Open Access

Platformized Hospitality: How Cloud-Based Saas Architectures Are Transforming Food Service And Guest Experience

4 University of the Andes, Colombia

Abstract

The contemporary hospitality and food service industries are undergoing an unprecedented structural transformation driven by the convergence of cloud computing, software-as-a-service platforms, mobile applications, and digitally mediated customer engagement. Historically rooted in labor-intensive, location-bound, and manually coordinated service operations, hospitality enterprises now increasingly rely on cloud-native architectures and SaaS-based service orchestration to deliver scalable, personalized, and experience-centric offerings. This research article develops a comprehensive, theoretically grounded, and empirically informed examination of how SaaS-enabled cloud ecosystems are reconfiguring value creation, operational governance, and consumer interaction in restaurants and hospitality environments. Drawing on a carefully delimited reference base that includes hospitality cloud computing definitions, restaurant information technology adoption studies, and contemporary SaaS-based hospitality platform analyses, the study integrates technological, organizational, and consumer behavior perspectives to illuminate a digitally reconstituted service economy. Central to this inquiry is the recognition that SaaS platforms do not merely automate pre-existing processes but actively reshape how service experiences are conceptualized, delivered, and monetized, particularly within online food ordering systems, mobile-enabled restaurant selection, and cloud-based enterprise coordination (Goel, 2025).

The study employs a qualitative, theory-driven methodological design that synthesizes prior empirical research, industry reports, and conceptual frameworks on cloud computing and digital service innovation. Rather than treating technology as an exogenous tool, this article positions SaaS platforms as socio-technical infrastructures that mediate relationships among customers, service workers, and managerial actors. Through detailed interpretive analysis, the paper demonstrates that cloud-native hospitality systems facilitate continuous customer engagement, data-driven personalization, and real-time service orchestration across multiple touchpoints. Findings reveal that SaaS adoption in food and hospitality enterprises leads to a shift from transactional service provision to relational and experiential value creation, supported by integrated mobile ordering, customer relationship management, and operational analytics.

The discussion situates these findings within broader debates on digital transformation, platform capitalism, and service-dominant logic, arguing that hospitality SaaS ecosystems represent a paradigmatic reorientation of service economies. While these technologies promise efficiency, scalability, and enhanced customer satisfaction, they also introduce new forms of dependency, data asymmetry, and organizational vulnerability. By critically engaging with these tensions, the article advances a nuanced understanding of how cloud-based service platforms redefine competition, labor, and consumer agency in hospitality markets. Ultimately, this research contributes to hospitality technology scholarship by articulating a coherent, integrative framework for analyzing SaaS-driven service ecosystems, offering theoretical clarity and practical insight for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers navigating the digital future of hospitality.

Keywords

References

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