The hotel industry is in the midst of a technology revolution. And it’s changing everything we know about how we run hotels and service guests. Though it’s a future fraught with challenges, it’s also one chockablock of opportunity. It’s simply a matter of understanding the trends and preparing how to take advantage of them as they become part of mainstream hospitality culture.
But in order to enjoy success in the future we must understand the trends of today leading us down that path. Here are five major technology trends you need to know about right now.
Robots
Though still a novelty, expect robots to become part of the mainstream hospitality scene. They’re an increasingly interesting solution for hoteliers looking to save money without interfering with guest experience. Think of it this way, companies like Savioke are creating robots that deliver items to rooms such as extra towels or toothpaste. Guests think it’s neat, and at focused serviced hotels, for example, it allows front desk staff to stay where they are needed most; taking care of customers in the lobby.
Automated check-in
During the late 1990s we saw the first wave of automated check-in kiosks. They didn’t last as the technology wasn’t up to snuff and customers weren’t quite ready for this convenience just yet. Now people are craving the opportunity to check in on their phone and also use their device as a room key too. Think about how you can redeploy staff to become friendly hotel ambassadors rather than check-in facilitators.
Personalized Experiences Enabled
With the specter of technology potentially interfering with meaningful customer interactions, it’s critical to personalize the guest experience. It’ll engender them to you, making them more loyal because their basic needs and desires are being met; all without having to ask. To ensure you’re able to deliver personalized moments and memories, it’s critical you have hotel software such as your PMS that’s able to cue staff on guest desires. Be sure the PMS has a built in functionality that stores robust guest profiles. By really understanding your guests, you may have opportunities to upsell them as well.
Be seen by Customers
Sure, it’d be great if all your hotel reservations came through brand.com, but those days are over. To maximize customer acquisitions, your hotel must be visible on the internet on sites you may not be familiar with. So when it comes to smart distribution management, let your PMS handle it for you. Be sure it has two-way channel management via XML connections with Online Travel Agency (OTA), Global Distribution System (GDS) and a customizable (branded) Internet Booking Engine (IBE) from a single cloud-based hotel PMS system to help increase efficiency and reach.
Smarter Rate Management
Because of the transparent nature of the internet, your potential guests can see not just your rates, but rates for all hotels within your competitive set too. Setting the perfect rate is becoming increasingly complex, but a smart, technology enhanced PMS will help. Use a cloud based hotel based property management system featuring an automated revenue management platform providing the power to utilize the Best Available Rate (BAR) pricing strategy while easily moving all rates between BAR levels with just a few clicks. This will help you manage your business needs specifically to local market conditions.
By better understanding these important tech trends, you’ll be better equipped to win not just guest loyalty, but customers willing to pay top dollar for the right to stay with you.
