Hotels need to tailor their experience to the preferences of their guests. And what do modern guests want? A more seamless, mobile-integrated, and convenient experience. Are you doing your part to enhance your guest’s experience with the right technologies?
Are you keeping up with these 10 trends in hotel technology?
Room keys are a thing of the past. Guests want to order room service on their smartphone, not the room phone. The quality of your Wi-Fi is a key part of your quality as a hotel. These are just a few of the tech-based hospitality trends to keep track of in 2019. Check out the full list below.
The foundation of a guest’s experience at a hotel is their comfort, right?
And what makes today’s guest most comfortable? Doing things the way they like to do them.
That means online, with their phone, remotely and automatically.
The old ways of approaching high-quality customer service — in person, attentively, and consistently — are over.
Today, it’s important to meet the guest where they are in this increasingly tech-based world.
So the question is – are you keeping up with the latest trends in hotel technology? Do you even know what they are?
Let’s find out…
What are 2019’s top 10 trends in hotel technology to keep up with?
Members of the hospitality industry would be wise to keep track of these trends to help keep the guest experience ideal:
- Room access with your mobile device.
By the time you get to the bottom of this list, you’ll realize a majority of these trends have to do with how the guest’s mobile device is being integrated into the hospitality experience.
First on the list? It’s becoming more and more common for hotels to provide digital room keys, accessed and used on a mobile device. This is a vast improvement from the often unreliable and easily lost plastic key card.
- Automation of service and amenities.
In line with the rapidly growing global trend of replacing human interaction with a self-serve alternative, many hotel services can now be ordered remotely, online and on the mobile platform.
Guests can check-in and out remotely (made possible in part by the elimination of the key card that would have to be returned otherwise), order room service, schedule a wake-up call, book a car or shuttle, control room media and climate, etc., all on their mobile phone.
- Smartphones as room phones.
Another key integration of mobile technology and hotel services is the convergence of the room’s fixed phone, and the guest’s mobile phone.
This allows hotel staff to, when necessary, call the client directly on their mobile phone instead of the room phone to inform them of any necessary developments (i.e. that their dry cleaning is ready for pickup or a package arrived for them).
- Branded apps for the guest experience.
Possibly incorporating many of the above trends, hotels are now exploring the benefits of having their own apps. These apps can bring together a number of Customer Relationship Management initiatives, from experience reviews and feedback to loyalty rewards and deal notifications.
- Better and better Wi-Fi.
Let’s be honest – hotel Wi-Fi doesn’t have the best reputation. Depending on who you’re staying with, the available bandwidth may be based on the expectation that guests just need it for email – but today’s reality is quite different.
Today’s guests want to stream HD video without having to buffer. A truly comfortable stay at a hotel means not having to worry about slow Wi-Fi – which is why hotels are racing to invest in stronger Wi-Fi solutions, without spending too much on them.
- Keeping track of employees and guests.
More advanced location-based services are just beyond the horizon for hotel chains. Being able to know specifically where a guest is within the premises would allow staff to, for example, deliver room service to the pool, or the conference room, without having to ask the guest directly.
Similarly, employee location tracking technology already exists in some form, available using SIP-DECT, however there hasn’t been much adoption of it yet.
- Tech optimized workspaces.
Also known as tech lounges, these are areas where guests can get out of their rooms, enjoy powerful Wi-Fi and get some work done. Almost like a collaborative workspace, this type of service recognizes that many traveling guests have to do work, but would rather not do so from their hotel bed.
- SIP-DECT Adoption
This technology is becoming more and more popular in Europe’s hospitality industry, and for good reason. As a viable alternative to radio-based communications, SIP-DECT enabled phones keep employees in touch no matter where they are on the premises.
Ensuring your managers can talk to their valets and your concierges and event staff can stay on the same page is a key consideration, and SIP-DECT enabled devices are an effective way to go about it.
- Smart conference rooms.
It’s no longer enough for a hotel’s conference room to just have a couple of outlets and a projector. The modern business world relies greatly on smart technology and more modern solutions to facilitate video conferencing and casting software.
- Pay attention to social media.
It’s not very likely that a guest will, of their own volition, get in touch with you to provide feedback on their stay at your hotel. It’s much more likely that they’ll let everyone else know on social media.
That’s why many hotel chains are investing in social listening services, helping them track aspects of guest experiences shared online on review aggregators and on social media. This type of research will go a long way to improve your understanding of your guests’ experiences at your hotel.
Like this article? Check out this article on hotel adoption of AI to learn more:
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