Examining Technology’s Impact on Hotel Operations: A Systematic Review of Hospitality Research Literature

In the hospitality industry, technology’s impact on hotel performance is a central topic since it is closely related to operators’ budget allocation and business decisions. However, former studies have devoted little attention to this issue and have exhibited mixed attitudes, which makes it more difficult for hotel operators to make their technology adoption decisions. To determine the scope of technology’s implication on operations, this study will conduct a systematic review and examine technology’s impact on hotel performance based on the empirical evidence given by scientific publications in the hospitality industry from the last 20 years. The data was obtained from the most comprehensive journal database: Hospitality and Tourism Complete. The study identified four kinds of influences that technology can have on hotels: positive impact, negative impact, undetermined impact, and no impact. Among them, positive impacts were most frequently mentioned in the literature. This study fills the gap of previous literature by collecting the latest information about the impact of technology, which is rarely discussed in former content analysis. Also, suggestions for the hoteliers are offered. This study helps managers make decisions and prepare to implement technology in their properties