The digital age is transforming hospitality standards, prompting hotels to incorporate cutting-edge technologies to personalize and enhance guest experiences, while preserving the essence of human interaction.
Our research, which took a qualitative approach to conceptualizing the digitized hotel experience, yielded rich data on perceptions and expectations related to the use of digital technologies. Through 22 in-depth interviews with professionals in the luxury hospitality industry and 18 with consumers, our study revealed crucial insights for redefining the customer experience in the digital age.
Digital technologies have become established in the hospitality industry in two main forms: traditional digital technologies, known as “enabling” technologies, and new or “disruptive” technologies. The former—such as websites, mobile apps, and customer relationship management systems—are integrated into the day-to-day management of hotels, automating and optimizing processes to increase efficiency.
On the other hand, disruptive technologies—such as artificial intelligence, chatbots, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things—are transforming the customer experience by offering new ways to interact. These innovations are reinventing the way customers interact with the hotel environment, delivering more engaging and memorable experiences.
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In light of this transformation, our study proposes an integrative framework that highlights key technologies and their impact on the customer experience. This framework emphasizes the importance of balancing the use of technology with human interactions to optimize the customer experience.
One of the most important aspects identified is the emotional and sensory impact of these technologies. It is not enough to simply make processes more efficient; technology must also evoke positive emotions, such as pleasure and surprise, and enrich the senses through immersive experiences.
Every stage of the customer journey—from the decision-making process to post-stay feedback—is transformed by this digital transformation. Digital technologies improve the efficiency of check-ins, enable real-time management of services during the stay, and facilitate quick check-outs, thereby providing a seamless experience. Guests can check in via their smartphones, access their rooms without stopping by the front desk, and personalize their stay with a wide range of services available at the click of a button.
Analysis of the interviews revealed four main sources of digital value creation: three traditional sources— namely, personalization, automation, and interaction—as well as a new source: care.
"Personalization," made possible by data collection and analysis, allows every aspect of hotel service to be tailored to guests’ specific needs. “Automation” streamlines repetitive tasks, freeing up staff to focus on the more qualitative aspects of hospitality. “Interaction,” facilitated by advanced digital platforms, ensures constant and personalized contact with guests.
Finally, “care” focuses on the ability of technology to help hospitality professionals look after their guests and the environment, encompassing aspects such as safety and the guest’s overall well-being. Sébastien Félix, founder of the agency Influence Society, puts it this way:
“Digitalization is essential for responsiveness, immediacy, and education. Technology should foster progress and encourage curiosity, helping individuals become better contributors to society.”
The testimonials collected also show that these technologies profoundly influence the psychological mechanisms of both guests and staff. Our study reveals that digital technologies enhance the autonomy, competence, relationships, and creativity of hospitality professionals, thereby enabling them to personalize services in innovative ways. This reciprocal interaction creates a virtuous cycle, in which staff engagement fuels guest satisfaction.
Despite the many benefits offered by digital technologies, their adoption is not without challenges. Our research highlights contingency factors—that is, contextual variables such as guest age, the distinction between luxury and non-luxury hotels, and cultural specificities—that can influence the impact of digitalization on the guest experience. It is crucial for hotels to carefully manage these complexities by integrating technologies in a way that meets the diverse expectations of their guests.
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