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Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism
ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wqah20
We Need Digital Inquiries Before Arrival! Key
Drivers of Hotel Customers’ Willingness to Pay
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Kareem M. Selem, Rimsha Khalid, Mohsin Raza & Mohammad Shahidul
Islam
To cite this article: Kareem M. Selem, Rimsha Khalid, Mohsin Raza & Mohammad Shahidul
Islam (08 Nov 2023): We Need Digital Inquiries Before Arrival! Key Drivers of Hotel Customers’
Willingness to Pay Premium, Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, DOI:
10.1080/1528008X.2023.2280117
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2023.2280117
Published online: 08 Nov 2023.
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We Need Digital Inquiries Before Arrival! Key Drivers of
Hotel Customers’ Willingness to Pay Premium
Kareem M. Selem
a
, Rimsha Khalid
b
, Mohsin Raza
b
,
and Mohammad Shahidul Islam
c
a
Hotel Management Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt;
b
Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand;
c
BRAC Business
School, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
While prior research has examined various aspects of technol-
ogy adoption, there is a limited focus on the specic dynamics
of digital concierge services within the hospitality setting.
Hence, the primary purpose of this paper is to examine the
key drivers of willingness to pay for digital concierge services
in Egyptian four-star hotels, with a particular emphasis on per-
ceived value, usability, and the moderating eects of age and
gender. Through a comprehensive survey of 624 potential cus-
tomers and applying the Technology Acceptance Model, this
paper repositions the concept of perceived usefulness as
a central driver of user beliefs and intentions. Findings have
implications for hotel managers, marketers, and industry profes-
sionals, oering guidance on enhancing user adoption and
eectively communicating the advantages of digital concierge
services to diverse customer segments. This research also sets
the stage for future investigations into the evolving landscape
of technology adoption within the hospitality industry.
KEYWORDS
Digital inquires; concierge
apps; hotel customers;
technology acceptance
model; willingness to pay
premium
Introduction
Many hotels are stepping up their efforts to use a variety of service apps to
offer helpful information about their amenities, events, and directions at the
moment (Garrido-Moreno et al., 2021). As a result, the prevalence of mobile
apps is increasing significantly (Xu et al., 2023), partly as a result of the quick
spread of mobile technologies across a variety of industries, including the
hospitality and tourist industry (Ozdemir et al., 2023). The integration of
augmented reality, blockchain, and virtual assistants into digital app designs
is anticipated in the near future (Zhang et al., 2023). Nowadays, hotels are
gradually using digital concierge systems to provide customized services to
their visitors (Buhalis & Moldavska, 2022). These artificial intelligence-
powered digital concierges are designed to provide tailored assistance to
visitors, making their stay more convenient (Gupta et al., 2022).
CONTACT Kareem M. Selem karim.ibrahim@tourism.suez.edu.eg Hotel Management Department, Faculty
of Tourism and Hotels, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM
https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2023.2280117
© 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Through hotel websites or mobile apps, customers may use this service,
which frequently includes chatbots that are widely used by guests for round-
the-clock support (Dwivedi et al., 2023). The digital concierge provides an
exceptional user experience, making it a useful and supplemental service for
tourists looking for unique recommendations as they explore new places
(Kaliappen & Hassan, 2022). Through this innovation, hotel guests may
receive better services and custom travel arrangements both inside and beyond
the hotel’s walls (Wong et al., 2023). Additionally, using these apps with the
aim of doing so acts as a connecting platform that combines design, commu-
nication, marketing, operations, and customer experiences to produce
a thorough and rich user experience (Alam et al., 2023). Understanding
customer behavior demands acknowledging usefulness and ease of use
(Wang et al., 2023).
According to Japutra et al. (2022), hotel service attributes’ ability might
work as a motivating element, a force driven by technology, or both. As
a result, this paper outlines the linkages between usefulness, ease of use, and
usage intention. According to the available data, there is noticeably little
study addressing usage intentions of digital concierge apps outside of the
hotel setting (Shin & Jeong, 2022). As a result, this emphasizes the necessity
for a thorough and focused inquiry to gauge users’ intents for using digital
hotel apps. This is the start of an exploration of both antecedents and
consequences in the hotel context. Furthermore, there is no evidence of
how much more customers are ready to pay for agreement statements
(Webster & Ivanov, 2021).
The onus is on managers to independently assess the economic sustain-
ability of such investments because empirical studies have drawn conclusions
about customer willingness to pay for robotic services. For instance, customers
are willing to spend more to dine at robotic restaurants since they claim to
have a lower risk of COVID-19 from person to person (Chuah et al., 2021).
Recent literature, however, emphasizes that customers expect the decreased
operating costs connected with digital inquiry apps to translate into cheaper
pricing to their advantage. Customers may also request lower prices for
completely automated services due to the lack of human contacts, pleasant
smiles, and genuine expressions (Seyitoğlu & Ivanov, 2020). As a result,
research investigating the comprehensive framework linking demographic
and psychographic characteristics to customer willingness to pay for technol-
ogy-driven services is conspicuously lacking (Chuah et al., 2022).
Accordingly, future research that examines the influence of digital app
usage intention on willingness to pay is urgently needed. Accordingly, this
paper conducts an experimental assessment to examine the focal influ-
ences of customer usefulness and ease of adopt on their intentions to use
these apps and their willingness to pay more. This paper also investigates
how, age-wise and gender-wise, grouping moderation effects linkages
2K. M. SELEM ET AL.
between willingness to pay more and its key drivers. Therefore, technol-
ogy acceptance model (TAM) is useful in understanding how customers
establish their behavioral intentions toward technology (Davis, 1989). By
adding to the hospitality literature in both theoretical and practical
aspects, this work may enable hotel management to better grasp the
subject.
Lastly, this paper contributes by transparently communicating the tangible
advantages of digital concierge services to potential guests, developing specia-
lized approaches to meet the varying requirements of different user subsets
based on demographics such as age and gender, and gaining insights into user
attitudes toward pricing to set prices that reflect the value of digital concierge
services to guests.
Theory and hypotheses
TAM model
TAM was chosen as the research’s guiding theory because of its importance
and influence in illuminating technological adoption-related behaviors (Yang
et al., 2023). According to TAM, the tendency to embrace technology, also
known as the inclination to utilize technology, may be evaluated by looking at
a user’s attitude toward its usage (Wang et al., 2023). According to Goh and
Wen (2021), perceived usefulness and simplicity of use are the two main
variables that predict attitudes toward utilization. TAM provides crucial,
novel insights into customer behavior and technological choices. Customers’
opinions of these apps, for instance, may be influenced by how they see the
worth, viability, and overall usability of hotel concierge services. Users’ beha-
vioral control reflects their perceptions of their abilities to carry out and
successfully direct their behaviors. The ease with which these apps may be
used correctly may be related to their impression of control in the hotel setting
(Leung et al., 2023).
Furthermore, TAM emphasizes how customers embrace and use tech-
nology, placing emphasis on perceived advantages and user friendliness.
Perceived usefulness (Vo-Thanh et al., 2022) refers to how customers see
the possible increase in their performance and the help technology delivers
in achieving their goals. As a result, TAM integrates earlier empirical
research on technology-based services (Kao & Huang, 2023; Shin et al.,
2023). This theory strives to offer a thorough understanding of the factors
influencing customers’ willingness to pay for concierge apps’ services in the
hotel context. Accordingly, Figure 1 focuses on key drivers of prospective
hotel customers’ willingness to pay more for digital concierge services
before arriving or confirming their reservation at four-star hotels on the
Mediterranean coast.
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 3
Perceived usefulness and digital concierge’s usage intention
An important factor in determining user uptake and retaining their
engagement is how valuable users believe hotel concierge apps to be.
Customers’ perceptions of the app’s ability to improve their perfor-
mance and help them accomplish their goals are referred to as use
intentions in the context of digital concierge (Davis, 1989). Users’
perceptions of how their hotel experience is improved and how services
are tailored to meet their unique wants and preferences are referred to
as perceived usefulness (Wu et al., 2020).
Research built on TAM theory repeatedly shows that customers’
decisions to embrace and use technology are greatly influenced by
their perception of its usefulness (Singh et al., 2020; Vo-Thanh et al.,
2022). According to Chen et al. (2023), guests are more likely to engage
with an e-commerce platform when they believe it is capable of quickly
identifying their chosen items and expediting the purchase process. The
world of hotel concierge apps does, however, have some uncharted
territory. This paper underscores how important it is to investigate
and understand how perceived efficacy affects users’ involvement with
these apps. In light of this, this research suggests:
H1. Perceived usefulness positively affects digital concierge’s usage
intention.
Figure 1. Research model.
4K. M. SELEM ET AL.
Perceived ease of use and digital concierge’s usage intention
Users’ perceptions of the usability of digital hospitality solutions like hotel
concierge apps play a major role in their decision to adopt and utilize them.
According to Alzoubi et al. (2022), perceived ease of use includes how users
perceive the amount of effort needed to utilize the program and their overall
evaluation of its user friendliness and convenience. Travelers launch the hotel
concierge app when they finally arrive at a hotel after a lengthy journey. They
efficiently use its features, quickly getting hold of the information they want,
making bookings, and getting tailored recommendations for nearby attrac-
tions and restaurants. Due to users’ perceptions of the program as intuitive,
simple to use, and free from major obstacles or hurdles, the perceived ease of
use is still considered to be high.
There is still room for improvement in empirical research in the hotel
setting, despite the growing recognition of the importance of ease of use in
technology usage (Berakon et al., 2023). This knowledge gap highlights the
need for more research to fully comprehend how ease of use affects customers’
intentions to use these apps in the hospitality setting (Cai et al., 2022).
According to TAM theory, users’ perceptions of the app’s simplicity have
a major impact on how likely they are to use the hotel concierge app.
Customers will have a better overall user experience and are more likely to
use the app frequently if they think its design is simple and responsive.
Therefore, this paper suggests that:
H2. Perceived ease of use positively affects digital concierge’s usage
intention.
Willingness to pay price premium
According to Herrmann et al. (2022), “willingness to pay” defines as the extent
to which customers are willing to pay an additional charge for services rendered
by robots, regardless of whether the cost is higher, cheaper, or comparable to
services rendered by humans. When users believe the services of the hotel
concierge app are worthwhile, pleasurable, and worth the cost, they have
a greater propensity to pay more for them. Using hotel apps to add value and
convenience improves the whole experience. Users may see the app as a useful
tool that improves their stay if it provides tailored recommendations, simple
access to facilities, and quick job fulfillment. Past studies have demonstrated that
customers’ intentions positively affected their willingness to invest in higher-
priced options (see Cobos & Shapoval, 2022; Yeo et al., 2023).
Recent research has also looked at users who are dedicated to using parti-
cular online shopping apps, playing games, or streaming services (Liu et al.,
2023). People are more likely to pay more, for instance, in exchange for extra
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 5
features, content, or improved experiences. But empirical studies on the
association between usage intention and willingness to pay still need to be
improved (Cobos & Shapoval, 2022). The lack of current knowledge highlights
the importance of learning more about how users’ intentions to use the app
correlate with their drive to devote more money to the hotel’s services and
experiences. By exploring the correlation between usage intent and the will-
ingness to invest, we stand to gain substantial insights into the elements that
influence users’ financial commitment and their perception of the app’s value.
Therefore, this paper assumes that:
H3. Digital concierge’s usage intention positively affects willingness to pay
a price premium.
When considering the layout, usability, and robust search features of the
online hotel, a higher propensity for customers to provide positive electronic
word-of-mouth reviews (Al-Gasawneh & Al-Adamat, 2020) or their willing-
ness to pay more for these online hotel services is revealed (Joshi et al., 2023).
Chun et al. (2019) showed that when customer trust and intention to use hotel
websites or apps grow, their willingness to pay more for the services they get
before or during their stay increases due to the ease of use and positive benefits
of these apps. Hence, this paper presupposes that:
H4a. Digital concierge’s usage intention mediates the association between
perceived usefulness and willingness to pay.
H4b. Digital concierge’s usage intention mediates the association between
perceived ease of use and willingness to pay.
Moderation eect: age-wise and gender-wise
Age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and marital status are only a few of the
characteristics that describe a population and are included in the definition
of demographics (Naqvi et al., 2020). Individuals’ propensity to accept devel-
oping technology is substantially influenced by their gender, age, education,
and income. For instance, Shatanawi et al. (2022) found that those who are
younger, have better education levels, and make more money show
a propensity to spend more money on self-driving cars. Younger people,
compared to previous generations, tend to be more technologically savvy
and more willing to spend more for cutting-edge goods and services since
they were raised in the digital age.
Similarly, individuals with advanced educational and income backgrounds
might demonstrate a greater willingness to pay a premium for services pro-
vided by robots. This inclination arises from their deeper understanding of the
6K. M. SELEM ET AL.
benefits associated with robots and their increased financial capacity, distin-
guishing them from those with lowers educational and income levels (Ivanov
& Webster, 2023). Nevertheless, there is evidence suggesting that gender
distinctions are present in the context of service robot utilization. For instance,
men appeared to be more open to robots in hotels than women, according to
a study of 260 young adults in Russia (Ivanov et al., 2018).
It’s interesting to note that Ivanov et al. (2018) findings offer a different
perspective; they revealed that in the Iranian environment, male respondents
and older persons were less inclined than their female and younger counter-
parts to appreciate hotel services supplied by robots. Hudson et al. (2017) used
Eurobarometer data from 1,000 participants in each member state of the
European Union in separate research. Their research found that urban dwell-
ers, younger people, men, and those with greater levels of education had more
favorable opinions regarding using robots to provide elder care. Ivanov and
Webster (2023) showed that male responses, household size, and customer
readiness to spend more showed positive correlations, but age and education
showed negative correlations. Consequently, this paper assumes that:
H5. Customer age moderates the association between usage intention and a)
perceived usefulness, b) perceived ease of use, and c) willingness to pay.
H6. Customer gender moderates the association between usage intention
and a) perceived usefulness, b) perceived ease of use, and c) willingness to pay.
Methods
Research rationale
Egypt was chosen as a context for this paper due to its picturesque nature and
moderate climate throughout the year (Abd El Kafy, 2022), in addition to its
reception of thousands of visitors for the purpose of entertainment or business in
every season, whether by land, sea, or air (Selem et al., 2023). Egypt also offers
a great deal of hospitality to its expatriates and has a strong technological infra-
structure (Abou-Shouk et al., 2023). As such, these unique components have
influenced the employment of emerging technologies in the service industry,
especially the hotel industry in Egypt. Nowadays, there is fruitful cooperation
between the Ministries of Information Technology and Tourism and Antiquities
to integrate these technologies into its operational processes (Marques, 2023) in
a way that keeps pace with the desires and needs of its current and prospective
customers (e.g., digital concierge, IoT, Chatbots, and metaverse).
According to the main objective of this paper, which is to identify the key
drivers of prospective hotel customers’ intentions to use digital inquiry apps
before their arrival as well as their willingness to pay more for these hotels
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 7
compared to other hotels that do not provide these apps, four-star hotels
located on the Mediterranean coast of Egyptian territory were selected.
These hotel categories provide their services to customers at acceptable prices
in light of the price inflation these days compared to five-star hotels (Abou-
Shouk et al., 2023). It is also distinguished from three-star hotels in that it is
equipped with smart rooms and 24-hour online services (Salem et al., 2023).
Furthermore, these hotels are located in four main cities: Port Said,
Alexandria, Damietta, and Marsa Matrouh. These cities are characterized by
diving tourism, catching rare fish, and receiving visitors for weekend tourism
(Othman et al., 2022). Their beaches waters are also characterized by an azure
color, which gives them an additional advantage for a visit, in addition to
reasonable prices for food and beverage services and means of transportation
(Ismael & Ismael, 2023).
Sampling and data collection
Because it is difficult to compile an exhaustive list of prospective hotel custo-
mers willing to pay more for digital concierge services before arriving at four-
star hotels in Egypt, snowball sampling was employed. Snowball was picked
because of its affordability, short time investment, and data gathering require-
ments (Audemard, 2020). Social norms were reduced by using a web-based
survey because of respondents’ diverse geographic regions (Menon &
Muraleedharan, 2020). This paper performed a self-selection sample techni-
que, which is perfect for recruiting willing research subjects. In this manner,
online surveys function best. To solicit recommendations from respondents to
invite friends and family to join, the authors released the final survey’s pre-
pared link using the Jotform platform on Facebook and Twitter accounts run
by tourists visiting Egypt.
For precise measurements, the survey made use of relevant scales from prior
research. First, the questionnaire’s content and understandability were pre-
tested by six digital marketing research specialists. Their suggestions were put
into practice (e.g., rephrase some longer items and include the continental
affiliation of respondents). Hence, the survey’s validity was assessed in a pilot
study with 60 prospective hotel customers. Each person’s gender, age, income,
and level of education varied in this pilot sample. Hence, they emphasized
items clarity and simplicity. Short videos about the services offered by hotel
digital concierge apps that lasted no more than two minutes were added before
approaching main sections like Guestfriend, Flexkeeping, and Hotefy.
Furthermore, construct validity was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coef-
ficient, and it was found that all scales were greater than 0.70. As such, the
survey began with a screening question that asked respondents to list the mobile
apps they were most familiar with for their online searches before arriving at
such hotels to stay with half-board or full-board. Therefore, they supplied
8K. M. SELEM ET AL.
a variety of these apps, including Gustaffo, Hinfo, STAY Hotel, and Edgar
Concierge. Moreover, screening questions for targeted participants were
included to incorporate the purposive sampling approach alongside the snow-
ball approach: “In which region would you like to reside in Egypt?” “What is the
classification of hotels that you would like to stay in?” and “Which city would you
like to stay in?” According to their responses, we included those who chose four-
star hotels overlooking the Mediterranean coastal region, especially the cities of
Port Said, Damietta, Alexandria, and Marsa Matrouh, as our target sample.
Three sub-sections made up the entire survey. The objective of this paper
was briefly stated in the first part. In the second part, research constructs were
discussed, and respondents assessed these items by themselves. Lastly, demo-
graphic information was acquired in the third part. A total of 646 completed
responses were gathered from March 10 through mid-April 2023 using the
Jotform platform. It is worth noting that 60 participants included in pretest
were not added to the final sample obtained. After running SPSS 28, indepen-
dent sample t-test were tested to compare 438 early (10–25 March 2023) and
208 late (26 March–15 April 2023) responses to ensure there was no bias in
responses (Roni & Djajadikerta, 2021). Accordingly, Levene’s test findings
revealed significant differences in favor of the early response sample.
After conducting a careful examination of these responses with the naked eye, it
was found that participants completed their responses in less than 30 seconds, and
some of them chose a unified response option for all items. Hence, 22 responses
were excluded so as not to affect outputs (Roni & Djajadikerta, 2021). Accordingly,
624 valid responses were obtained for statistical analysis, and by testing our sample
adequacy obtained using G*power, it was found that the current sample size
exceeds the estimated sample size (378) with four predictors and an effect size
that exceeded.50, as well as with a power index estimated at 98.768, i.e., exceeding
80%, which confirms the final sample adequacy for further statistical tests.
Measurement and procedure
Using accurate scales from earlier research, the main constructs were gauged.
Scores on a seven-point Likert scale, from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly
agree, were employed to assess these constructs. Adopting three items from Davis
(1989), ease of use, usefulness, and usage intention of hotel digital inquiry apps
were evaluated. These metrics have been employed in the hospitality literature
(e.g., Corne et al., 2023; Guo et al., 2023; Kao & Huang, 2023). To determine
whether or not hotel customers would be prepared to pay a price premium, three
items taken from Netemeyer et al. (2004) were employed. This scale is common in
empirical studies in the hotel industry (e.g., Ahn et al., 2022; Chun et al., 2019; Joshi
et al., 2023). Participants were informed that the official language of the ques-
tionnaire was English, thus back-translation of the intended questionnaire items
were not made.
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 9
All the scales used were presented in an unorganized manner, such that
intention to use was presented first, followed by ease of use, willingness to pay
more, and then usefulness. These procedures prevent participants from respond-
ing biasedly as well as from understanding cause-and-effect relationships.
Harman’s one-factor test also revealed no evidence of a common technique bias
in the dataset since the first component only accounted for 29.9% of the variance,
a significantly lower proportion than the overall variance (which was 50%).
Analytical strategy
WarpPLS v.8 was used to perform variance-based partial least squares structural
equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the associations between the vari-
ables (Amora, 2023). This paper employed variance-based PLS-SEM since it
evaluated a complicated model with several hypotheses and offered new predic-
tion-based concepts (Rasoolimanesh, 2022). Besides, PLS-SEM may be used
with sample sizes that do not assume a normal distribution (Kock, 2022).
Further, this approach also focuses on evaluating the model internally and
externally in two successive steps (Ma & Zhang, 2023).
Results
Demographic prole
Table 1 findings confirmed that most respondents (74.4%) were male, and
nearly half of the sample had bachelor (40.4%). Regarding participants’
incomes, 39.3% of them earned less than $1,600 per month, followed by
38.1% who earned between $1,600 and less than $2,400 per month. Further,
most participants (54.6%) were younger, while 45.4% were elderly. Regarding
continental affiliation, most participants expected to come to four-star hotels
in Egypt were Asians (36.9%), followed by Australians (18.8%).
Next, descriptive statistics were extracted using SPSS 28 in Table 2 in terms
of mean scores and standard deviation, which indicated that the majority of
participants’ opinions tended to agree to a relatively high degree for each
statement contained in the questionnaire (Roni & Djajadikerta, 2021).
Measurement model
Convergent and discriminant validity were employed as the two forms of
validity evaluation. Convergent validity is demonstrated by the results,
which reveal that the average variance extracted (AVE) is appropriate across
all constructs because it exceeded 50% (see Table 2) (Hair et al., 2021). Besides,
discriminant validity was assessed using Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT).
According to (Hair et al., 2021), the HTMT criteria values must be less than
10 K. M. SELEM ET AL.
0.90, as shown in our findings in Table 2. Further, construct reliability is
determined by internal consistency. Standardized loadings of each item (SFL)
were employed to assess construct reliability. According to (Hair et al., 2021),
SFL and composite reliability (CR) values should be higher than .70. Hence,
Table 2’s findings proved that SFL and CR values exceeded this value. These
indicators demonstrated that the model has sufficient convergent and discri-
minant validity (Kock, 2022).
Structural model
Before the model was put to the test, its fit was gauged using two coefficients: 1)
the Stone-Geisser coefficient (Q
2
) and 2) the coefficient of determination (R
2
).
Thus, the structural model had a high level of predictive ability, as evidenced
by Q
2
values that exceeded 0 and were close to 1 (Q
2Usage intention
= .264;
Q
2Willingness to pay premium
= .297). Further, Table 3 findings proved that the
model has medium R2 values for effects of perceived usefulness and ease of use
on usage intention with 32.7% and the effect of usage intention on willingness
to pay premium with 34.8%, implying that the present research model has
adequate predictive power (Amora, 2023). Next, Table 3 findings demon-
strated that direct paths had medium effect sizes since they ranged between
.273 and .307, and these values were less than .35 and greater than .15 (Hair
et al., 2021).
A 95% confidence interval bootstrapping approach was employed to test
both direct and indirect hypotheses using WarpPLS 8. This approach relies on
Table 1. Respondent demographics (N = 624).
Category Frequency %
Gender
Male 464 74.4
Female 160 25.6
Monthly income
Less than 1600$ 245 39.3
1600 $ − 2399$ 238 38.1
2400$ − 3199$ 86 13.8
3200$ or more 55 8.8
Education
PhD/MSc 170 27.2
Bachelor 252 40.4
High School 202 32.4
Age-wise (years)
Younger 341 54.6
Elderly 283 45.4
Continental affiliation
Africa 69 11.1
Asia 230 36.9
Australia 117 18.8
Europe 86 13.8
North America 83 13.3
South America 39 6.3
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 11
supporting hypotheses that have a t-value exceeding 1.96 and a significance
value less than .05 with zero not passing between its lower and upper limits
(Hair et al., 2021). Thus, findings (see Table 3) proved that perceived useful-
ness positively affected usage intention (β = .317, t = 6.180, p < .001,
CI = .235–.400), accepting H1. Similarly, findings in Table 3 proved that
perceived usefulness positively affected usage intention (β = .300, t = 4.157,
p < .01, CI = .262–.438), accepting H2. Furthermore, usage intention on will-
ingness to pay premium (β = .353, t = 7.101, p < .001, CI = .214–.509), as
shown in Table 3, confirms that H3 was supported.
On the other hand, the mediating effects of intention to use between ease of
use, usefulness, and willingness to pay more were examined (see Table 3). As
such, findings demonstrated that perceived usefulness positively affected will-
ingness to pay premium via usage intention (β = .110, t = 3.946, p < .05,
CI = .056–.165), supporting H4a. Likewise, perceived ease of use positively
Table 2. Outer model results.
Constructs Code Items
Descriptive
statistics Reliability
Mean SD SFL CR AVE
Perceived ease of
use
PEU1 The hotel’s digital concierge app is something I could
easily use.
5.21 1.746 .782 .827 .615
PEU2 I would not have any issue completing my inquiry
utilizing the hotel’s digital concierge app.
4.50 1.299 .825
PEU3 It would be straightforward for me to learn how to
use this hotel’s digital concierge app.
4.95 1.426 .742
Perceived
usefulness
PUS1 I could inquire more effectively about hotel facilities
with the aid of a digital concierge app.
4.56 1.986 .789 .839 .636
PUS2 I could easily inquire about hotel facilities using the
hotel’s mobile concierge app.
4.33 1.894 .756
PUS3 I could more quickly inquire about available services
if this hotel had a digital concierge app.
4.44 1.675 .844
Usage intention USI1 I intend to use this hotel’s digital concierge app
regularly when I arrive there in the near future.
4.52 1.203 .883 .798 .569
USI2 When I arrive at this hotel in the future, I want to
make considerable use of this hotel’s digital
concierge app.
5.28 1.518 .843
USI3 I want to utilize this hotel’s digital concierge app
when I arrive at this hotel in the near future.
5.29 1.881 .793
Willingness to
pay a price
premium
WPP1 This hotel rates offering digital concierge would need
to drastically increase before I decided to stay
elsewhere.
4.78 1.402 .761 .840 .568
WPP2 I am willing to pay up to 20% more for this hotel to
have a digital concierge app than other hotels.
5.06 1.289 .759
WPP3 Because this hotel has a digital concierge app, I am
willing to pay more for it than I would for other
hotels.
5.29 1.179 .742
WPP4 I am willing to spend more than digital concierge
cost or other comparable services to stay at this
hotel again.
5.48 1.484 .752
HTMT ratio 1 2 3 4
1. Perceived ease of use
2. Perceived usefulness .343
3. Usage intention .203 .326
4. Willingness to pay a price premium .326 .285 .367
12 K. M. SELEM ET AL.
affected willingness to pay premium via usage intention (β = .106, t = 3.782,
p < .05, CI = .051–.161), supporting H4b. These results confirm that usage
intention was partially mediated between willingness to pay more and both
ease of use and usefulness of digital concierge apps since all paths were
significant.
Moderation analysis
To examine the moderation effects age-wise and gender-wise, a multigroup
analysis (MGA) was performed. Unlike simple moderation studies, which
presume moderators can have an effect on structural paths (Becker et al.,
2023), MGA examines two or more variables across groups. Age-wise, we split
the sample into two categories: younger customers under 30 and older custo-
mers over 30, while gender-wise, we divided our final sample into males and
females. The moderation effect of customer gender findings revealed (see
Table 4) that perceived usefulness positively affected usage intention in the
two samples (male: β = .230, p < .01; female: β = .511, p < .001). Thereby, dif-
ferences between the two samples indicated that the female sample was most
affected (Diff: β = .281, p < .01), supporting H5a.
Otherwise, perceived ease of use positively affected usage intention in the two
samples (male: β = .194, p < .01; female: β = .158, p < .01). Thereby, differences
between the two samples (see Table 4) indicated that the male sample was most
affected (Diff: β = .036, p < .05), supporting H5b. Moreover, usage intention
positively affected usage intention in the two samples (male: β = .244, p < .01;
female: β = .342, p < .001). Thereby, differences between two samples (see
Table 4) indicated that the female sample was most affected (Diff: β = .098,
p < .05), supporting H5c. On the other hand, the moderation effect of customer
age findings revealed (see Table 4) that perceived usefulness positively affected
usage intention in the two samples (younger: β = .381, p < .001; elderly: β = .172,
Table 3. Inner model results.
H Paths β t-values p-values
95%
CI
Effect
size R
2
Q
2
Decision
H1 Perceived usefulness → Usage
intention
.317*** 6.180 .000 .235;
.400
.298 .327 .264 Supported
H2 Perceived ease of use → Usage
intention
.300** 4.157 .002 .262;
.438
.273 Supported
H3 Usage intention → Willingness to
pay premium
.353*** 7.101 .000 .214;
509
.307 .348 .297 Supported
H4a Perceived usefulness → Usage
intention → Willingness to pay
premium
.110* 3.946 .027 .056;
.165
- - - Supported
H4b Perceived ease of use → Usage
intention → Willingness to pay
premium
.106* 3.782 .033 .051;
.161
- - - Supported
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 13
p < .01). Thereby, differences between two samples indicated that the younger
customer sample was most affected (Diff: β = .209, p < .01), supporting H6a.
Likewise, perceived ease of use positively affected usage intention in the two
samples (younger: β = .225, p < .01; elderly: β = .147, p < .01). Thereby, differ-
ences between the two samples (see Table 4) indicated that the younger
customer sample was most affected (Diff: β = .078, p < .05), supporting H6b.
Moreover, usage intention positively affected usage intention in the two
samples (younger: β = .218, p < .01; elderly: β = .194, p < .001). Thereby, differ-
ences between the two samples (see Table 4) indicated that the younger
customer sample was most affected (Diff: β = .024, p < .05), supporting H6c.
Discussion
Our primary concentration was directed toward the critical function of per-
ceived benefit as a fundamental driving force in the formation of the belief
frameworks of our customers. This novel viewpoint attempted to change the
focus of the conversation from one that was technical to one that put more of
an emphasis on the concrete benefits that these applications provide to the
customers of hotels. However, it is essential to remember that our findings do
not universally offer a positive image of the situation. Even though our
research revealed significant positive correlations between perceived benefit,
usability, and willingness to pay for better services, some nuances that deserve
to be discussed were found.
First and foremost, it is vital to admit that implementing digital con-
cierge services in the hospitality industry is complex. Although we did
discover a positive association between perceived advantage and usage
intention, there were some instances in which users expressed worries
regarding the privacy and security of their personal information when
interacting with these programs (Naqvi et al., 2020). This was even though
we did find a positive linkage between usefulness and usage intention. This
highlights how important it is for service providers to handle these
Table 4. Moderation analysis results.
H Paths Male (β) Female (β) Difference
Gender
H5a Perceived usefulness → Usage intention .230** .511*** −.281**
H5b Perceived ease of use → Usage intention .194** .158** .036*
H5c Usage intention → Willingness to pay premium .244** .342*** −.98*
H Paths Younger (β) Elderly (β) Difference
Age-wise
H6a Perceived usefulness → Usage intention .381*** .172** .209**
H6b Perceived ease of use → Usage intention .225** .147** .078*
H6c Usage intention → Willingness to pay premium .218** .194** .024*
14 K. M. SELEM ET AL.
concerns honestly, which is also efficient (Garrido-Moreno et al., 2021). In
addition, some customers have shown an unwillingness to pay a premium
for digital concierge services despite being aware of the benefits these
services provide. This hints that customers’ desire to spend monetarily on
these services may be determined by more than just their perception of the
benefits they would receive from using them, even though this is
a substantial influence (Zhang et al., 2023).
In addition, our findings revealed demographic differences, particularly in
terms of age and gender, which considerably altered the correlations between
key variables. Younger people, who are often more proficient with technology,
demonstrated a greater propensity toward using digital concierge services
(Singh et al., 2020). However, this was not the case for everyone since some
people in their later years also showed a significant interest in these applica-
tions. On the other hand, gender disparities revealed themselves mostly in
terms of expectations and usage habits rather than readiness to pay. These
findings highlight the complexity of user preferences and the necessity of
developing individualized tactics to accommodate various user groups
(Ozdemir et al., 2023).
Moreover, our results provide insightful information regarding utilizing
digital concierge services in the hospitality industry. Even though it acknowl-
edges challenges and variability in user attitudes and actions, it emphasizes the
fundamental role that perceived benefits play. The concerns regarding users’
privacy and security (Herrmann et al., 2022), in addition to the heterogeneity
in users’ willingness to pay, call for service providers to use nuanced methods
(Vo-Thanh et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2023).
Lastly, the influence of demographics, notably age and gender, highlights
the necessity of developing individualized approaches to successfully engage
various user segments. Our findings, while providing a solid foundation for
understanding technology adoption in the hotel industry (Leung et al., 2023),
also open doors for additional study and exploration, encouraging academics
and industry professionals to delve further into the complexities of this chan-
ging landscape. While our findings offer a solid foundation for understanding
technology adoption, they also open up further research and exploration
opportunities.
Conclusion
Within the scope of this extensive research project, we investigated the use of
digital concierge services within the hospitality industry. As a result of our
research, perceived usefulness has been repositioned as a fundamental driver
of user beliefs and intentions, contributing to a better theoretical understand-
ing. For the hotel managers, we emphasized practical matters such as open
communication, individualized pricing plans, and price insights. We also
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 15
found certain limits and potential future paths for research. This paper con-
tributes to the body of knowledge regarding the use of technology and directs
practical strategies for the sector.
Theoretical implications
This paper significantly contributes to the hospitality literature by reposition-
ing perceived benefit as a central catalyst in shaping user beliefs and intentions
in digital concierge services within the hospitality sector. This reframing
highlights the critical role of tangible advantages, enriching the existing dis-
course in hospitality and technology adoption (Ivanov & Webster, 2023).
Besides, this paper demonstrates the enduring relevance of established theo-
retical frameworks like the TAM theory in understanding user behavior in the
rapidly evolving landscape of digital concierge services (Davis, 1989). This
reaffirms the adaptability of foundational theories to emerging technologies,
offering valuable insights for academia and industry.
Additionally, this paper challenges the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach
to technology adoption. It emphasizes the need for a nuanced understanding
of user attitudes, especially in the diverse hospitality industry, where age,
gender, and individual characteristics play substantial roles (Buhalis &
Moldavska, 2022). Lastly, these theoretical contributions lay a solid foundation
for future research in technology adoption within hospitality. They provide
a clear roadmap for exploring the complexities of user preferences and the
evolving digital concierge service landscape, fostering continued knowledge
advancement in this critical area.
Practical implications
This paper offers many practical insights to hotel managers. First, hotel
managers can benefit from transparently communicating the tangible advan-
tages of digital concierge services to potential guests. This approach aligns with
users’ desires for concrete benefits and empowerment, regardless of their
technical proficiency. Managers can effectively attract a broader range of
users by highlighting how these services enhance the guest experience. This
transparent communication can be integrated into marketing strategies,
emphasizing the convenience, personalization, and efficiency that digital con-
cierge services bring to a hotel stay. By articulating these benefits, hotel
managers can stimulate interest and enthusiasm among potential users.
Second, this research emphasizes the importance of creating specialized
approaches to meet the varying requirements of various user subsets.
Managers and marketers at hotels should pay close attention to demographics,
especially age and gender, because of the profound impact they have on guest
preferences and actions. Personalizing user experiences requires awareness of
16 K. M. SELEM ET AL.
these differences. To effectively interact with digital concierge services,
younger people, who are typically more tech-savvy, may require more sophis-
ticated functionalities and features. On the other hand, it’s possible that
previous generations valued intuitive interfaces and simple navigation. Hotel
managers can better address their customers’ varying needs by considering
these subtleties when developing digital concierge apps. This individualized
strategy guarantees a more accommodating and customer-focused service.
Third, understanding guests’ perspectives on room rates is crucial for hotel
owners. Effective pricing strategies require knowledge of how people value and
are willing to pay for digital concierge services. With this knowledge, hotel
management can set prices that reflect the value of their digital concierge
services to guests. For instance, customers may be prepared to pay more for
access to the app’s capabilities if they perceive it as a valuable addition to their
hotel experience. Hotel management may increase income by targeting cus-
tomers with the correct prices by performing market research and regularly
monitoring user preferences.
Finally, if you want people to start using digital concierge services, you need
to address their worries, especially those related to privacy and security.
Service providers must deal with these problems openly and effectively to
earn customers’ trust. Straightforward, user-friendly privacy policies should be
in place to inform users about how their data is collected, used, and protected.
By proactively addressing these concerns, hotel managers can foster a sense of
security and confidence among users, encouraging them to embrace digital
concierge services without reservation. Table 5 summarizes the theoretical and
practical insights provided by this research in the hospitality context.
Limitations and future proposals
There are a number of limitations in our article that offer opportunities
for further investigation. First, the research will look at how age and
Table 5. Summary of theoretical and practical implications.
Theoretical implications Practical implications
1. Repositioning perceived benefit as a central catalyst
in shaping user beliefs and intentions in digital
concierge services, emphasizing tangible advantages.
1. Transparently communicating the tangible
advantages of digital concierge services to potential
guests.
2. Demonstrating the enduring relevance of established
theoretical frameworks like the Technology
Acceptance Model (TAM) in understanding user
behavior in the evolving digital concierge services
landscape.
2. Developing specialized approaches to meet the
varying requirements of different user subsets based
on demographics, such as age and gender.
3. Emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding
of user attitudes, challenging the one-size-fits-all
approach to technology adoption, especially in the
diverse hospitality industry.
3. Gaining insights into user attitudes toward pricing to
set prices that reflect the value of digital concierge
services to guests.
4. Providing a clear roadmap for future research in
technology adoption within hospitality, paving the
way for exploration of user preferences and the
evolving digital concierge service landscape.
4. Addressing user concerns, particularly related to
privacy and security, to build trust and encourage
adoption of digital concierge services.
JOURNAL OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM 17
gender affect the use of digital apps and willingness to pay more.
Therefore, more research may be conducted by adding monthly income
or educational level as control variables or by looking at their possible
moderating effects. This paper examined hotel customers’ usage inten-
tions of concierge apps as a mediation effect only. Therefore, some
variables can be employed as indirect effects, leaving the possibility for
the quantification of partial or serial mediation in the association
between usefulness, ease, and willingness to pay more, like customer
delight, brand prestige, trust in apps, perceived interactivity, and
vividness.
This paper lost its deep focus on studying comparison across cultures or
generations, and therefore it will be a major station in investigating the antece-
dents of willingness to pay more for technological services provided by hospitality
establishments. Furthermore, the current paper examined the opinions of poten-
tial tourists about visiting Egypt and staying in its four-star hotels overlooking the
Mediterranean coast, and thus it may prompt future researchers to conduct the
same study on other geographical regions such as Morocco or Turkey in light of
the natural disasters they were exposed to as a result of earthquakes and hurri-
canes. It is expected that new concierge technologies will develop over time,
offering next-generation services as alternatives to mobile app technology as the
digital revolution continues to modify normal hotel operations for providing daily
services to guests. Future studies can then look at other affordance properties, such
as actual human qualities, moving beyond the focus on compatibility alone.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
ORCID
Kareem M. Selem http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2987-4134
Rimsha Khalid http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3753-5183
Mohsin Raza http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5865-1285
Mohammad Shahidul Islam http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9366-5372
CRediT author statement
Kareem M. Selem: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, and Data Curation.
Rimsha Khalid: Conceptualization, Writing-Original Draft, Investigation, and Resources.
Mohsin Raza: Conceptualization, Investigation, Resources, and Visualization.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam: Supervision, Writing-Reviewing and Editing, and Project
administration.
18 K. M. SELEM ET AL.
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