Transforming the Future Guest Experience in the Hotel Industry A Structured Narrative Review of Intelligent Hospitality

Purpose
This study critically synthesises contemporary hospitality research to examine how intelligent technologies, organisational capabilities, sustainability and human-centred service are reshaping the future guest experience. It addresses the fragmentation of these research streams by developing an integrated conceptual perspective on intelligent hospitality.
Design/methodology/approach
A Structured Narrative Literature Review (SNLR), informed by systematic review principles and PRISMA 2020 reporting guidance, was conducted. Thirty peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2026 were synthesised through qualitative appraisal and thematic analysis, integrating perspectives from hospitality, tourism, information systems, strategic management and sustainability.
Findings
The synthesis indicates that intelligent technologies enhance guest experience when supported by organisational capabilities, responsible governance, employee competencies and sustainable value creation. Technology alone does not generate superior experiences; its value depends on effective integration with human-centred hospitality. The study identifies relationships among technological capabilities, guest-experience mechanisms and organisational outcomes.
Originality/value
The study develops the Future Guest Experience Framework (FGEF), integrating intelligent technologies, organisational capabilities, sustainable value creation and human-centred hospitality within a multi-level framework. It connects previously fragmented research streams and provides testable propositions for future empirical research.

Guest experience; Intelligent hospitality; Artificial intelligence; Sustainable hospitality; Future Guest Experience Framework

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