Compatibility as a pivotal design factor for digital concierge apps: exploring hotel guests’ socio-psychological dynamics

Purpose This paper addresses a crucial research need by examining the influence of compatibility, a pivotal design element for hotel concierge apps, on the socio-psychological dynamics of digital hotel guests. While prior research has examined the constructs, their application to digital concierge apps introduces a unique context. We posit that compatibility significantly influences central variables rooted in theory of planned behaviors (TPBs) and technology acceptance model (TAM), fostering positive usage intentions. Design/methodology/approach Analyzing data from 668 four-star hotel guests through PLS-SEM substantiates compatibility’s role, endorsing the theoretical amalgamation of affordance, TPB, and TAM frameworks. Findings Compatibility positively affected perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward behavior. Besides, usage intention positively affected willingness to pay a price premium and revisit intention. Originality/value This paper adopts compatibility as a unifying force for integrating TPB and TAM; the predictive ability of digital concierges' usage intentions on revisit intentions to upscale hotels. Further, this paper is the first attempt to highlight employing compatibility as a pivotal design factor for digital concierge apps in the hospitality setting.