent variables. Additionally, the research objective and questions have highlighted the seven sub-themes to be investigated: performance expectancy, social bonding, technology affection, technology dependence, technology readiness, innovativeness, and technology identity.

The conceptual model may also involve other variables that may affect the experience. As stated in the background, some observers feel that millennials are the main targets by hotels implementing smart technologies (Silver, 2017, para. 1). Therefore, it means that age and other demographic factors can play a critical role in determining how technologies are perceived and experienced. Therefore, the conceptual framework comprises both the demographic and technological factors as the main determinants of the guest experience. A summary of the conceptual model can be summarized in a diagram as illustrated in Figure 1.

Hypotheses

The research hypotheses are derived from the research objectives to act as a guide to the inquiry. Seven hypotheses have been developed, each addressing a research question. It is important to highlight that this research is confirmatory, which requires the generation and testing of hypotheses. A brief description of the hypothesis is offered in addition to an elaboration of the relationships between the predetermined variables.

• H1: Performance expectancy is positively related to guest satisfaction

The first hypothesis links the concept of performance expectancy and guest satisfaction in luxury hotels. According to Sair and Danish (2018, p. 503), the term performance expectancy can be defined as the extent to which customers believe that job performance will be improved through innovative technologies. Additionally, it has been observed that the idea of perceived usefulness of the technology is also linked to the performance expectancy. Some scholars explore performance expectancy in contexts involving the deployment of new technologies where the main concern for the consumer is how the technology serves them (Chao, 2019, p. 2). In this case, the performance expectancy of smart technologies means clients already understand the innovations and how they are intended to serve them. This performance expectancy can greatly improve the overall experience in luxury hotels.

• H2: Technology social bonding is positively related to guest satisfaction

The concept of technology social bonding can be described as relatively controversial in this study. The argument is that customer bonding involves a relation between a customer and the service provider (Danish et al., 2018, p. 42). Many studies regarding technological advances express concerns that people are replaced by machines. There is a question of how social bonding is affected by new technologies, including the smart technologies that result in luxury hotels employing fewer workers. However, there is also a possibility that smart technologies may bring customers closers to service providers for more efficient interactions (Roblek et al., 2019, p. 94). In this case, technology social bonding would be positively related to the guest experience.

• H3: Technology affection is positively related to guest satisfaction

The third hypotheses is intended to express the relationship between technology affection the consumer intention to visit luxury hotel. Smart technologies have different effects on customers, including participation dynamics, decision-making, and customer intentions (Foroudi et al., 2018, p. 271). In luxury hotels, numerous typologies of smart technology are deployed and the guests are assumed to be aware of them, which affects their anticipations. Loyalty and behavioral intentions are influenced by such technologies as self-service in similar settings as established by Iqbal, Hassan, and Habibah (2018, p. 2). Therefore, it can be argued that the customers’ knowledge and longing for the new technologies are key factors affecting their intentions to experience the services. In this case, the hypothesis to be tested states that technology affection is a major determinant of guest satisfaction with Chinese luxury hotels.

• H4: Technology dependence is positively related to guest satisfaction

Technology dependence can be described as the long-term reliance on technology or machines to accomplish tasks or resolve other problems. In many contexts, technology dependence is a negative concept due to how it affects human lives. A good example is how the Covid-19 is necessitating adjustments in life and work, especially where technologies are needed to work. Remote working best illustrates this aspect where employees are increasingly dependent on smart technologies, including Zoom and other online meeting spaces. According to (Ratho, 2020, para. 1), this reliance on new technologies increases anxiety and stress in employees. In luxury hotels, the situation may be different because the customers may have positive experiences and expectations from the smart technologies. In such a case, those guests with higher levels of technology dependence will appreciate the smart technologies. Therefore, this hypothesis seeks to prove that technology dependence is positively related to guest satisfaction in Chinese luxury hotels.

• H5: Technology readiness is positively related to guest satisfaction

This hypothesis can be deemed to be different from the previous ones due to the fact that technology readiness and its application to customer satisfaction with luxury has been explored. One such case is presented by Pham et al. (2018), who focus on the case of Vietnam. Another case study of Vietnam is given by Huy et al. (2019), who have explored such aspects as self-service technologies. These studies find that customers are more engaged in the creation and delivery of service as a result of smart technologies. The findings can be applied in the case of Chinese luxury hotels where the customers who are ready to embrace the new technologies have a better overall experience. Additionally, the absence of human contact may not alter the perceptions of these customers who already expect the machines to offer better services.

• H6: Technology innovativeness is positively related to guest satisfaction

Customer satisfaction from practices associated with technology innovativeness is a subject that has received massive scholarly attention. Most of the current literature focuses on such sectors as telecommunications, banking, and hotels (Kanwal & Yousaf, 2019, p. 125; Diaw & Asare, 2018, p. 15; Igwe & Kalu, 2017, p. 56). In the service sectors, the term service innovativeness has emerged to imply the deployment of new and smart technologies to improve the efficiency and quality of services offered. Therefore, technology innovation implies improvement in the processes involved with services. The customer experience has been described as the subjective feelings spanning across the entire consumption process. With better technological innovations, this experience is greatly enhanced. Therefore, this hypothesis holds that technology innovation is positively related to the satisfaction of guests in Chinese luxury hotels.

• H7: Technology identity is positively related to guest satisfaction

Technology identity is critical in explaining the extent to which customers accept and embrace technological innovations. However, many scholars illustrate the existence of a negative relationship where socio-technical issues prevent the adoption of new technologies (Wang, et al., 2020, p. 345). However, the millennials can be described as a tech-savvy generation who are always keen on adopting new technologies. In this case, the experience of consumers depends on their technology identity. This hypothesis seeks to prove that technology identity is positively related to guest satisfaction in Chinese luxury hotels.

Critique of Literature

Smart technologies in hotels across the world are an emerging phenomenon but one which has received massive scholarly attention. A large pool of literature is available and contains a variety of topics, including technology applications and service provision. Additionally, the previous studies have covered both the hotel industry and the entire travel and tourism industry. The focus of this critique will be to explore all this literature and establish how it supports the current study revolving around guest experience and satisfaction with smart technologies. However, it is important to acknowledge that all literature has one main conclusion: that smart technologies are intended to offer the best customer experiences and boost their satisfaction with the hotel and other services.

Many studies have sought to describe the idea of smart technologies are and their practical applications in facilitating customer experience. According to Amer and Alqhtani (2019, p. 11), the concept of the internet of things (IoT) has been introduced to refer to the new devices and technologies used by hotels to offer sophisticated service while respecting their privacy. This position is shared by Maglovska and Dimitrov (2020, p. 420) who expressed that the IoT is used by luxury hotels to make their experiences memorable. Internet of things is becoming a necessity in the broader travel and tourism sector where the focus is on interconnecting both the physical and virtual worlds with electronic devices (Car, Stifanich, and Šimunić, 2019, p. 164). Some of the key components include computers, phones, and similar devices that can be connected to the internet. They are installed in the hotels to serve multiple purposes but the main idea is that the customers get improved services. The main idea expressed by these researchers is that smart technologies in the context of luxury hotels are intended to improve hotel services and, consequently, guest experience

Another key focus by scholars on the subject of smart technologies is the developments of such phenomena as Industry 4.0 and how they help create smart hotels. According to Sari 2018 (p. 34), Industry 4.0 is a collective term covering modern automation systems, production technologies, and data exchanges. In hotels, these technologies substitute human contact through the use of robots and service automation. The term Industry 4.0 is used to refer to the fourth industrial revolution that encompasses IoT, big data, cyber-physical systems, cloud manufacturing, and augmented reality. In its application to the tourism sector, the term Tourism 4.0 has also been coined to imply the application of the fourth industrial revolution to the tourism sector and the specific industries, including hotels (Korže, 2019, p. 29). The application of these technologies is intended to offer better and innovative services. The argument is that services are experienced differently from physical goods, which means companies have to keep evolving. According to Verevka (2019, p. 4), Industry 4.0 in the hotel industry helps achieve these goals through the use of robotics and other forms of automation. Smart technologies use smart devices to offer improved services to guests.

While the studies of Industry 4.0 do not mention customer satisfaction, they are critical in helping obtain an idea of smart technologies. It can be seen that smart hotels are the result of the industrial revolution where the new technologies are revolutionizing entire industries. However, it is also important to acknowledge that some researchers remain concerned with these innovations, especially robotics, because of the substitution of human contact (Sari, 2018, p. 36). While the views are divided on this subject, it remains a fact that service automation is rapidly growing and many people are embracing the new services. Most importantly, research establishes that technological innovations are helping hotel businesses improve their competitiveness through increased quantity and quality of services offered (Ercan, 2019, p. 529). In this sense, it is apparent that smart technologies are desired by consumers because of the experiences they offer.

The idea of smart technologies has been described alongside how they are used to offer a better user experience. Further literature focuses on the conceptualization of smart hotels as a construct derived from the application of smart technologies. According to Khalid (2016, p. 100) hotels are always seeking to make guests feel comfortable and, in some cases, replicate the feeling of being home. Therefore, smart hotels achieve this objective by automating everything that the guests want to forget. Examples include messaging, finding the rooms, lights, room cleaning, room service, and in-room entertainment. Smart hotels also involve voice-controlled rooms, mobile-controlled tasks, touch-controlled panels, motion sensor lights, artificial intelligence, chatbots, and energy-efficient rooms (Tyagi and Patvekar, 2019, pp. 1314-15). Another key feature of smart hotels is their ability to offer personalization for the guests, especially through creating the conditions clients desire (Ramgade and Kumar, 2021, p. 110). Additionally, the guests are increasingly demanding real-time service cocreation through engagement and interactivity (Buhalis and Leung, 2018, p. 43). Smart technologies offer a platform for meeting these desires. Therefore, smart hotels are created to address the changing consumption patterns.

Many of the studies explored above have indicated that smart technologies in luxury hotels have been intended to improve customer satisfaction. However, they do not offer evidence that those customers who have experienced the services express satisfaction. Therefore, generalizations are difficult to derive from them regarding whether smart technologies are positively related to customer experience. It can be argued that the focus of the scholars was to explain how smart hotels work and what technologies are involved (Sari, 2018, p. 36; Maglovska and Dimitrov (2020, p. 420). However, the literature is significant because it is impossible to explore customer satisfaction with a service that is not understood. Additionally, most of the literature explains how customer experience is created, sometimes through addressing customer desires and requests (Buhalis and Leung, 2018, p. 43; Ramgade and Kumar, 2021, p. 110). In any business, customer satisfaction is the result of being happy with the product or service. Therefore, it means that getting the desired services will guarantee customer satisfaction with the luxury hotels. This literature serves two critical purposes: explaining what smart hotels are and highlighting how consumer experiences are created.

The effects of smart technologies on customer satisfaction in the context of smart hotels has also ben explored. However, the literature in this regard remains scant and vague but adequate to form a foundation for future studies. Examples include the study by Truong, et al., 2020, p. 307), which explores innovations of service operations as opposed to smart technologies in luxury hotels. However, even this study derived most of its evidence from those that express that many hotels tend to leverage customer satisfaction on the use of technological applications to the service operations (Xu and Li, 2016; Kuo, Chen, and Tseng, 2017). Service innovation is often the term used by scholars to refer to broader technological advancements in the production of services. As explained by Truong, et al. (2020, p. 310), the hotel industry is extremely competitive, which means that many businesses have to create memorable experiences to ensure their survival. The memorable experiences are achieved through service innovation and smart technologies, as well as serving the customers what they request.

One of the key themes in many scholarly works on smart hotels is that the current technological developments are necessitated by the consumers themselves. From this observation, it can be argued that the experience of the consumers is predetermined by them and the hotels only act in response. This position is expressed by Lam and Law (2019, p. 61), who find that hotel managers understand the need to design services according to consumer tastes. Specifically, the evidence states that businesses in this industry try to sell in the way the customers want to buy. Additionally, it is expressed in some studies that the customers may be the ones determining the choice of devices, timing, media, packaging, and channels regarding the design and offering of the services (Lam and Law, 2019, p. 61). Therefore, it means that the management means that smart hotels are a necessity in meeting consumer demands (Xia, 2018, p. 977). This paradigm can be described as customer-centricity as defined by (Inversini, Carlo, and Masiero, 2020, p. 1). Therefore, the hotels are creating customer experiences by addressing their diverse needs and preferences.

Very few studies have directly explored the experiences of customers in smart hotels. However, a decent attempt has been made by Qi and Mo (2021, p. 4)using a text big data analysis. These scholars focus on those dimensions and factors that guests pay attention to and explores the reviews of consumers. Significant differences were found between the experiences in traditional and smart hotels. The guests appreciated the software and hardware used by smart hotels. Therefore, the research concluded that the deployment of intelligent devices was the focus of customers’ attention and was also critical to improving their levels of satisfaction. The methodological approaches of these studies may be highly technical, especially because of the use of Python programming language in the data analysis. However, the main idea was to explore the comments made by consumers and link them to perceived levels of satisfaction. It may prove difficult to replicate these methodologies but the fact remains that a positive relationship between smart technologies and customer experience has been established.

Very few of these studies have drawn a direct link between satisfaction and smart technologies in luxury hoteks. Even so, it is possible to discern a positive correlation between these variables. As the studies above indicate, customer experience is determined by the customers themselves, from which an assumption can be made that meeting consumers’ needs improves their experience. Therefore, studies of consumer behavior regarding these technologies can also support the topic and form a basis for future research. According to Kim, Montes, and Han (2021, p. 1), the expected benefits of smart hotels influence consumer behavior. The evidence produced reveals that personalization and entertainment create a perceived value and significantly shape the attitudes of guests towards luxury hotels. Most importantly customers’ intentions towards these hotels are affected by the technologies. From a theoretical perspective, consumer intentions refer to their consideration of purchasing or repurchasing a product or service. Positive intentions mean that clients have experienced value and satisfaction or that they expect the same from the product or service they intend to purchase. This study indicates that it is difficult not to associate smart technologies with customer experience.

The concept of perceived value may indicate positive experiences with smart technologies. However, the evidence cited in Kim, Montes, and Han (2021, p. 1) expressly states that this value enhances the experience. Similar studies have found the same relationship with the focus mostly be on the benefits of smart technologies as the foundations for the guest experiences (Kabadayi et al., 2019, p. 326; Kim and Han, 2020). An explanation of how experience is created by smart technologies has been outlined by Kabadayi et al. (2019), who states that smart technologies offer a seamless experience, empowerment, security and privacy, accurate service delivery, and enjoyment. Safety and security are dimensions also described by Kim, Montes, and Han (2021, p. 1). However, the customer must perceive these and other benefits as adequate for them to be considered benefits capable of shaping the customer experience. In a digital age, it can be argued that consumers actively seek these benefits and their intentions towards those businesses that provide them are always positive. It also means that the customers can determine the hotels of choice based on these benefits with anticipation of positive experiences.

The mention of two concepts: perceived value and customer engagement, in the literature on smart technologies hints at the notion of co-creation. The idea of value is a form of joint innovation involving all stakeholders in the design and implementation of new technologies. A study by Sarmah, Kamboj, and Rahman (2017, p. 2647) finds that guests in luxury hotels are willing to co-create new services involving smart technologies and that their intentions towards smart hotels are positive. The customers’ need for interactions with innovative technologies could be perceived as an intention to create their own experiences. This interpretation means that new technologies in smart hotels are designed to fulfill client requirements and, thus, positively address consumer experiences. While value co-creation is only remotely related to the research subject, the discussions surrounding it directly touch on customer experience. Sarmah, Kamboj, and Rahman (2017, p. 2652) find that customer experiences in hotels are characterized to be adaptable to the various needs of guests. The argument is that guests disclose their preferences, which means they highlight the experiences they desire.

Another key theme forming part of the hypotheses is technology readiness. A few studies have explored this concept in the context of smart hotels. According to Kim, Lee, and Han (2020, p. 2), readiness to new technologies directly influence consumer’s responses in accepting them. Smart hotels may be uncommon in many places, which means that the attraction of customers to the available ones is driven by the desire to experience innovations in service delivery. Additionally, readiness is subject to expectations and perceived experiences, including reliability, ease of use, efficiency, and convenience. Personalized and richer experiences are indicators of improved performance levels, which should create positive customer intentions. This literature is also tied to the notions of intelligence and security and how these elements create customer experiences with smart technologies in luxury hotels. Therefore, readiness is a broad construct tied to customer experience and one which can be used as an indicator that smart technologies are expected to achieve high levels of guest satisfaction.

Technology readiness is positively related to the purchase intention due to the perceived value. This position has been established by Pham et al. (2020, p. 91), whose arguments are also tied to the ability of customers to co-create their experiences. The focus has been on such aspects as integrated self-service technologies that allow customers to customize services to their satisfaction. In this case, technology readiness is affected by multiple factors, including optimism, innovativeness, comfort, and security. Optimism can be described as the ability to view technology positively believing that it will offer favorable conditions and experiences. Innovativenell entails the tendency of the consumers to become technological pioneers, which is manifested in the eagerness to try innovations. These two aspects are combined with the elements of perceived value, which include both comfort and security. Therefore, it is apparent that customer experience with smart technologies is a construct making appearances in multiple theoretical foundations. Value co-creation, readiness, and perceived value are all indicators of a positive relation between smart technologies and the customer experience in luxury hotels.

Research Gap

The review of the literature provided above has illustrated that the concept of customer satisfaction with new technologies has received significant scholarly attention. However, the specific context of luxury hotels has been inadequately studied. A possible explanation for this observation is that smart hotels are a relatively novel concept in the hospitality industry. Even the traditional hotels have implemented considerable technologies but not to the level of being labeled as smart. Smart technologies are still in the development phase as manifested by Industry 4.0. Therefore, entirely new services and experiences are created by smart technologies. The current literature has provided significant insight into what smart hotels entail. Additionally, the common claim by scholars is that smart technologies are intended to improve customer experience. Even though illustrations of customer experience with smart technologies are provided, it remains relatively vague, especially where primary data is lacking. Therefore, the current literature leans a huge gap that needs to be filled.

Additionally, many of the studies explored have focused on different theoretical constructs and have only indirectly addressed customer experience or satisfaction. There is a need to conduct primary and empirical research that directly answers the question of how smart technologies relate to the consumer experience. The methodological approaches adopted have also differed but not many offer a detailed view of the subject. Case studies can help fill this gap, which explains why China has been selected as the focal point of the study. Also notable is the fact that China is one of the countries making huge strides in smart hotels in the world. The leading innovations are to be emulated by global economies, which means that they are the perfect case studies. Exploring China’s experiences with smart hotels has also not been undertaken, which means that this study fills a significant gap in this regard.

Methodology

Introduction

The third chapter of this research is the methodology, which highlights how the study was conducted. As primary research, the researcher has a variety of choices to make and opts for those that best suit the circumstances. First, the chapter offers a description of the research approach taken, which is quantitative. A definition will be offered and comparisons made between it and other alternatives. The design is also discussed, in this case, the case study. Additionally, other elements, including the sampling, data collection and analysis, and ethical considerations will all be highlighted in this chapter.

Research Approach

A researcher tends to elect the study approach based on the nature and purpose of the study and its purpose. In this case, first-hand data from primary research is needed, which means the researcher has to choose between quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. The data collected will be numerical in nature because the research seeks to measure guest experiences. Therefore, a quantitative approach has been selected as the most appropriate to help address the objectives of the inquiry. Quantitative studies can be described as those inquiries involving the quantification of data. According to Apuke (2017, p. 41), the term quantitative means that the scholar seeks to quantify and analyze data, which is usually numerical. This form of research tends to answer the what, where, how, and when regarding the research. In this case, the researcher explores how smart technologies related to customer experience in luxury hotels in China. Therefore, the data that must be collected must be numerical or should be converted into and analyzed in numerical form.

Multiple features and conditions tend to characterize the quantitative research approach. In addition to the data being quantified, the sample sizes are larger and are considered to be representative of the entire population. Therefore, the findings tend to offer a sufficiently comprehensive view of the problem where generalizations are made to cover larger populations. Due to the numerical nature of the data, such disciplines as mathematics and statistics tend to be critical to the processes involving analysis of the data and generalization of the findings (Queirós, Faria, and Almeida, 2017, p. 370). In most cases, descriptive statistics can be used to offer an overview of the subjects and the responses. More technical analyses may require advanced statistics, including the analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The use of these tools is necessitated by the fact that the allow the researcher to offer a detailed view of the relationship between the variables.

The features of the quantitative methods offer certain advantages that researchers can capitalize on. First, the generalizability of the findings to a specific population means a sample is often adequate to represent larger populations. Secondly, specific populations can also be targeted but the large sample sizes of what provide the adequacy of the representation. Lastly, the methods used are often standard, which allows them to be replicated by other scholars within to confirm the findings. As mentioned earlier, standard statistical tools of regression, ANOVA, and correlation analysis are used. However, quantitative methods may not offer evidence of why respondents or the populations they represent think of feel the way they do (Queirós, Faria, and Almeida, 2017, p. 370). However, the focus of a quantitative study is to establish the relationship between the variables. Qualitative studies often help fill this gap but the tediousness of these approaches limit the sample size that can be accommodated. The argument is that qualitative research is often concerned with the realities that cannot be quantified. Understanding and explanations of social dynamics are best explained using these approaches.

Qualitative approaches often focus on deepening the understanding of a research problem. The focus is usually on in-depth and illustrative information that seeks to offer a greater understanding of the various dimensions of the problem under investigation (Queirós, Faria, and Almeida, 2017, p. 370). With these features, it follows that this research is designed for a qualitative approach. It can be argued that focusing on a single country may allow for a more in-depth analysis. However, the framing of the research questions are indicative of the fact that this research cannot offer in-depth analysis of the problem despite the study having the characteristics of a case study. The only advantage of such a decision is to concentrate the data on a smaller geographical region from which the samples are drawn. Therefore, the findings of this research will be generalized across the entire Chinese population. Most importantly, the quantitative methods can be replicated through follow-up studies hoping to replicate the findings in different geographical locations.

It is also possible to consider the application of the mixed methods approach. According to Truong, Liu, and Yu (2020, p. 1564), both the qualitative and quantitative methods have weaknesses that can be addressed by offering a mix of both. Additionally, mixed methods research tends to be more pragmatic and attaches importance to the research question as opposed to the research method. However, it can also be argued that the nature and scope of the inquiry is the leading consideration for the selection of the research approach. In this case, the scope of the study is narrow in the sense that it simply seeks to establish the existence of a positive relationship between smart technologies and guest experience. Therefore, the statistical methods applied to quantitative approaches offer the easiest pathway to answering the research question.

Research Design

One of the most significant decisions made by research is the selection of frameworks and designs. This is because these aspects tend to determine the research approaches, including the collection and analysis of the data. The term research design can be used to imply the framework of the study. Additionally, it can be described as the overall strategy used to address the research question. Several designs can be used to describe this research based on its nature and scope. First, confirmatory research can be inferred from the use of a hypothesis and based on the fact that the scholar seeks to confirm a set of predetermined statements. Secondly, a deductive design is manifested through the fact that the study seeks to generate a general theory regarding the relationship between the given variables. Lastly, a case study design is the result of the researcher focusing on a single country as opposed to a more general global population.

Confirmatory research design dominates almost all fields of social science. Its usefulness to a researcher can be the reason for this dominance as explained by Reiter 92017, p. 131). In other words, confirmatory research is used by most social scientists in both qualitative and quantitative methods to corroborate or prove their hypotheses. This research is based on seven hypotheses that are all linked to the broad question of whether smart technologies improve customer satisfaction. The hypotheses are to be proven by the primary data collected, which will be collected and analyzed to answer the research questions. The selection of confirmatory research is based on the many advantages it offers to scholars. Most importantly, confirmatory research makes it possible to formulate a clear theory to be tested in its application. This theory is in the form of the hypotheses, which are developed upfront before the necessary tools are selected to address the research question. By pre-determining hypotheses, scholars have a scheme that is clear and easy to follow because all research is designed to fit within the parameters of these basic theories.

Another research design that fits this research is deductive or hypothetico-deductive research. The term deduction implies that a researcher moves from general to particular theories (Woiceshyn and Daellenbach, 2018, p. 185). In other words, the scholars start by developing a theory, from which hypotheses are derived and tested. The results from the hypothesis testing are used to further revise the theory. In this case, the general theory is that smart technologies improve customer experience in luxury hotels. From this general theory, seven hypotheses have been derived, each focusing on particular variables that comprise the general theory. Most importantly, this research seeks to collect primary data to test the hypothesis. The specific relationships between smart technology and customer satisfaction will be outlined through the analysis of the data, which should offer a more refined theoretical statement.

The hypothetico-deductive research design is considered to have more to offer researchers. This approach requires the formulation of a hypothesis that cannot be directly verified, deducing auxiliary assumptions in conjunction with empirical consequences, and then confirming or disconfirming the hypothesis (Folde, 2016, p. 58). Hypothetico-deductive (H-D) approach focuses more on the justification of the hypothesis as opposed to the processes involved in the research. However, the H-D design can be viewed as an adaptation of the deductive design where the primary focus of the researcher is to test hypotheses.

Lastly, this research can also qualify as a case study design. According to Harrison et al. (2017, p. 6), case study designs are concerned with the empirical inquiry that pays attention to the context of the case. Therefore, a case study seeks to explore a phenomenon as it applies to a single subject, which in case the case. The subject could be a human or an object, or even a geographic context such as a country. This research explores smart technologies in the context of Chinese luxury hotels. Therefore, China is the case subject, which could be used to represent the global economies and industries in tourism and hospitality. However, case studies are often associated with descriptive investigations where they are intended to offer an in-depth view of the phenomenon. Even though this research is restricted to the Chinese luxury hotels context, the lack of in-depth analysis and description of the subject means a case study hardly applies.

Sample Size Sampling Techniques

Answering research questions require researchers to gather data from various cases. It is doubtful that a scholar can collect data from entire populations unless they are small. In this case, sampling becomes a key feature of most scholarly research, especially where primary data is to be collected (Taherdoost, 2016, p. 18). The term sampling can be defined as the technique, procedure, or device used by a researcher to systematically select a smaller number of items to represent a specified population. The representative items are the samples, which can also be referred to as subsets. The population is the data source from which observations or experimentations are done depending on the nature of the study (Sharma, 2017, p. 749). In this research, the population comprises Chinese nationals in the country where the observations are made regarding their experiences with luxury hotels. Most importantly, the respondents are selected because they are perceived to have the information being sought. Therefore, a more specific description of the population includes people who have visited luxury hotels in China. This is the only group of people who can explain their experiences.

Several sampling techniques can be used depending on the preference of the researcher. However, there are two broad categories of techniques: probability and non-probability sampling. Probability sampling involves offering all members of the population an equal likelihood of being selected. This is approach is more accurate but it may require more work from the researcher (Sharma, 2017, p. 750). For most empirical studies, probability sampling offers fewer biases and is often preferred. Several types of probability sampling are also available for selection. Examples include simple random sampling, which involves giving equal chances to all members for being selected. It is one of the easiest to assemble and offers the best representation of the population. Systematic sampling is considered to be better at evenly distributing the samples across the population. Other techniques under probability sampling include stratified and cluster sampling.

Non-probability sampling does not offer equal chances for selection and included such techniques as quota, purposive, snowball, and self-selection. Quota sampling seeks to obtain a sample that is proportional to the population. According to Sharma (2017, p. 751), quotas are especially useful where the researcher is unable to obtain a probability sample. Purposive sampling can be referred to as selective or subjective judgment and relies on personal judgment. Self-selection targets the willingness of the respondents, while snowballing is a chain sampling where participants recruit others. As mentioned earlier, probability sampling eliminates the element of bias, which is why this research selects it as the default.

However, some cases may require a combination of methods. As a deductive study, the focus is on obtaining a large enough sample, which should be adequately distributed across the population. The question of the sample size needs to be addressed first before settling on the combination of techniques. The concept of an adequate sample may depend on multiple issues but larger samples are preferred because of less bias (Taherdoost, 2017, p. 237). In this case, a sample size of 400 respondents will be adequate to allow greater generalization of the results and representation of the population. The argument is that many studies do not accomplish a 100% response rate. Therefore, this figure may drop depending on the response rate where the researcher will be ready to undertake further sampling should the rate be too low.

Therefore, the selection of sampling techniques will depend on what the researcher is looking for. Simple random sampling will be used to select the luxury hotels in China from which visiting customers can be targeted. Additionally, further random sampling of the visitors will be done at each hotel. The researcher hopes to select 10 hotels, from which 40 customers will be selected. However, there is a need to offer more representation across the gender, and a quota is set where no one gender should have more than 60% of the representation. This combination of sampling techniques means that the researcher addresses many of the shortcomings of the individual techniques. With this mix, bias is eliminated and even distribution of the samples is also achieved. Most importantly, a large enough sample will be obtained to make it more representative of the population.

Data Collection and Analysis

In quantitative studies, data collection and analysis are often tied to statistics. Significant evolutions in quantitative data analysis have been experienced where philosophies have changed from dichotomous thinking towards quantitative reasoning (Ho et al., 2019, p. 1). Survey research has also become a common, if not the main, technique for gathering data. In this case, a survey is used to ask the customers the necessary questions to address the research objective. By definition, surveys involve a systematic collection of data from individuals where standard procedures are deployed (Stockemer, 2019, p. 23). First, a questionnaire is developed containing all the necessary questions. A closed questionnaire is preferred because is short and easy to use. Most importantly, this research does not seek to offer descriptive insight into the problem. Rather, the responses are short and quantifiable to allow for statistical analysis. The survey questions are designed to match the hypotheses: questions are categorized along with the hypothesis where several questions are asked under each.

For quantitative data to be collected, the researcher must find a framework to quantify the data collected. Therefore, a five-point Linkert scale is developed upon which all answered are graded. The responses obtained either agree or disagree with the statements expressed in the questionnaire. In this case, answers indicating 1 stand for strongly disagree while answers with 5 highlight strongly agree. This will be the standard mode of data collection and quantification across all the research respondents. Each of the customers has experienced luxury hotels and has intentions to either visit again or not to do so. As such, all the responses will fit within the five-point Linkert scale where strongly disagrees would mean no intention to return while 5 means an intention to use luxury hotels again. As explained in the literature, these intentions are informed by the consumer experiences, which means both agree and strongly agree measures are positive indicators of the positive guest experience.

Data analysis will be accomplished using several statistical methods and tools. First, a demographic profile of the respondents will be developed using descriptive statistics. Crucially, the gender, age, marital status, education, occupation, income, and travel frequency will be tabulated for both percentages and measures of frequency. Descriptive statistics helps understand the population being studied. The need for this classification is to confirm some of the statements made in the literature review, including the fact that millennials are more attracted to new technologies. Comparisons of responses across other populations are necessary to understand the consumption dynamics in the luxury hotel industry.

Before subjecting the data to further numerical analysis, a reliability analysis is conducted to assess the internal consistency. Cronbach’s Alpha is used for this task, which helps determine how closely related the items in the data set are. High values of alpha imply higher levels of correlation when the number of items is held constant. Inconsistencies may affect the validity of the result, which makes a reliability analysis a necessity. The relationships between the variables are assessed using several statistical tools, including a sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation, and regression analyses.

The independent t-test analysis compares the mean scores of two independent groups to determine whether there is statistical evidence that the population means are significantly different. In this case, the population comprises two broad demographic categories of male and female. There is a need to determine any differences between these two regarding smart technologies. Any differences may make it difficult to generalize the results across the entire population comprising the male and females. The one-way ANOVA compares means across more groups, often three or more. Besides gender, it can be argued that different age groups have different levels of attraction to smart technologies. A one-way ANOVA helps determine the statistical differences between the age groups. The researcher uses seven categories: under 21, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-65, and above 65 years as the broad categorization involving age. Any significant differences across these classifications may indicate that each group has a different level of attraction to the smart technologies deployed by luxury hotels in China.

Correlation analysis will be used to establish the relationship between the variables in the data sets. The seven hypotheses may relate to each other either positively or negatively. Their relationships may affect the overall consumer experiences with luxury hotels. It is assumed that not all respondents will express satisfaction, and the negative correlation between any two variables could explain any negative responses. Lastly, regression analysis will be used to explore the possibility that multiple independent variables will influence a single dependent variable. In other words, the regression analysis will be a means of establishing which of the hypotheses are true by establishing which dependent variables affect the independent variable. Crucially, the relationship between the independent and dependent variables is as outlined in the hypothesis. The regression analysis will confirm or disconfirm the relationship, which means proving or disproving the hypothesis. While the previous statistical analyses offers a objective view of the dataset, the regression analysis is the core of this exercise because it helps determine how smart technologies affect customer experience in luxury hotels.

Ethical Considerations

Conducting primary research means that the scholars have to observe several ethical issues. According to Rahman (2017, p. 102), ethical considerations have developed alongside the research approaches and methods, which means all studies have to illustrate their compliance to ethical practice. Some scholars argue that quantitative research has been designed to be inherently ethical (Zyphur & Pierides, 2017, p. 1). While this is a hypothesis that could require testing, it can be argued that the shallow nature of the engagement between the researcher and respondents means that only a few issues need to be addressed. For this study, the researcher acknowledges that the participants must not be harmed in any way, either emotionally, physically, or psychologically. Therefore, the questions asked are designed to be subtle without the possibility of exposing the researchers.

Among the key ethical issues include voluntary participation and informed consent. This means that no individual will be forced or coerced to participate in the survey. Additionally, informed consent will be provided and signed by each respondent before the administration of the survey questionnaires. Additionally, all the responses will be kept confidential and will not be revealed to third parties. This is coupled with the fact that no private and sensitive information regarding the respondents will be collected. The researcher may need to determine income levels, age, and occupation, but some of these details will be offered only if the respondent wished. The anonymity of the respondent will be maintained, which explains why emails, phone numbers, or names will not be among the data collected. The ultimate objective is to make sure the participants are assured of privacy and security.

Lastly, the research does not engage minors in the research, which should ensure validity and legality of the research. However, the more pressing concern for the researcher is that minors are not the best population for this study because they may not have the necessary information. Adults are genuine consumers of the services offered by the luxury hotels and whose experiences and intentions are independent of parental or guardian influence. It means that avoiding minors is both an ethical and practical consideration

Conclusion

Conclusion

Customer experience and satisfaction is a subject that has been studied extensively. However, further studies will continue to be undertaken to address the emerging products and services across industries. Technology is one of the elements that has been driving industries with revolutionary products and services. The hotel industry across the world has embraced smart technologies to improve customer experiences. However, it has been expressed that the customers have a critical role to play due to their affinity towards new technologies. Therefore, exploring what drives customers to try new technologies remains a critical subject, especially in an era where smart technologies are changing entire businesses. The hotel industry has been experimenting with new technologies, which has resulted in the creation of smart hotels. Such technologies as self-service have ushered in an era of unmanned hotel rides and contactless services. From a theoretical perspective, it can be argued that customers will accept these services only if they have positive experiences with them.

This research has explored how smart technologies in Chinese luxury hotels improve customer experience. To achieve this objective, seven hypotheses have been developed, each of which contributed towards a general theory of the relationship between smart technologies and customer experience. From the theoretical and conceptual framework, the terms customer experience and satisfaction have been distinguished, where an illustration has been made that experience is broader and includes satisfaction as one of the ley components. However, experience is more difficult to quantify and measure whereas satisfaction is not. Additionally, the fact that positive feedback on satisfaction emanated from positive experiences means that the two terms can be interchanged in this study.

The seven hypotheses are derived from the conceptual framework where all the variables and their relationships are illustrated. Control variables have been indicated and accounted for in the analysis, including age gender, income, and level of education. The necessity of these factors emanated from the fact that different demographic groups may have different affinities to technology. This fact has been proven in the data analysis where males and younger generations have been found to have more readiness and dependence on new technologies. These are the key elements that have been highlighted as determinants of customer experience.

The analysis of the data has confirmed all the hypotheses, which illustrates that all the independent variables have a positive influence on the dependent variable. The descriptive statistics have indicated that the population is demographically diverse, which should offer adequate representation and allow generalization across the entire population. However, the various statistical analysis has highlighted that there are significant differences in the data set but which does not affect the validity of the results. The t-test and ANOVA analysis indicate that some variables are different from others and along set dimensions. The gender and age groups have been selected as the most significant causes of differences. The correlation and regression analysis are the fundamental aspects that help answer the research question. Crucially, the regression analysis has successfully established the existence of a positive link between the variables. Therefore, the analysis outcome confirms the hypotheses, thereby allowing the researcher to draw a general conclusion that smart technologies enhance guest experiences in luxury hotels.

A key observation from the results of this study is the fact that this research supports the previous inquiries on the subject of smart technologies and their role in improving customer satisfaction. Much of this literature has been discussed and critiqued in the literature review. Despite the various weaknesses identified with those studies, they have formed a solid foundation for this research. Literature regarding such aspects as technology readiness, innovativeness, and dependence have all been explored where materials examine indicate that they all help to improve customer experience. However, the literature review section was very detailed and other themes emerged that were not examined in this research. Such concepts as value co-creation, purchase intention, and consumer behavior has all been mentioned. These have been used as building blocks to broaden the perspectives on consumer interaction with new technologies. The primary objective of this research was to confirm that there is a positive relationship smart technologies and guest experience in luxury hotels. Therefore, the other constructs that are not featured in the data analysis or the formulation and testing of the hypothesis do not make a dent in this research.

It can be concluded the objective of the research has been achieved whereby the hypotheses have been formulated and tested. The key idea with hypothesis testing is that once proven new theoretical foundations can be built. In this case, smart technologies can be regarded as significant elements in attracting guests to luxury hotels. With generalization, the results obtained from the case of China can be used to make inferences across all other markets where luxury hotels do business. Notable differences may also be observed, especially across gender and age groups. These observations support the idea that millennials are more attracted to new technologies, which means that most would express positive outcomes in terms s experience. It has been explained that the quantitative approach allowed for a shallow scope of the research. The dynamics of this new theory may be tested qualitatively where the key constructs and their relationships can be explored in greater detail.

Practical Implications

The outcome of this study presents massive practical concerns for the managers in the hospitality industry. First, smart hotels are an emerging concept in many countries although technological innovations in the industry began long ago. The concept of smart technologies involves majorly the revolutionary and disruptive technologies that tend to change the entire design and delivery of services. Examples include contactless service and unmanned hotel rides, which are indicators of the growing level of automation. Therefore, the hotel industry needs to understand what aspects of smart technologies need to be implemented to remain competitive in the market.

However, the management should not panic for fear that some technologies are desirable while others are not. The concept of co-creation has been discussed in this research because of its importance in catering practice. This concept involves engaging the consumers in the design and implementation of smart technologies, as well as the delivery of the resulting services. Co-creation has been mentioned due to the observation that consumers are actively seeking the new technologies and making requests that the businesses try to address. Therefore, market research can be an ideal place to start when exploring new smart technologies to implement. The marketers can expect eager responses from consumers on the desired technologies and nature of services offered in luxury hotels. Customer engagement should be the new challenge for management because without it there is the likelihood of losing competitiveness.

Lastly, the implementation of the new technologies may need to be designed to address different populations. The descriptive analysis in the findings chapter and the resulting analysis indicates that different demographics may have varied perceptions towards and experience with new technologies. It is important to reiterate that millennials are the population most eager to embrace new technologies. Older people may not display the same level of enthusiasm despite being a critical part of the targeted markets. The practical implication is that flexibility may become a desirable trait of the luxury hotel because consumer tastes are diverse. The management has different choices to make, including whether to offer standard services intended for a general population or customize services for individual clients. Luxury hotels may not deal with large numbers of customers but only a few who can afford premium services. Even so, the levels of customizations may differ significantly and flexibility will be the key to allowing hotels to serve different customers.

Future Research

The current study has made a critical contribution to the literature regarding consumer satisfaction with technologies. This is manifested in the fact that multiple hypotheses have been developed, tested, and confirmed, which means a new theory can be formulated. This theory states that smart technologies improve customer experiences in luxury hotels. Seven variables denoting perceptions towards smart technologies means that a broad view has been generated. However, the broad nature of the theory and the narrow scope of the research means that there are significant gaps that need to be addressed. As mentioned earlier, more details may be needed regarding the relationships between the multiple variables explored. For example, the current study finds that readiness positively influences experience. The explanations for this relationship are not offered in a quantitative study, which explains why qualitative approaches are recommended for follow-up studies.

Most importantly, a new theory needs to be tested rigorously before it becomes accepted both in academia and industry practice. Further studies need to explore the subject and other constructs associated with it and which should offer a better understanding of the theory. Replication of the methodologies deployed in this study may also be done across different markets, especially those where smart technologies are becoming more common. The research gaps left indicate that significant amounts of time will be required to comprehensively exhaust all research streams focusing on the effects of smart technologies on customer experience.

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