Conceptualizing hospitableness in human–robot hospitality interactions

As service robots become more prevalent in hospitality, a core question is whether they can convey the warmth and care associated with human hosts. Drawing on in-depth interviews combining unprompted discussion and AI-generated video elicitation, this study develops “robotic hospitableness”, an empirically derived construct explaining how robots can produce felt welcome, attentiveness, and reassurance. Three dimensions are identified: Robot-Mediated Hospitableness (multisensory design and communication cues), Robot-Assisted Hospitableness (adaptive support and coordination with human staff), and Robot-Personified Hospitableness (AI-enabled memory, social attunement, and culturally appropriate personalization). The findings challenge a simple tech-touch dichotomy by showing how hospitality-centric design can embed human-oriented values in robotic service encounters, offering a framework and design guidance for implementation. ● Conceptualizes three dimensions of “Robotic Hospitableness”: Robot-Mediated, -Assisted, and -Personified Hospitableness . ● AI-generated video elicitation reveals how robots can embody hospitality values beyond surface-level mimicry. ● Reconciles the tech-touch paradox by demonstrating robots as co-creators rather than replacements of hospitable experiences. ● Provides actionable design principles for implementing hospitable robots in commercial settings.