Technology Implementation and Guests’ Visit Intentions: A Generational Analysis between Millennials and Generation Z in Malaysian Hotels

The hospitality industry is rapidly transforming through digital innovation, with hotels increasingly adopting technologies such as smart-room systems, self-check-in kiosks, and mobile key access to enhance service quality and guest satisfaction. This study investigates the influence of technology implementation on guests’ visit intentions, focusing on generational differences between Millennials and Generation Z, two cohorts that dominate the contemporary travel market. Drawing upon the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), four constructs; performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions were examined to determine their effects on visit intention. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using an online survey of 347 hotel guests in Malaysia (162 Millennials, 185 Generation Z). Partial Least Squares Multi-Group Analysis (PLS-MGA) was used to assess measurement validity and test hypotheses. Results indicate that effort expectancy significantly predicts visit intention for both generations, while facilitating conditions exert a significant effect only among Millennials. Performance expectancy and social influence were found to be non-significant across groups. These findings highlight the central role of ease of use and infrastructural support in technology adoption within hospitality services, as well as the differing expectations of each generation. The study extends the UTAUT model to a multigenerational hospitality context and offers actionable insights for hotel operators to design inclusive, user-friendly, and technologically enhanced experiences that align with the post-digital era of hospitality.

UTAUT, hospitality technology, generational difference

1. This research demonstrates that while both Millennials and Generation Z value technological ease of use, their responses to infrastructural support differ. Millennials’ visit intentions are strengthened by visible assistance, whereas Generation Z’s are driven by autonomy and intuitive design. The results refine UTAUT’s applicability in hospitality and guide managers toward adaptive, generation-sensitive digital ecosystems. As hotels advance into a new era of smart hospitality, competitive success will depend not on what technology is implemented, but how meaningfully it enhances the guest experience—balancing digital efficiency with the human warmth that defines true hospitality. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

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