THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICE INNOVATION IN ENHANCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: AN ioT AND SMART HOSPITALITY STUDY OF HOTELS IN UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE.

In today’s rapidly evolving hospitality industry, technological service innovation has become a key driver of customer satisfaction. The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart hospitality solutions has transformed hotel operations, enabling seamless connectivity, personalized guest experiences and improved service efficiency. The main objective of this study was to examine the influence of technological service innovation on customer satisfaction of hotels in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. To achieve this objective, the main source of data was through primary source with the use of questionnaire. The researcher adopted the survey research design approach and data were collected from 369 respondents drawn from the hotel customers’ base. A total number of 351 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved in useable form representing 95.1 percent of data analyzed using the Simple Regression Model (SRM). Data generated from the study were processed using descriptive and inferential statistics and hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that technological service innovation had significant influence on customer satisfaction of hotels in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Thus, the study recommended that the managers of hotel firms should integrate ioT-enabled devices that allow guests to personalize room settings-such as lighting, temperature and entertainment systems-through their smart phones or in-room tablets. This customization enhances comfort and convenience