THE IMPACT OF SMART TECHNOLOGIES ON GUEST EXPERIENCE: A CASE STUDY OF MANILA MARRIOTT HOTEL

Abstract

The Manila Marriott Hotel, a key component of Resorts World Manila's mixed-use development, offers cutting-edge amenities accessible through a dedicated mobile app. As a 5-star property, it is positioned to become the Philippines' premier venue for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. Smart technology enhances guest interactions by meeting high expectations and providing convenience. Guest rooms are equipped with advanced lighting systems and voice-activated controls, enabling personalized adjustments that boost satisfaction and encourage loyalty. This study aims to improve the hotel’s image and guest satisfaction by implementing smart room controls for lighting, temperature, and entertainment. The findings will provide valuable insights to help Manila Marriott optimize its technology offerings, enhance guest experiences, and influence the future direction of the hospitality industry. This chapter covers the research design, study participants, sampling method, study instruments including the questionnaire and its validation, data collection procedures, administration and retrieval of questionnaires, and the statistical techniques used for data analysis. This research examines the effectiveness of smart technology at the Manila Marriott Hotel. Researchers surveyed 50 employees to evaluate how smart technology impacts guest satisfaction. Overall, the use of smart technologies has a significant positive effect on the guest experience by providing personalized services, enhancing convenience, and improving operational efficiency and safety. A guest’s overall perception and interaction with the hotel—from check-in to check-out—is influenced by factors such as service quality, room comfort, and the ease of using smart technology. The challenges highlight various aspects of the smart technology used in the hotel, including technical issues with mobile keys, AI-powered personalized services, smart TVs, and thermostats. Additionally, the efficiency of smart technology in terms of convenience, ease of access, and service quality is a significant concern. The consistent ranking of these factors suggests that all are equally important considerations for enhancing the overall quality of smart technology within hotel services. This indicates that these challenges are commonly experienced. The survey also identifies the main obstacles the hotel faces regarding smart technology, such as technical difficulties and the need to improve the service quality of these technologies.