Impact of Advanced Technologies on Hilton Guest Experience

This research proposal investigates the impact of advanced technologies on guest experiences within the Hilton hospitality industry. The study aims to understand the influence of smart, digitalized, and contactless technologies on customer satisfaction, identifying challenges and suggesting strategies for enhancement. The research will employ a qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive research approach and interpretivism philosophy. Data will be collected through surveys of Hilton customers and secondary sources such as scholarly articles and journals. The proposal outlines the research methodology, including data collection methods, sampling techniques, data analysis, ethical considerations, and a timeline for completion. The literature review covers the existing research on technology's role in the hospitality industry, including the use of smart technologies, AI, chatbots, and contactless systems. The proposal also addresses the challenges faced by companies in implementing digital technologies, such as changing customer preferences and budget constraints. This research aims to provide insights into how Hilton can leverage technology to improve its guest experience and maintain a competitive edge.

Research Proposal

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Background.............................................................................................................................1
Aim and objectives.................................................................................................................1
Research questions.................................................................................................................1
Rationale.................................................................................................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................4
Research type..........................................................................................................................4
Research Approach.................................................................................................................5
Research Philosophy..............................................................................................................5
Data collection........................................................................................................................5
Sampling.................................................................................................................................6
Data analysis...........................................................................................................................6
Ethical consideration..............................................................................................................7
Research limitation.................................................................................................................7
Reliability and validity...........................................................................................................7
TIMESCALE...................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

Title: To identify the impact of using advance technologies upon guest experience within
hospitality industry: A study on Hilton
INTRODUCTION
Background
In recent times, entire hospitality industry is relied upon advance technologies and
businesses uses varieties of techniques in order to improve their guest experience. Due to
pandemic, there is a huge impact upon hospitality industry in the terms of number of customers
and financial performance (Giousmpasoglou and Hua, 2020). Thus, with the rise in
technological advancement, companies are using different techniques which includes self check-
in and out, Smart room keys and payment facilities etc. Advance technology can be defined as
the tools and techniques which are used to improve business operations and enhanced the
customer experiences.
For the current proposal, Hilton has been selected which offers luxurious and high
quality accommodations serves at global level in affordable prices. Also, the current study will
shed a light on the research tools that are used to analyse the issue. Beside this, it will highlight
timeframe within which investigation will be completed.
Aim and objectives
The aim of the present study is to ascertain the impact of smart, innovative digitalized
and contactless technologies upon customers experience within Hilton.
Objectives:
 To understand the concept of advance technologies within hospitality industry.
 To identify the relationship between using digitalized technologies and guest satisfaction
within Hilton.
 To assess different challenges faced by Hilton while using digital technology that might
affect customer experience.
 To suggest the best strategies used by Hilton to enhance the guest experience with regard
to advance technologies.
Research questions
 What do you understand by the terms smart, innovative digitalized and contactless
technologies?
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 What is the relationship between using digitalized technologies and guest satisfaction
within Hilton?
 What are different challenges faced by Hilton while using digital technology that might
affect customer experience?
Rationale
The reason for doing this reason is to analyse how advance technologies affect the
Hilton's guest experience. This in turn also considered as a research issue because now
companies are adopting different tools and techniques to attract customers and improve their
satisfaction. It is an issue now because using variety of techniques might improve business
operations but it is not easy to handle the same without any expertise. Therefore, through
thematic perception, research could also shed a light on the level to which advance technologies
affect guest experiences.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Shin, Perdue and Kang (2019) advance technology plays an important role
in the development of a business such that more than 90% of hotels, restaurants uses such
techniques in order to attract new customers and also improve their experience as well.
Similarly, in hospitality industry, hotels uses smart and innovative digitalized technologies
which is based upon Internet that helps to provide better customer experience. Liu and Hung
(2019) also shared their views that smart hotel is a concept which is relied upon internet where
customer book their rooms in advance through different online application, also allowing guest
to control key room element easily. Moreover, for innovative purpose, most of the hotel also
uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) that provide personalized experience to their guest. It is also a
part of advance technology that enable business to significantly improve their decision-making
process.
Ge, Chen and Chen (2018) reflected that chatbots are also considered as a backbone of
hospitality industry because it streamlines the workflows and also support the hotel units as well.
For example, machine learning algorithms in chatbots will be trained in order to utilize the
historical calls with customers as well as their booking behaviour within hotel website.
Giousmpasoglou and Hua (2020) emphasized that for a post Covid, to improve the guest
experience majority of the hotels prefer to use contactless technology which includes online
payment transfer through cards, online registration, smart lock system etc. Thus, it is reflected
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that there is a huge transformation within hospitality industry after pandemic and government is
also encouraging them to use advance technology to improve experiences.
In accordance with Flavián, Ibáñez-Sánchez and Orús (2021) there is a positive
relationship between using advance technology and guest experience. Such that hospitality
technology solutions are continuously revolutionizing the way hotel guest perceive a brand and
start engaging with it as well. Therefore, it can be stated that technology completely changing
the way travellers book holidays, personalized their hotel experience etc. Thus, it can be said
that complying with advance technology will help hotels to improve the business operations and
also provide best experience to their customers as well. On contrary side, Li, Bonn and Ye
(2019) argued that use of contactless technology also helps the customers to enhance the
experience because it helps to manage the time within industry. Apart from this, providing
innovative facilities to their customer raise guest engagement and retention. For example, Hilton
uses robots in their workplace that helps to increase the customer expectation and it also invests
in Internet of Things that allow hotel operators to stand out from competition.
In addition to this, Stankov, Filimonau and Slivar (2019) also stated that there are is a
direct relationship between using advance technologies and guest experience. For instance, if
hotels uses different tools for each function, then it will assist company to provide better
experience to their customers and provoke them to visit the place again. Further, hotels are also
implemented such things in order to meet customer expectation and that is why, technology
plays a vital role in improving customer experience. Kozmal and et.al., (2021) explained in their
study that keyless entry is also accepted in coming years such that unpredictable swipe cards
will soon be obsolete and it will be replaced by an application which can be only accessed by
users. Among all top firms, Hilton is currently uses the same and introduced its digital key app
in 2015 and no it also aims to install such service in all its units. This shows that hotels are
majorly focused upon different advance technologies that helps them to improve the guest
experience and provide better facilities as well (The impact of technology on hotel guest
experience, 2020).
There are different challenges faced by the company while using any digital technology
and this in turn causes opposite impact upon the overall performance of a company in adverse
manner. As per the view of vahn and et.al., (2017) changing customer experience is considered
one of the biggest challenge that affect the overall strategy opted by the firm within digital
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technologies. Such that most of the customer prefer to use social media platform in order to keep
up to date with regard to brand, whereas some of them stated that they use online company's
website due to trust issues. This in turn causes difficulties to the company's owner because they
never understood about the customer preference. However, once company will understand the
wants of people then it is necessary for them to meet such needs in order to engage them for
longer term.
On the other side, Moşteanu (2020) emphasized that finding an expertise to lead
digitization initiatives is another major challenges for the hospitality industry. It is so because it
requires combination of talent and technology that helps business to improve their brand
performance. Also, there are many technical challenges faced by the company and it can be
solved only when company have experts at their premises which can be considered as an
opportunity. Reis and et.al., (2018) examined that budget (financial resource) is another
constraint that also affect the implementation of the digital technology and this in turn also cause
adverse impact upon overall performance as well. As per the market change, technologies are
also changing and to stay ahead within competition, it is also necessary for the business to
identify the trend and also meet the same so that it do not cause any negative impact upon the
overall performance (5 biggest digital transformation challenge, 2020). That is why, it is
essential for the company to understand the trend so that they are able to meet the defined
objectives of a firm.
Therefore, it is examined that companies can use any smart technologies at their
premises, but in the same time they have to aware with the challenges because it might affect the
performance of a company in adverse manner. Also, it is examined that with such challenges
company may slow down their decision making process and also forces leaders to step back
because of not successfully implementation of digital technology.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research type
There are three main types of research which can be used by the researcher as per their
chosen topic. Qualitative, which is based upon theories and concepts whereas Quantitative
research is completely relied upon the numbers and facts (Ørngreen and Levinsen, 2017.). Third
is mixed research which is a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative where research is
conducted by collecting, analysing and integrating through qualitative and quantitative research.
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Therefore, to identify the impact of smart, innovative digitalized and contactless technologies
upon customers experience within Hilton qualitative research type will be used in order to
identify the concepts and theories pertaining to chosen topic. As the impact cannot be analysed
through numeric data and that is why, qualitative research type will be chosen over other.
Research Approach
The concept plans and procedure for a research which consist of steps from broad
assumptions to detailed method of data collection and analysis. It is further divided into three
types such as Inductive which is relied upon qualitative research, next is deductive which
consider only quantitative study and last is Abductive which is designed in order to meet the
weakness of inductive and deductive (Mohajan, 2018).
Therefore, from the above approach, researcher will choose inductive approach because
it helps in analysing and making assessment of qualitative study effectually. On the other side,
with the help of chosen strategy scholar is also able to identify the relationship between digital
technologies and guest satisfaction within Hilton. Thus, it helps to attain the defined aim and
objectives within a specific tenure as well.
Research Philosophy
It is a belief about a way through which information about a phenomenon should be
gathered and analysed or used. With the help of such research methods, scholar uses own
assumptions which explains about researcher's views. Philosophy can be distinguished within
two types such that Positivism, which is based upon quantitative study that helps to identify the
relationship between two variables. Next is Interpretivism which assists to understand the social
reality and integrated towards a study.
In order to examine the impact of smart, contactless technologies upon guest satisfaction,
interpretivism philosophy will be adopted that helps to evaluate the quality data pertaining to
digital technologies. Therefore, with the help of chosen method, scholar is able to conduct study
in effectual manner and answer research questions as well.
Data collection
To address the research objectives, information will be collected from both sources such
as primary and secondary. Under primary research which is also known as first handed research,
scholar will uses survey on 20 customers of Hilton through the means of questionnaire. Through
such methodology, researcher is able to get answer of research questions and this in turn meet
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the defined aim as well. On the other side, secondary sources of data collection will be used in
order to develop brief thesis under literature review section (Zangirolami-Raimundo,
Echeimberg and Leone, 2018). In this type of data collection method, scholar choose scholarly
article, books and journals which were published after 2016 so that latest information can be
gathered pertaining to digital technology within hospitality industry and its impact upon guest
satisfaction.
Sampling
Sampling is a method in which predetermined number of observations are taken from
larger population with an aim to meet the answers. There are two types of sampling which are
generally used by the researcher i.e. purposive sampling in which respondents are chosen from a
large population randomly. Another type is non- purposive sampling in which not every member
has a chance to participate within a study to generate valid outcomes.
So, for the purpose of survey, scholar is required to select appropriate sample so that it
will provide suitable outcomes. Therefore, for the purpose of survey, 20 customers of Hilton has
been selected by referring purposive sampling technique. It is chosen over other because it
generates valid outcomes without consuming enough time over other methods.
Data analysis
Data analysis is the process which is systematically applying statistical or logical
technique o describe and illustrate the gathered data. It also helps to analyse pattern in
observation through entire data in derived suitable outcomes (Nayak and Singh, 2021). There are
two types of techniques which can be used by the scholar i.e. SPSS, it is used when the entire
research is based upon the quantitative research in which software is used in order to analyse
data. Next is, thematic analysis which is based upon qualitative data, where themes are designed
to interpret the results.
Therefore, as per the defined aim and objectives, scholar will use thematic data analysis
in which themes will be drawn as per the research objectives. In addition to this, it is also
analysed that different graphs, table will be drawn in order to present the findings in more
presentable manner.
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Ethical consideration
There is a need to comply with all ethical principles because it helps to develop thesis
effectually. Moreover, the study is based upon primary research and that is why, there is a need
to sign a consent form prior to the study. Further, it is essential for the researcher to maintain
dignity and respect of all participants, along with this ensure that there is no error of
communication between researcher and respondents. For that, Data Protection Act will be
complied which in turn helps to prevent the data from third party. Moreover, reference list will
be added at the end of report which shows that work is not copied from somewhere and this in
turn provide valid outcomes as well.
Research limitation
Generally, time, money and unavailability of sources are considered as a research
limitation which might be linked with the present study as well. Similarly, due to having a
limited time frame as well as money quantitative tool such as SPSS has not been selected. Also,
through thematic data analysis scholar is able to meet the defined aim and present the findings in
structured manner. Apart from this, to meet the limitation of unavailability of sources, using
keywords scholarly articles will be assessed which in turn helps to resolve the issue related to
unavailability of sources.
Reliability and validity
Another important key part of the proposal which ensure that research is valid and
authentic. As per the present study, to ensure the validity aspects, research paper and articles that
published after 2016 will be considered, as it provides valid outcomes and authentic information
as well (Basias and Pollalis, 2018). On the other side, to consider reliability aspects, copyright
protected sources of secondary data will be used in order to generate the valid results. This in
turn helps to conduct overall study in effective manner and meet the defined aim as well.
TIMESCALE
Activit
ies
Week
1
Week 2 Week 3 Week
4
Week 5 Week
6
Week
7
Week 8 Week 9
Selecti
on of
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topic
Develo
ping
aim
and
objecti
ves
Draftin
g brief
researc
h
propos
al
Collect
ing
second
ary
sources
Draftin
g LR
Selecti
on and
assess
ment
of
researc
h
method
s
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Collect
ing and
analyzi
ng
gathere
d data
set
Conclu
sion
Submit
ting
propos
al and
waiting
for
Feedba
ck
Make
change
s as per
feedba
ck and
submitt
ing
propos
al for
final
approv
al
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CONCLUSION
By summing up above it has been concluded that digital technologies plays an important
role in the success of a company and with the help of such techniques companies are able to
improve the guest satisfaction level as well. Such that through the secondary sources, it has been
concluded that there are range of technologies implemented by hospitality industry which
includes contactless technologies, chatbots, AI etc. These all are smart technologies which in
turn assists to meet the defined aim of a company as well. Further, it is also examined through
literature review that there is a positive relationship between digital technologies and guest
satisfaction. It is so because after the pandemic, customers are more alert and concern for their
safety purpose and that is why, it is necessary for the business to identify the trend and then
implement the same within a business in order to improve the overall business performance.
In addition to this, it is also summarized that to improve the guest satisfaction, it is
necessary for the company to use smart technologies such that frequent advance bookings,
contactless technologies, easy check-in and out etc. Also, to implement such techniques,
company might also face different challenges which includes budget, changing customer
experience and lack of finding expertise. That is why, there is a need to develop effective
strategies which helps to minimize challenges as well. Moreover, the entire proposal is based
upon the qualitative study in which different theories and concepts has been applied in order to
understand the concept of digital technologies within hospitality industry. Along with this, both
primary and secondary data collection methods will be used in order to develop valid outcomes
during project and this in turn assists to identify whether the aim and objectives are met or not.
Therefore, by considering such methods, scholar examine the impact of digital and smart
technologies upon guest satisfaction within hospitality industry.
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REFERENCES
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Justifying a suitable research methodology. Review of Integrative Business and
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through virtual reality on potential guests’ emotions and engagement. Journal of
Hospitality Marketing & Management. 30(1). pp.1-20.
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5 biggest digital transformation challenge. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://freshdesk.com/general/digital-transformation-challenges-blog/>.
The impact of technology on hotel guest experience. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.rentokil.com/us/blog/the-impact-of-technology-on-hotel-guest-
experience/>.
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