Modeling Customer Engagement in 5-Star Hotel Apps: The Role of Technology Readiness, Trust, and Perceived Usefulness

This study explores the impact of Technology Readiness on customer engagement with hotel mobile applications, using Perceived Usefulness and Trust as mediating variables. Drawing on the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research investigates how optimism, innovativeness, discomfort, and insecurity shape user perceptions and behavioural outcomes. A quantitative approach was employed, with 290 valid responses collected from hotel guests using mobile applications. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal that innovativeness positively influences perceived usefulness, while discomfort and optimism significantly enhance trust. Both perceived usefulness and trust have a strong direct effect on customer engagement. Interestingly, insecurity also shows a positive effect on engagement, suggesting a compensatory mechanism among hesitant users. However, some hypothesized paths—such as the effect of discomfort and insecurity on perceived usefulness, and innovativeness on trust—were not supported. This study contributes to hospitality literature by integrating psychological predispositions (TRI) with cognitive and relational variables (TAM and trust) to explain customer engagement in digital service settings. The results offer valuable insights for hotel managers to tailor their mobile services and communications according to different customer readiness profiles.