Service Innovation in the Hospitality Industry : THE EFFECT OF SERVICE INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER CHOICE ON CUSTOMER VALUE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDYSTRY IN MALAYSIA

Hotels must learn to innovate! In order to gain a competitive advantage in this fast growing and ever evolving world, hotels must learn to be more and more innovative. In the hospitality industry, service innovation is something which has to be implemented in real time. It is central to the hospitality industry to meet customer needs and as such being innovative with the services provided would enable the hotel to reach out to a wider scope of customers with various needs and wants. It is undeniable that while service innovation is important, it can also be imitated, this issue causes hoteliers all the more the need to practice continuous service innovation which indicates an extension of a strong hospitality culture that focuses on guest and their needs. This paper focuses on how service innovation together with customer choice can make a difference in a customer's experience and satisfaction during their stay at hotels. This paper welcomes hoteliers to think innovation and practice innovation for a brighter future of the hospitality industry.