Peran Personalisasi Layanan dalam Membangun Loyalitas Pelanggan: Studi Kualitatif di Hotel JW Marriott Surabaya

Abstract

This study investigates the strategic role of service personalization in fostering customer loyalty within the five-star luxury hospitality sector, focusing on JW Marriott Hotel Surabaya as an empirical case study. In an increasingly competitive accommodation landscape, hotels must transcend standardized offerings to deliver customized guest experiences. Employing an exploratory qualitative case study method, primary data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with six operational informants across the Front Office, Food and Beverage (F&B), Banquet, and Operator departments, supported by field observations and internal documentation. Thematic analysis followed open, axial, and selective coding procedures. The findings reveal that service personalization operates as a synchronized socio-technical ecosystem combining enterprise customer relationship management systems (GXP and Guest Voice), continuous workforce capability building through the Digital Learning Zone (DLZ), and frontline proactive empathy. Tailored touchpoints—spanning hypoallergenic room sanitization, bespoke dietary and mixology offerings, and unprompted milestone recognition—significantly enhance affective customer satisfaction, transforming episodic stays into sustained behavioral loyalty, repeat bookings, and brand advocacy. The study also identifies operational coping mechanisms for unprofiled first-time guests and underscores strict data privacy governance under Marriott International Procedures (MIP). These results provide practical guidance for hoteliers to harmoniously align digital data analytics with sincere interpersonal hospitality.