The hotel business needs human connection more than ever. As society continues to become more and more powered by technology, there’s a big risk of losing the personal element that’s defined hospitality for millennia.
It doesn’t have to be that way. But you must approach this new era strategically.
The main problem: encroaching technology has potential to throw up barriers between hoteliers and guests. That’s only a real issue for passive owners and operators who haven’t yet realized how technology can also be used to create experiential moments for guests. Ones that stick with them long after their stay ends. Ones that drive real loyalty and great ratings on social media travel sites.
Though technology has changed, the innate human desire to be recognized and feel special has not. By leveraging this truism, you can surprise your guests and keep them coming back time and time again.
Take SkyTouch Hotel OS property management system (PMS). It allows hoteliers to collect, and act upon, a guest’s likes while eschewing their dislikes. The cloud based property management system allows associates to build guest profiles to tailor personalized experiences during future stays, a move capitalizing on the latest consumer behavior trends.
Using the SkyTouch Technology Experience Program (STEP), say you learn a guest likes a particular room location, loves a specific sport team and craves a specific snack food; all that information can be recorded in personalized guest profiles. The next time that guest arrives at the hotel, a front desk representative can congratulate him or her on that team’s big win, and upon arrival in that perfectly located room they’ll enjoy their favorite snack already waiting for them. All without having to ask.
These are defining and memorable moments for today’s busy traveler. But they’re also critical to making guests feel more connected to a specific hotel. When they feel ownership over their stay and are appreciated, it translates into more engaged guests as they collect more memories with you and your hotel’s staff.
Engaged guests are more likely to stay again and again. Plus, they’re more apt to share those surprising moments with friends, families and strangers on popular social media sites. That can help boost your property’s visibility and credibility, which in turn may help you better compete against your comp-set on rate.
Technology has upended all aspects of life as well as the hotel property management system. Invest in a new PMS and start tapping into the emerging experience economy today.
