Users Versus Non-users: The Impact of Experience on Hotel Guests’ Attitudes Towards Service Robots in Hotels

Abstract

The use of robotics and artificial intelligence have created a shift in the ways the service-based hospitality and tourism industry can fulfill the needs and wants of consumers that were earlier fulfilled only by humans. Robots have added the automation and self-service experience that play a vital role in the improvements of efficiency, speed, and the overall experience for the guests using technology. While there are many benefits of using robots in the industry, there are also risks associated with the excessive usage of robots on guest experience. As a result of the pros and cons on the topic, it is very important to gather data and analyze the results to further investigate and understand what the outcomes will be for the industry, its employees, and its customers. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of the use of robots in the hotels as perceived by hotel guests who used a service robot and who did not. A self-administered survey was developed, and 939 usable responses were collected from hotel guests. Factor analysis showed that five factors emerged in the study: Advantages, Attitudes, Disadvantages, Pandemic Related, and Fear. Guests recognize the opportunities that service robots are bringing to their experience while voicing their concerns and fears about the use of them. Findings also showed that there are significant differences between users and non-users.