Hospitality venues traditionally use historical data from customers for their customer relationship management systems, but now they can also collect real-time data and automated procedures to make dynamic decisions and predictions about customer behavior. Machine learning is an example of automated processes that create insights into cocreation of value through dynamic customer engagement. To show the merits of automation, machine learning was implemented at a major hospitality venue and compared with traditional methods to identify what customers value in a loyalty program. The results show that machine learning processes are superior in identifying customers who find value in specific promotions. This research deepens practical and theoretical understanding of machine learning in the customer engagement-to-value loyalty chain and in the customer engagement construct that uses a dynamic customer engagement model.

Considering the strong influence of social media on internet users, it is important to understand its role for hotel businesses, particularly the online aspect of lodging operations. Although several social media studies have been done, very few studies have focused on travelers’ needs and the specific gratifications they seek when using embedded social media channels on hotel websites, and how those channels would influence their purchasing behavior. The main purpose of the current research is to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels on hotel websites and their influence on traveler behavior. Applying the uses and gratifications (U&G) approach, we examined relationships among traveler gratifications, satisfaction, and purchase intentions by comparing user experience with hotel websites that used embedded social media channels to those without embedded social media channels. The results indicated that travelers exposed to the hotel website with embedded social media channels had higher levels of perceived informativeness, perceived enjoyment, and perceived social interaction that directly influenced traveler satisfaction. In the context of embedded social media channels, the gratification factors, such as perceived enjoyment and perceived social interaction, directly influenced traveler satisfaction and purchase intentions, and indirectly influenced purchase intentions through traveler satisfaction. Meanwhile, perceived informativeness did not influence purchase intentions directly in either sample, but it did influence purchase intentions indirectly through travelers’ satisfaction. Furthermore, for the group who used the hotel website without embedded social media channels, perceived social interaction was found to have no significant effect on travelers’ satisfaction and purchase intentions.

Purpose The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels and determine whether the embedded social media channels enhance the overall experience of travelers using the hotel Web sites. Design/methodology/approach A true-experimental, between-group and post-test-only design was used to address the primary research questions. Two privately accessible complete versions of the Web site (one with embedded social media channels and one without them) were designed for the experiment. The uses and gratifications approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA. Findings The results of this study revealed that embedded social media channels on the hotel Web site enhanced travelers’ social gratifications of perceived social interaction. Apart from these benefits for travelers seeking social gratifications, embedded social media channels did not enhance the overall experience (content and process gratifications) of travelers using the Web site. Practical implications In the case of embedded social media on hotel Web sites, this study suggests that hotel managers measure return on engagement to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media, instead of return on investment. Social implications The study revealed that the emergence of embedded social media channels and their integration on hotel Web sites will have significant influence on travelers who seek social gratifications. Originality/value The findings of this study offer new empirical evidence that embedded social media channels enhance only travelers’ perceived social interaction during their first visit to the hotel Web site.

Using technology for student-centered learningexamining and sharing the best practices for digital pedagogy.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of demographic factors (age, gender, education, income) on consumer attitudes and their intentions to use radio frequency identification (RFID) in the hotel industry.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research methodology was used in this study. The methods used for this study are both descriptive and causal modeling tests. This research study used web‐survey method for collecting and analyzing data. The measurement model was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis using the maximum likelihood method and structural equation modeling was used to estimate the parameters of the structural model.FindingsThe results indicate that there are few differences in consumer attitudes and intentions in terms of the demographic factors. It can be concluded that consumer differences can be associated with consumer attitudes that are determined by age. The results for demographic factors, gender, income, and education levels indicate no difference in the attitudes and intentions of consumers to use RFIDs.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering the fact that “trendy and hip” hotels are emerging in the industry, it is vital to understand the perceptions of Gen Y and Gen Z on specific RFIDs. A future research to study the influence of consumer demographics on security and privacy concerns is highly recommended in the hotel industry. The study may not have the complete list of population members who are frequent travelers in the US hotel industry.Practical implicationsOlder consumer may consider themselves too old, less innovative, and having low cognitive capabilities to use RFIDs. Hotel organizations may provide familiar RFIDs to young consumers. The costs of RFID technologies are diminishing and hotels can offer RFIDs that enhances user benefits and experience. On the other side, hotels can use RFIDs to improve efficiency and employee performance.Originality/valueThis study provided significant insights by empirically investigating consumer differences and its influence on attitudes and intentions to use RFIDs. The results of this study fill the gaps in understanding consumer behavior to use RFIDs in the hotel industry. In addition, exploring consumer attitudes and intentions to use RFIDs could facilitate hotel organizations to make right investment decisions on RFIDs.