Mapping the impact of hotel promotional factors on consumers’ actual use of interactive systems in hotels

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of several hotel promotional factors and consumers’ behavioral and demographic characteristics on their actual use of specific interactive information systems in hotels. The specific systems examined in this study were a hotel’s website, mobile app, push notification system, kiosk, smart TV in room, and tablet at front desk or in room. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with a sample of 841 respondents who had stayed in a hotel that had interactive information systems. Logistic regression models were designed with the promotional factors (e.g. hotel staff encouraging purchasing products, push notifications or information presented on mobile devices or kiosks, seeing or hearing about other consumers using systems, advertising and press releases), behavioral variables (e.g. frequency and duration of stay) and demographic variables (e.g. gender and age) as independent variables. The independent variables were the individual systems used by guests. Findings The various promotional factors had a differential effect on consumers’ use of various interactive information systems. Information provided on mobile devices, staff encouraging purchasing and press releases and blogs, along with age and duration of stay, was found to have the highest impact on system usage. Originality/value This study examines for the first time, as per the authors’ knowledge, the actual use behavior of several hotel interactive systems, thus advancing the technology adoption literature. This study also utilizes a comprehensive list of hotel promotional factors that are able provide theoretical and empirical insight into the use of interactive systems, which was explained predominantly based on system perceptions and consumers’ characteristics.