Leveraging guest-room technology: a tale of two guest profiles

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine hotel guests’ attitudes toward guest room technologies (GRTs) and determine whether hotel guests’ characteristics and attitudes regarding GRTs vary according to hotel guest typologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered from a sample of 508 hotel guests who had stayed in a hotel in the past 12 months via a self-administered survey on Qualtrics survey software. The analysis of the study consisted of two main research steps: identification of cluster groups via the K-means cluster analysis algorithm and discriminant analysis; and performing a series of chi-square analyses to determine whether hotel guests’ characteristics and attitudes vary according to obtained hotel guest typologies.

Findings

Results indicated significant attitudinal (e.g. internet payment preference) and demographic (e.g. age) differences among the obtained hotel guest typologies regarding their attitudes toward GRTs.

Practical implications

The results provide valuable guidance and a pragmatic approach for those hotel managers that aim to generate tailored marketing strategies for guest segments that are interested in GRTs.

Originality/value

This study concentrates on GRTs with a market segmentation approach by using advanced statistical procedures. It contributes to the body of related research literature by offering empirical evidence where the study evaluates the impact of the availability of new GRTs on guest decision-making based on the principles of the theory of planned behavior. Practitioners will be able to use the presented findings to generate marketing and pricing strategies with respect to the technological needs and wants of each typology.

研究目的

本论文主要研究酒店顾客对客房科技（GRTs）的态度以及检验顾客特点和背景情况对GRTs的态度是否有不同的影响。

研究设计/方法/途径

研究样本包括508位在过去12个月内消费过的酒店顾客, 样本通过在线自助式问卷来采集。本论文的分析步骤分为两步：（1）通过K-means聚类分析和判别分析以确立群组, 以及（2）一系列Chi-square分析以判定酒店顾客特点和态度是否根据获得的顾客背景情况而有差别。

研究结果

研究结果表明在获得的酒店顾客背景情况中, 态度型因子（比如网络支付喜好）和人口统计类型因子（比如年龄）对于酒店顾客GRTs态度有显著差异。

研究实践意义

研究结果对酒店经营者针对不同细分市场对GRTs的喜好来制定个性化营销战略有着珍贵指导和实践的启示意义。

研究原创性/价值

本论文主要通过一系列高级统计操作来研究GRTs以及市场细分方法。研究结果对相关文献有着显著价值, 对以计划行为理论 （Theory of Planned Behavior）为基础, 检验新型GRTs对顾客决策行为的影响提供了实践研究。行业实践者能够借鉴研究结论来制定与科技需求和细分市场需求相关的营销和定价战略。

关键词

酒店技术；客房技术；房间内部技术；市场划分；付款意愿；决策

纸张类型–研究论文

Citation

Erdem, M., Atadil, H.A. and Nasoz, P. (2019), "Leveraging guest-room technology: a tale of two guest profiles", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 255-268. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-06-2018-0046