Job automation constraints in hotel work: Task-level bottlenecks in four- and five-star sun-and-beach hotels

This study examined the automatability of hotel jobs in four- and five-star sun-and-beach hotels in Spain using a task-level engineering-bottleneck approach. A total of 202 tasks from key hotel jobs were rated across eight bottlenecks under two scenarios: moderate to severe and severe. The results indicated that more than 90% of tasks encountered at least one moderate-to-severe bottleneck, and over 40% remained resistant in the severe scenario. Perceptual, manipulative, and social bottlenecks were the most prevalent. Three artificial intelligence systems were used for evaluating the bottlenecks. This methodological innovation offers a scalable alternative to expert panels. The study suggests that in this context, automation is more likely to complement work than fully replace hotel jobs.