Applying the "cloak of invisibility" technology to security and privacy in the hotel industry

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to bring a new scientific theory into practice in the hotel industry. Design/methodology/approach - In-depth open-ended interviews were used with eight hospitality practitioners, consumers, and academic researchers. Findings - The article lays out current practices of security and privacy measurements in the hospitality industry and points out the related limitations. More importantly, it provides insights to hotel operators on possible future applications of a new scientific invention and how it could help alleviate the limitations found in the existing security and privacy measures. Practical implications - The paper raises the awareness of a new scientific breakthrough that sheds new lights to security and privacy strategies in hotel operations. Hotels, which are able to react quickly to gain the first-mover-advantage in leading the industry on the application of such technology, will certainly gain tremendous publicity, and more importantly will be the first to create a new level of confidence in the market on security and privacy strategies implemented in their daily hotel operations. Originality/value - This paper communicates a recent scientific development and its possible applications in the hotel industry. In this way, it bridges the gap between a scientific invention and its real-world application. It is expected to provide insights for hoteliers who are interested in technology applications.