This study examines the adoption, functionality, and strategic value of website-based augmented reality (WebAR) in hotel websites across Northern India, with particular emphasis on its role in enhancing digital service experiences and influencing guest decision-making. As hospitality services are inherently intangible, WebAR has emerged as a transformative tool that enables immersive pre-purchase visualization, reduces perceived risk, and strengthens customer engagement without requiring dedicated mobile applications. Despite its growing relevance, empirical evidence on the maturity and integration of WebAR in Indian hospitality remains limited.
Using a descriptive research design and quantitative content analysis, this study evaluated 30 hotel websites through a structured Researcher-Coded Website Audit Sheet comprising 15 parameters (W1–W15), assessing dimensions such as accessibility, interactivity, visual quality, booking integration, and overall user experience. An Augmented Reality Website Index (ARWI) was computed to standardize comparisons. Statistical analysis using SPSS (Version 21) revealed a mean ARWI score of 62.50%, indicating a moderately developed level of WebAR adoption, with scores ranging from 37.50% to 87.50%, reflecting substantial variation in technological maturity.
The findings show that while most hotels demonstrate strong mobile compatibility, browser support, navigation usability, and aesthetic presentation, WebAR is primarily deployed as a visual marketing enhancement tool rather than a transactional facilitator. The weakest performance was observed in booking engine integration, highlighting a critical experience–conversion gap that limits WebAR's ability to directly influence reservations. A majority of hotels fall within basic to moderate integration levels, with only a small proportion achieving advanced, immersive, and booking-oriented implementations.
The study contributes to hospitality technology literature by providing one of the first empirical assessments of WebAR maturity in the Northern Indian context and by identifying the gap between experiential engagement and transactional functionality. The results support technology adoption theories by demonstrating that perceived usefulness and ease of access are addressed, yet behavioral outcomes remain constrained by limited functional integration. Practically, the study underscores the need for hotels to transition from aesthetic deployment toward seamless AR-enabled booking pathways, higher interactivity, and immersive realism to realize WebAR's full strategic potential. This research offers a foundation for future investigations into consumer behavior, conversion optimization, and technology integration, positioning WebAR as a critical driver of digital innovation, competitive differentiation, and value co-creation in the evolving hospitality landscape.
Keywords: Augmented Reality, Web-Based Augmented Reality, AR technology, Visual appeal, Northern India.
How to cite this article: Saini S, Ghai A, Sharma J, Khatkar P. Exploring the role of website-based augmented reality in enhancing hotel websites: evidence from Northern India. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(7s): 469-476; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.7s.51
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None