To Be or Not to Be? Which Is the Case with Robots in the Hotel Industry?

AI redefining the hospitality industry

“…Hotel and tourism businesses now derive competitive differentiation through the quality of intelligence that enables them to truly understand and comprehend customers and their specific needs (and preferences), and identify ways to meet those needs with a personal touch, to differentiate themselves from competitors (Pizam and Shani, 2009;Bellou and Andronikidis, 2009;Jooss, 2018;Zlatanov and Popesku, 2019). AI also allows for service innovation in delivering personalised services, as AI-driven smart services and robotics (such as chatbots, cobots and maidbots) are used to augment human intelligence and physical capabilities (Cain et al, 2019;Zlatanov and Popesku, 2019;Belias and Varelas, 2019;Ivanov and Webster, 2019). By streamlining services, enabling reduction of errors, improving speed of decisions and service, identifying demand signals, identifying guests by names through facial recognition technology, predicting customer demands, providing real-time language translation software to interact with international customers and providing interactive virtual, as well as physical assistance for customers (Ivanov and Webster, 2017;OECD, 2018;Cain et al, 2019;Ivanov and Webster, 2019;Prentice et al, 2020).…”

“…AI also allows for service innovation in delivering personalised services, as AI-driven smart services and robotics (such as chatbots, cobots and maidbots) are used to augment human intelligence and physical capabilities (Cain et al , 2019; Zlatanov and Popesku, 2019; Belias and Varelas, 2019; Ivanov and Webster, 2019). By streamlining services, enabling reduction of errors, improving speed of decisions and service, identifying demand signals, identifying guests by names through facial recognition technology, predicting customer demands, providing real-time language translation software to interact with international customers and providing interactive virtual, as well as physical assistance for customers (Ivanov and Webster, 2017; OECD, 2018; Cain et al , 2019; Ivanov and Webster, 2019; Prentice et al , 2020).…”

Tourism & Hospitality Students’ Perception towards the Use of Robots in Service Organizations: A Qualitative study in India

“…After the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, T&H sector is experiencing multifold challenges, including cost reduction, pressure to increase productivity, delivering contactless services, reducing customer perceived risks, and delivering memorable customer experiences to remain competitive. Several authors (Kuo et al, 2017;Bowen & Morosan, 2018;Ivanov et al, 2018aIvanov et al, , 2018bTung & Au, 2018;Tussyadiah & Park, 2018;Belias & Varelas, 2019;Ivanov & Webster, 2019;Murphy et al, 2019;Ivanov et al, 2020;Qiu et al, 2020;Yu, 2020;Vatan & Dogan, 2021) have recommended that adoption of modern technologies, especially robots, can help T&H organizations to make operations more efficient, deliver distinctive customer experiences, and gain competitive advantage. The usage of robots is evolving swiftly and several service sectors including healthcare, education, tourism, and hospitality are implementing to remain competitive in the changing business landscapes.…”

“…With noteworthy prospects for the future, innovative technologies such as robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence (AI) are currently progressing, particularly in the T&H settings. The application of robots and contemporary state-of-art technologies could provide intelligent, more automated, individualized, and prophetic practices (Tussyadiah & Park, 2018;Belias & Varelas, 2019).…”

“…In 2019, Alibaba group launched its AI and robot-equipped hotel 'Fly Zoo' in China. These efficient technologies can replace human efforts and perform tasks that are currently performed by individuals even more effectively and accurately (Belias & Varelas, 2019). Although the application of robot creates a more customized and extraordinary experience for hotel guests and reduce labor costs for hotels, these technological disruptions have radically transformed the way business processes are managed and executed.…”