Smart service experience and consumer loyalty in Saudi Arabian smart hotels: The mediating roles of tourist happiness and value co-creation

Abstract

Drawing on Cognitive-Affective System Theory (CAST), this study investigates the mediating roles of tourist happiness and willingness to co-create value in the relationship between Smart Service Experience (SSE) and loyalty among consumers of smart hotels in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from 367 guests who had stayed in a smart hotel in Saudi Arabia within the past year and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The findings reveal that SSE positively influences both tourist happiness and co-creation willingness, which in turn drive guest loyalty. Notably, the affective pathway through tourist happiness exerts a stronger effect on loyalty than the cognitive pathway through co-creation willingness, confirming that emotional well-being is the dominant mechanism through which SSE generates loyalty in this context. This study extends CAST to the SSE context and advances empirical understanding of how SSE shapes consumer well-being within the Saudi Arabian smart hospitality market, extending established mechanisms to a novel construct and underexplored context. Practical implications for hotel managers operating under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda are discussed.