Artificial intelligence enabled robots for stay experience in the hospitality industry in a smart city
Industrial Management & Data Systems
ISSN: 0263-5577
Article publication date: 19 August 2022
Issue publication date: 2 November 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The hospitality industry has witnessed numerous changes to enhance the stay experience of guests. To offer a memorable stay experience, the industry has started deploying intelligent robots. Therefore, this case study aims to examine and explore artificial intelligence (AI) enabled robots in hospitality industry in order to enhance guest experience in a smart city.
Design/methodology/approach
Semistructured interviews have been conducted at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences, Seoul, South Korea, to understand the stay experience of guests regarding services offered by AI enabled robots. The authors have selected employees for interviews since employees listen and witness the guest experience directly. Out of 214 employees in the hotel with varied experience and background, 26 interviews are conducted.
Findings
Through a systematic approach of coding, the authors have identified that deploying AI enabled robots facilitates the automation, information gathering, personalization and seamless service in the hospitality industry of a smart city. Further, with a back-and-forth mapping mechanism based on epistemological principles, the authors made four propositions that lead to the development of a research framework.
Research limitations/implications
The practicing managers of hospitality industry can employ AI enabled robots within the scope of improving and automating the processes that can also offer increased personalization to enhance the stay experience, which is expected in a smart city.
Originality/value
The study offers a unique contribution to literature, since it is a live case study, and the information is from the practicing employees of a well-known organization in a hospitality sector from a smart city (Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences, Seoul, South Korea).
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors sincerely acknowledge the inputs shared by the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences in Seoul, South Korea to conduct this case study.
Citation
Gupta, S., Modgil, S., Lee, C.-K., Cho, M. and Park, Y. (2022), "Artificial intelligence enabled robots for stay experience in the hospitality industry in a smart city", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 122 No. 10, pp. 2331-2350. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-10-2021-0621
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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