The Impact of the Physical Environment, Interaction Quality, and Digital Services on Customer Perceptions of Service Quality in Hotel Sector in Saudi Arabia

The current study aims to explore the impact of the physical environment, interaction quality, and digital services on customers' perceptions of service quality in the Saudi Arabian hotel sector, and examining the mediating role of psychological comfort and emotional satisfaction. A quantitative approach based on structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed. Data were collected from a sample of 300 guests at 4 to 5-star hotels in five major cities. The results showed that all three variables (physical environment, quality of interaction, and digital services) directly and statistically significantly affect psychological comfort, which in turn acts as a strong mediating variable influencing perceptions of service quality. Moreover, the findings of this study revealed that digital technology had the strongest impact on customer comfort and their perception of service quality. Thus, the findings recommend that hotels adopt integrated strategies aimed at improving the physical environment, developing staff skills, and integrating technology in a way that enhances the psychological comfort and emotional experience of guests.