Spatial Transformation of Hotel Buildings Through Smart Technologies: Employees’ Perceptions

This study provides a comprehensive empirical examination of the factors influencing the adoption of smart technologies in the Serbian hotel industry by integrating structural equation modeling (SEM), mediation and multigroup analyses, and machine-learning-based robustness testing. Grounded in the UTAUT framework, the research investigates how perceptual, organizational, and social determinants shape employees’ Behavioural Intention (BI) and actual Use Behaviour (USE). A key theoretical contribution is the introduction of the construct Perceived Spatial Impact of Technology (PST), which captures employees’ perceptions of how smart technologies transform the architectural concept, spatial organization, aesthetics, and functional logic of hotels. Although UTAUT traditionally focuses on users, neither prior studies nor the present one examine these dynamics from the perspective of architects or designers who create hotel spaces. Thus, the findings serve as an initial step from the user viewpoint, while future research should incorporate expert architectural reasoning to better understand how spatial knowledge and design logic intersect with user perceptions. All core UTAUT constructs significantly predict BI and USE, with Performance Expectancy and BI emerging as the strongest predictors across SEM and Random Forest models. PST exerts a fully mediated effect on USE through BI, and multigroup analysis reveals notable differences across job roles, hotel categories, and age groups. Overall, the results highlight that digital transformation in hospitality is not only technological and organizational, but also fundamentally architectural.