Technology Trends in the Hotel Industry to Impress Guests
5 Technology Trends in the Hotel Industry to
Impress Guests
The hospitality industry is always on the lookout for the
next big thing to help attract guests and make their stay as memorable as
possible. One way you can do this is by taking advantage of the latest trends.
But trends are always in flux, and staying on top of your guest’s expectations
can be daunting. That’s why we’ve done the research for you.
These five industry trends will help you improve your current level of customer
service, get more resort and hotel guests, and make sure the guests you get
come back. Let’s jump in!
Facial Recognition Check-In
Checking in is one of the most common processes in the
industry. The process may be sped up by computers now, but for many, it hasn’t
changed much since the days before the internet. But that’s all starting to
shift.
Using facial recognition at the check-in stage makes a potentially tedious
process smooth and easy for guests.
It also shows visitors that you’re up to date. After all, a brand with facial
recognition technology is sure to have other innovative perks like faster Wi-Fi
and mobile devices as room keys (more on that later!).
Facial recognition check-in is already
happening in some of the world’s best hotels. Recently. the Intercontinental in
Shanghai partnered with WeChat, and Alibaba teamed up with two Marriott
properties in China.
Expect to see others jumping on the bandwagon soon!
Why you should action this trend:
- Ease
of check-in eliminates customer pain
- Shows
a high level of technological access at your property
- Increases
security and reliability of the check-in process
Virtual Reality Tours
People sometimes confuse 360 videos with virtual reality.
While they use similar technology and are often combined, there are some key
differences.
- Virtuality
reality is a computer-generated simulation of a 3D environment that people
can interact with via a headset or other equipment. It helps potential
guests feel what it’s like at your property and in your rooms in the
first-person. Think of it as a video game.
- 360
video is meant to be watched on your computer, phone or tablet. It helps
show potential guests what it’s actually like at your property. Think of
it as a movie.
The opportunity to promote your property with VR hotel tours
is only growing. And properties with a virtual tour included are clicked, on
average, 10 times more than those without one.
If you already know that the visuals on your website can have a huge impact on sales, then you can imagine
what impact a VR tour can have. Try stitching together popular user-generated
visuals to help bring your tour to life.
Some hotels are taking advantage of what the tech can do now and offer virtual
reality tours. The Shangri-La hotel is a great example of this, with VR
tours of the properties and local destinations.
Why you should action this trend:
- A
realistic preview of rooms and event spaces
- Put
the viewer in the driver's seat
- Attract
both individual guests as well as large events looking for hosting
IoT In Hotel Rooms
As the internet of things (IoT) slowly spreads to all aspects
of daily life, guests have come to expect certain conveniences. More people use
their phones to control all aspects of their homes, from the lighting and
alarms to temperatures and TVs.
One of the biggest draws of connectivity in rooms is that it provides guests with a better experience.
It allows guests to set up a room just like they like it at home, without
having to figure out any new interfaces.
Having a connected hotel room also creates the impression that your resort or
hotel is at the cutting edge of technology. This is an important feature for
modern hotels because many guests evaluate a hotel based on the perception of
things like internet speeds and reliability.
It’s also easy material for visiting influencers to rave about to
their followers. IoT also allows resort and hotel staff to better personalize
their guest’s next experience.
The system can give the staff cues, or remember someone’s
preferences itself and re-apply them. As a result, your guest feels like
they’re at home when they walk into the room.
Why you should action this trend:
- Personalized
guest preferences so a room feels just like home
- Works
with guest’s current technology
- Remember
preferences so each stay is perfect
Mobile Devices as Room Keys
One of the first challenges any resort or hotel ever faced
was how to give access to authorized guests while keeping them safe and keeping
unauthorized guests out. Keys have been the answer since the earliest days of
the hospitality industry. As the technology evolved, many hotels switched to
disposable key cards to make check out easier and reduce costs.
The next innovation is mobile devices as keys. Popular hotel
brands like Hilton are already making the switch.
Using a mobile device as a key resolves many of the issues that hotels have
with room access.
It also makes things easier for guests, as there aren’t any new keys to keep
track of or lose. That means your guests spend more time enjoying their stay
and less time grumbling about having to go to the front desk (again) to get
another key.
Why you should action this trend:
- Convenience
and security for guests
- Makes
check-in easier
- No
need to keep track of key-cards or codes
AI Chatbots
One of the biggest challenges any property faces is making
sure each guest feels special. Artificial intelligence chatbots not only
provide the best quality experience for your guests but also help increase
business.
Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is already
using a version of this technology. It’s called Ivy, and it acts as a
personalized concierge.
The app helps guests do things like make reservations, request guest services,
respond to guests’ real-time inquiries around the clock, and more.
Guests can do everything from their phones, freeing up hotel management for
other tasks, while also supplying you with more data to better serve them in
the future.
Why you should action this trend:
- Personalized
experiences for your guests
- As
the hotel learns more can offer better suggestions
- Easy
access to events, dining, performances, room service and more all from the
guest’s mobile phone
Using Technology to Drive Guest Engagement and
Loyalty
As you can see, the most current resort and hotel trends deal
with incorporating new tech into the traditional hotel-stay experience.
Understanding how guests use technology at home allows brands to replicate that
experience. The result is increased guest satisfaction, lower costs, and more
bookings for those that can show they understand what potential guests want out
of their stay today.
Why Tech Integration Is Crucial for Resorts and Hotels
Today
Julia ManoukianDecember 17, 2019
For the hospitality industry, the integration of technologies
is already crucial, but it’ll be even more important to have in the next few
years.
Because technology keeps advancing so quickly, especially
over the past few years, it’s particularly challenging to keep up with all of
the changes that are taking place in any industry, and hospitality is no
exception. A number of resorts and hotels, even those connected to major hotel
companies, still run on legacy systems.
These legacy systems are there for a reason—they’re
dependable and they work really hard to keep properties operating without any
glitches, but often these older systems can’t communicate or sync well with
newer systems and technologies.
As new tech solutions continue to be introduced, that makes
it even harder and more complicated for hotel operators and staff to properly
and effectively use all these different types of technologies, too.
Are Legacy Systems to Blame?
Yes and no. About those legacy systems: what we’re referring
to here are property management systems (PMS) and central reservation systems
(CRS). And while both have been mainstay workhorses in hospitality for decades,
the truth is that a lot of them can be outdated and it’s hard for newer
technologies to connect with them seamlessly.
What is a PMS?
A PMS is like the front desk or central hub of a hotel’s
entire operations. It handles everything from reservations to guest profiles to
check-in and check-out times and overseeing your inventory.
What is a CRS?
A CRS, on the other hand, is reservation software that a
hotel uses to update and maintain inventory and rates so properties can adjust
reservations and rates in real-time across a number of distribution channels. A
CRS centralizes the data coming from the PMS, all those different distribution
channels, call centers, and phone reservation systems.
Where challenges can come up is when hotels try to have all
these different systems and other software talking to one another. One of the
biggest obstacles for this is the fact that a lot of these PMS and CRS operate
on closed interfaces;
they don’t have open API (Application Programming Interface) so other software
developers can’t develop their products to sync with them easily.
With all the overlapping tech, it can be hard to keep up with the pace of
innovation.
- On
average, hospitality spends less on IT (information technology) than any
other industry. Fifty-three percent of hotels surveyed in a 2017 Lodging Technology
Study said that outdated technology, plus the time and
cost needed to integrate technology, were the biggest reasons why they
didn’t invest in new tech.
And yet, hoteliers also recognize that making sure their
technology stacks are integrated is the key to success.
- In
a 2017 Smart Decision Guide to
Hotel Property Management Systems, an overwhelming 91% of hoteliers said
they “agree” or “strongly agree” that having a seamless technology
platform that’s also extremely compatible with other tech is a key success
factor for performance improvement.
While these legacy systems make it difficult for hoteliers to
add on newer solutions that sync well with these older systems, resorts and
hotels face a lot of challenges when it comes to innovation such as limited
time, budgets and perhaps even how they promote employees.
Here’s why more hoteliers should be integrating their hotel
technology solutions with their existing PMS and CRS as well as having a
connected system for all the tech that’s needed to run their properties.
1. Create a Seamless Guest Experience
When you make sure that your tech is talking to one another,
that makes it that much easier for you to create a seamless guest
experience.
One of the best examples of this is how you communicate
directly with your guests. Guests often appreciate some level of
personalization in their stays; it makes them feel recognized, it makes them
feel special; and it often makes them want to go back to your hotel.
If you’ve set up your tech stack to be totally integrated,
that means you can send personalized messages when guests check-in, or maybe
even know when to message or email them right before they arrive.
Integrating your tech can also help speed up check-in or
check-out, or maybe even enable guests to use their mobile phones as a hotel room key card.
During a guest’s stay, having the ability to send those
guests push notifications or messages to alert them to special events or
amenities is also a nice touch. Allowing them to opt in to receiving those
types of messages—and being able to seamlessly deliver those messages to them
can also improve their overall stay.
2. Drive Efficiency and Profitability
Another way that push notifications benefit you is when
they’re directed toward hotel staff.
At some properties, for instance, staff members are given
smartwatches or smartphones so they can manage guest requests and resolve
incidents more quickly and efficiently.
It frees them up from having to carry around a bulkier
walkie-talkie or a phone, and without having to use disruptive radio
communications that aren’t nearly as private. And it gives them more time to
cater to more urgent guest needs. But for this to work, the hotel’s PMS and
content management systems need to be linked.
Integrated tech also helps resorts and hotels stay on top of
generating ancillary revenues and adopting the latest tech, like chatbots or web
personalization features.
“From a revenue management perspective, my priority is how
frequent (speed) and seamless our systems interface (direct connect) with the
often urgent and significant revenue-impacting decisions being made throughout
the day,” Todd Hotaling, the corporate director of revenue management for
Lodging Hospitality Management said.
Hotaling said that when hotel technology systems have to
juggle various servers or lots of different clouds, real-time data can get
delayed. Those delays make it that much harder to make the best decisions about
revenues and rates, meaning that a hotel might be losing out on some serious
money because it’s not pricing itself properly.
Speed and connectivity are table stakes today.
3. Stay Ahead of Your Competitors
Having an integrated tech stack for your hotel can also give
you an edge over the competition by using data mining, trend analysis, and
predictive marketing to drive guest loyalty.
Data mining, or the process of finding patterns in large data
sets combines machine learning, statistics and database systems.
When your systems talk to one another, it makes it that much
easier for you to, well, mine your data automatically with the help of
technology solutions.
Finding patterns in data, like the most popular times that
guests book your hotel, can help you better price your property’s rates. And
learning more about patterns you find among your guests can give you insight
into what they like/don’t like and how they book/stay.
Trend analysis, too, can help you discover patterns in how
your guests are interacting with your property. And it can help you better
anticipate their needs.
Predictive marketing compiles data from multiple sources,
including your marketing and guest data, and then uses that information to
construct a predictive model that’s custom for your hotel. You can then use
this model to improve your marketing campaigns in an effort to bolster brand
awareness and more bookings.
How to Prevent Disconnected Systems
That being said, hoteliers shouldn’t only be concerned about
integrating their CMS and PMS. Any and all technology that they are using to
run their resorts and hotels should be built in such a way that they all are
integrated and talking with one another.
With these legacy PMS and CRS, hoteliers can put interfaces between them to
avoid having to spend large amounts on finding ways for third-party tech
providers to be able to integrate with these systems.
You can usually place interfaces between systems so that they
communicate on an ongoing basis. Even better is when you use cloud-based
solutions that are even faster when it comes to integrating tech, so you’re not
constantly having to do manual maintenance updates.
Looking ahead, it’ll be the norm for resorts and hotels to
work with technology providers that can integrate with one another.
“Hotels will be focusing their resources and time on vendors
that permit interoperability flexibility, and open access to data that powers
guest experience in the next five years,” David Turnbull, CEO Snapshot said.
Friday Finds: 16 Hospitality In-Room Technology Trends
By Maria Waida
If you’ve ever dreamed of your property reaching the same
level as the ones listed on Forbes’ roundup of best hotel rooms around
the world, this list is for you.
In-room hospitality technology trends, such as the ones
listed here, can help you save money, attract more guests, and give guests more
of what they want to ensure they come back time and again. Consider
incorporating the latest technology into your experience as you revamp your
hotel strategy for the year ahead.
Discover the Latest In-Room Hospitality
Technology Trends & Ideas to Impress Guests
1. Room Service Apps
Goodbye bulky menus and awkward phone calls, hello ordering
room service exactly how I order all my other delivery food. Hotels are now
offering web-based room service apps for both laptops and mobile
devices. Guests have the option to type in the web address or, to make the
whole process even easier, scan a QR code located on their nightstand. From
there, all they have to do is check out the up-to-date menu, hit a few buttons,
and track their delivery.
2. Wine-On-Demand
Luxury hotel brands have recently installed wine units stocked
with local, award-winning pours from an electronic dispenser reminiscent of
water and ice machines on smart fridges. Because most travelers like to indulge
in a single glass as opposed to a bottle, the dispenser allows the user to
select the amount they want. It’s a great way to make guests feel more at home
and encourage them to truly enjoy their rooms rather than just use them as a
place to sleep.
Try
the world’s most popular hospitality technology
3. Personalized Experiences From Social Media
Messages
Direct messaging isn’t a new marketing strategy. But now
guests can connect to their hotel service staff without downloading any extra
apps or picking up the phone. Through popular platforms like Facebook Messenger
and WhatsApp, guests can complete automated surveys before
their stay, answering questions that allow hotels to then cater to their
requests and provide a more intimate service experience.
4. HD Voice Controlled & Touch Screen
Thermostats
Brands like Angie are
stepping the room temperature game up a notch with interactive voice and
touchscreen interfaces that add a sleek, futuristic feel to one of the most
important features of any hotel space. Built in sensors detect when someone has
left the room for an extended period of time, which prompts the device to dim
lights, regulate the temperature, and save more energy. Plus it’s pretty nice
not having to get up to adjust the thermostat in the middle of the night – just
shout out your request and these smart tools will take care of it for
you.
5. Appless Hotel Staff Video Chat
Experts say that customer support videos (both
recorded and live) are the key to happier guests. Which is why we expect this
interactive mobile feature to really take off soon. All guests have to do is
scan a QR code and they’ll be directly connected to the front desk or customer
service team who can help them solve their problems in real time. It’s a nice
way to loop the human element back into our increasingly tech-obsessed culture
while still taking advantage of the latest and greatest tools.
6. Service Robots
Truth be told, 56% of hotel
guests don’t really like the idea of a physical robot roaming the halls while
they sleep. But they might be persuaded once they see that the reality is so
much more helpful (and less creepy) than that. Products like Relay look like
rolling bins or smiling drawer sets like Techmetics and
are being used to help with basic laundry transportation and snack delivery
– really anything else that would normally force a skilled employee to
push things around when they could do something more productive with their
time.
7. Smart Bathrooms
These amazing, Jetson-worthy shower features
include:
- Voice
assistant capabilities (syncing up with devices provided by you or the
guests’ personal ones)
- Automatic
software updates so the latest features and capabilities will always be
made immediately available to users
- Water
and energy usage reduction subtle enough that guest’s won’t really notice
it but powerful enough that it could cut down as much as 30% of your
normal consumption per room
- Systematically
sanitized pipes to ensure absolute cleanliness
- Automatic
temperature controls for children and sensitive bathers
8. Interactive TVs
Now that you’ve got your guests all set up with the most
popular streaming services it’s time to upgrade your display monitors too. Even
the average AirBnB guest has
come to expect the best when it comes to in-room televisions. If you plan to
include newer TV models in
your immediate hotel amenities plan, look for hot features like Ultra HD, Wide
Color Gamut, and HDR.
9. In-Room Tablets
Why make your guests break out their laptops and iPads when
they can conveniently borrow yours? Not only does it add wow factor to your
in-room amenities list, it’s also a great way to reach an already captive audience. Use tablets to promote
events, re-booking specials, and loyalty programs with tools like pre
downloaded apps and locked screen background images.
Improve
the in-room experience with easy group business tools
10. Smart Energy Management
The average hotel spends $2,196 on energy
expenses per room. That, in addition to a movement to decrease environmental impact,
has led to including in-room hospitality technology that focuses on
sustainability. In the long run, it’s an investment towards a good cause and a
great way to cut down on everyday costs of doing business.
11. Maintenance AI
Not every hotel stay will be perfect but you can make the
experience pretty close to it if you add tools like these. IoT analytics offers
predictive measurements that notify hoteliers of things like how frequently you
can expect to receive maintenance requests from certain guest demographics, remote
electronics issues, and routine equipment servicing.
12. Showers Customized to Your Body
Temperature
Experts predict smart
showers with keypads and displays will become the norm over the next 15
years. Luxury brands have
already begun offering bathroom features like shower keypads and display
screens for adjustable settings. And, pretty soon, showers that automatically
assess your body temperature and adjust water temperature accordingly will be
old news.
13. Greener Linens
Did you know that it takes a surprising 2,800 gallons of water to
launder a single queen-sized bed sheet? Statistics like these have led to
in-room hospitality tech like the new polyester linens designed
to simulate cotton, provide hypoallergenic benefits guests love, and save water.
How do they do it? Developments in polyester have created a never-before-seen
type of fabric than can be remelted and shaped back into a fresh sheet, which
means that guests will enjoy a brand new linen set every single time.
14. Air Filter Systems
Pollen, pollution, and pets are a concern for most allergy
sufferers but as our understanding (and appreciation of) air quality continues
to grow, advanced air filter systems will become a modern in-room hospitality
tech feature that no one will be able to live without. Whether you standardize
these devices across all your properties or selectively offer them
in upgraded suites, anyone who has read the recent World Health Organization’s
alarming publication on environmental pollution (which
says that nine out of ten people around the entire world breathe in polluted
air on a regular basis) will really appreciate it.
15. In-Room Exercise
Whether it’s at-home gym equipment or on-demand workout videos,
in-room exercise is becoming just as standard as hotel workout facilities. The
response from travelers has been overwhelmingly positive (which is probably
why Hilton went as
far as adding in-room fitness centric suites to their portfolio in 2017 but is
just now being made available in 2020). From technologically enhanced equipment
to pre-loaded mind/body morning routines, wellness in any form should be a top
priority for hotels interested in upgrading their in-room hospitality
technology.
16. Location-Based Recommendations
Although location-based services are useful at every step of
the guest experience, having in-room sources for local events, entertainment,
sightseeing, and dining is one way to empower customers when they visit a city,
whether it’s their first or one-hundredth time visiting. Things like
push-notifications with local coupons and predictive service opportunities like
a call from room service when the guest comes back after a long day at work go
a long way towards providing a magical experience for your clientele. In
addition to helping guests choose their breakfast spot every morning, tools
like 3D location can actually help hotel managers keep their employees safe.
Now you’re ready to advance your in-room hotel
strategy and book more business!
For more on creating a great hotel sales strategy, check out
these helpful hospitality podcasts,
consider joining forces with a hospitality agency for
your upcoming rebrand, and read more about our predictions for how technology
like robotics will impact the event
industry.
Or get started with the Sales & Catering CRM for creating
a better group business experience from first hello to in-room personalization.
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