Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

The Practical Implementation of Personalised Digital Tourism at the “Soft Waves” Boutique Hotel

Judit Grotte

On a late autumn morning, when Lake Balaton had long passed its summer peak, only a few guests wandered through the quiet lobby of the “Soft Waves” Boutique Hotel. Upstairs, in his office, Géza Pál, the hotel’s general manager, sat behind his desk. In recent months, he had increasingly felt that a significant change was on the horizon. Guests were no longer looking for what they had sought ten years ago. It was no longer just about the view, the size of the rooms, or the quality of breakfast – it was about making the guest feel that the hotel was speaking directly to them.

“But how could we possibly achieve that?” he wondered, while reading a new study on his laptop. It described a fresh concept that could lay the foundation for the future of digital tourism – and one that, perhaps, could also be applied at their own hotel.

In recent years, the tourism sector has undergone an intensified process of digitalisation, during which the use of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and automated as well as adaptive systems has become increasingly widespread in service development and experience management (Gretzel, Sigala, Xiang and Koo, 2015; Neuhofer, Buhalis and Ladkin, 2015). Within this rapidly changing, digitalised environment, a new interdisciplinary concept has emerged: Personalised Digital Tourism (PDT), which – according to Grotte (2025) – is regarded as a next-generation approach to tourism. This approach integrates technological innovations, the theoretical foundations of Cognitive Infocommunication (CogInfoCom) (Baranyi and Csapó, 2012), and the effects of generational differences on tourism preferences (Williams and Page, 2011; Priporas, Stylos and Fotiadis, 2017), shaping them into a model that can be practically applied. The aim of PDT is to create hyper-personalised tourism experiences based on travellers’ individual characteristics – such as their digital behaviour patterns, preferences, and cognitive habits. A key element of the concept is the use of predictive algorithms and AI-based systems, which make it possible to optimise experiences in real time.

The international literature has long addressed the importance of personalisation in tourism ( Pine and Gilmore, 1999 ; Tussyadiah and Wang, 2016 ). However, Personalised Digital Tourism (PDT) ( Grotte, 2025 ) is among the first to integrate this concept into a complex system that takes into account not only technological aspects but also psychological and cognitive dimensions.

Sitting in his office, Géza Pál wondered whether a small, independent hotel like theirs could truly implement such an ambitious and technology-driven system. The concept of Personalised Digital Tourism (Grotte, 2025) seemed exciting – but would their guests really be open to it? Wouldn’t the sense of personal connection be lost if machines began to mediate interactions between people?

As he pondered these dilemmas, he looked out the window and noticed a young couple standing in the lobby, talking while staring at their phone screens. Anna and Dávid – he remembered them from that morning’s check-in. The system had automatically indicated that they were digitally highly active users, followed a vegetarian lifestyle, and preferred nature-oriented but uncrowded activities.

That moment became a decisive turning point for Pál. “They are exactly the kind of guests the PDT system was made for. They don’t need to be convinced that it’s good when the experience revolves around them – they take that for granted.”

The hotel’s digital transformation rested on three main pillars, all based on the principles of the Personalised Digital Tourism (PDT) model. Yet these were not just theoretical concepts – for Géza, every decision had to be grounded on real guests, with real dilemmas.

When the concept of the “Soft Waves” Boutique Hotel’s digital renewal was born, Géza Pál, the hotel’s general manager, couldn’t move past one pressing question: to what extent could they collect guest data without crossing the boundaries of trust?

According to the theoretical framework of PDT, the key to hyper-personalised experiences lies in proactive and predictive service delivery, which requires prior knowledge of guests’ behaviours and preferences. However, this also demands data – sensitive, personal information such as dietary habits, travel style, social interaction patterns, stress tolerance, and digital attitude, among others.

Géza deliberated for a long time. On the one hand, he saw the immense potential: through AI-based data management, the hotel could develop a level of foresight and responsiveness previously unimaginable for a small, independent establishment. On the other hand, he couldn’t shake off a lingering concern – would guests feel watched, controlled, or exposed?

He ultimately summed up his decision in a single sentence:

“Personalisation is not the question – only the way it is done.”

Based on this principle, a compromise was born: the digital profiling process would be conducted through questionnaires, but participation would be entirely optional, and every question would include an information icon clearly explaining how the data would be used.

For Example:

“Would you like to receive vegetarian options among the menu suggestions?”
“Are you interested if there are nearby music events?”
“Would you prefer quiet, retreat-style experiences or social, communal programmes?”

The questions were simple, personal, yet non-intrusive, and guests could always skip them. Still, 78% of guests voluntarily and actively completed their profiles, mainly because the process was integrated into the booking experience in a playful, pleasant, and mobile-friendly design.

For example, Anna and Dávid quickly went through the questionnaire without feeling uncomfortable. “We liked that we already felt noticed during the booking process,” Anna later wrote in a review. Based on their profile, the AI system had already, before their arrival:

Suggested vegetarian dishes on the in-room menu,
Automatically excluded crowded programmes,
And offered the option of a private wine dinner, perfectly matching their style.

In the background, the algorithm worked with hundreds of data points: it considered not only the questionnaire responses but also behaviour within the app (what they clicked on, how long they viewed each programme), analysed community feedback, and continuously updated preferences throughout the guest’s stay.

The system didn’t just collect data – it learned. For example, if someone frequently skipped evening programmes, the system wouldn’t send evening suggestions the next day – unless a romantic candlelight dinner appeared among the options, which previous data suggested the guest might enjoy.

Géza’s doubts finally faded when he saw that guests didn’t feel alienated; instead, they felt closer to the hotel through the digital profiling. They didn’t feel like “data points” but as if an invisible personal assistant had known them for years.

One international guest, staying for just one night, wrote in their feedback: "It’s incredible how well they sensed what I wanted. Nowhere else have I felt so clearly that they not only notice me – but understand me too."

This sentence eventually made its way onto Géza’s office wall. Below it, he handwrote one of the core principles of Personalised Digital Tourism (SZDT), which became the guiding thread of the hotel’s strategy: “Data isn’t about the guest – it’s for the guest.”

Pál Géza, the CEO of the “Lágy Hullámok” hotel, sat in his office, repeatedly reviewing the latest evaluation of the digital development project. The numbers were encouraging, and the feedback mostly positive, yet an old dilemma lingered in his mind: how far can technology go without distancing guests from human interaction? Would they lose the experience of “genuine” hospitality if requests in their room were handled not by a receptionist, but by a digital assistant?

According to the SZDT concept, cognitive infocommunication is not meant to replace traditional human interaction, but to complement and fine-tune it. The essence is that technology can “learn” from user behaviour – data about when, what, and how they interact – and then proactively provide personalised feedback, suggestions, and experiences.

During the first test week, Géza was browsing the room service log when a small but telling entry caught his eye: "Relaxation mode activated – music: ambient playlist, lighting: 30%, diffuser: lavender. User: A_29."

Then everything clicked for him. It was Anna, who had activated the “Relaxation” function just minutes after arriving in her room, using the voice assistant. She didn’t have to call the reception, adjust the lights, search for music, or ask about the scent programmes. The system already knew her preferences from the information provided at booking and her previous in-app activity.

At the same time, in the hotel lobby, Dávid was browsing on his phone. The chatbot had just sent him a personalised message: "Dávid, tonight at 8:00 PM there’s a jazz concert at Tagore Promenade. We know you enjoy music events – would you like to reserve two front-row seats?"

Dávid was surprised but liked the idea. With a single tap, he responded, and the system automatically booked the seats. He didn’t need to search, ask, or navigate multiple apps – the experience came to him.

For Géza, this was the moment it became clear that the system doesn’t “replace” human service; it enhances it beyond what human capacity alone could achieve. One of the core principles of SZDT is that the guest experience is not about a competition between humans and machines, but about the synergy of human and artificial intelligence. Through cognitive infocommunication, guests receive a level of attention and personalisation that would be impossible with traditional methods.

Of course, not everyone was equally open to the innovations. Some guests still preferred personal interaction – they communicated with receptionists more and used the assistant or chatbot less. The system accounted for this: if a guest repeatedly ignored the digital assistant’s suggestions, the algorithm scaled back its proactivity and steered interactions toward traditional channels instead.

Guest feedback showed that the digital companion functions offered by the system not only made the hotel stay more convenient, but also deepened the emotional experience: guests felt genuinely understood and received attention that went beyond customary politeness.

One returning guest put it this way: "When the system knew I wanted a hot bath with lavender bath salts after dinner – even before I said a word – I felt that I truly mattered here. And it didn’t feel mechanical; it felt profoundly human."

Géza finally realised that digital technology is not an alternative to humanity, but an extension of it. The machine does not replace – it helps both the service provider and the guest be more human.

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2026

ISBN: 978 963 664 217 4

Marketing Turizmus

The publication of the third volume of Cases in Tourism Marketing is truly welcome news from both an educational and a professional perspective. Through real-world, timely, and thought-provoking cases, this collection helps readers – students and practitioners alike – gain a deeper understanding of the complex world of decision-making in tourism marketing. The case studies not only convey professional knowledge but also develop analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking. One of the volume’s key strengths is its focus on issues that define contemporary tourism, including the role of digitalization, artificial intelligence, destination branding, and stakeholder collaboration in tourism marketing. Long-awaited and highly relevant, this third volume is a worthy continuation of the previous collections and will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource in higher education in tourism, while also being highly recommended to professionals who enjoy reflecting on challenges and opportunities beyond their own immediate field of expertise.

Tamara Ratz PhD

Director, Centre for International Relations, Kodolányi János University

Head of Tourism Department, Professor of Tourism

It is an honor for me to recommend this volume to everyone who wishes to understand tourism marketing not only in theory, but also through its real business and human dimensions. The worlds of tourism and hospitality have undergone fundamental changes in recent years, which makes case studies based on real market situations, decision-making dilemmas and current challenges especially valuable in supporting both learning and critical thinking. This book provides not only professional knowledge, but also encourages a complex mindset, creative problem-solving and the ability to think in connections — exactly the skills today’s tourism professionals need most. I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to students, educators and tourism professionals alike.

Judit Fodor (Liptai)

Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Danubius Hotels

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/deli-gray-cases-in-toursim-marketing-iii//

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