With the advent of the internet the presence of technology in the hospitality industry has grown steadily and over time, until as if overnight, it was everywhere.
The time of treating technology in hotels as a luxury is in the past, as it is now part and parcel of any successful hospitality business model which is why it’s so crucial to understanding the role it plays in your guests’ hotel experience. Here are five ways in which hotel technologies can improve your services:
1. Make the Move: Go Mobile
There are certain hospitality industry trends which if properly implemented can distinguish a hotel as a modern enterprise with a secure future. For instance, moving your more traditional operations to a cloud-based property management system (PMS) can aid both your staff and your guests in creating the ideal guest experience.
Most of your operations can now be handled with the help of an integrated hotel property management system which can be accessed from any mobile device, thanks to the fact that the entire service is cloud-based.
A Cloud PMS provides you with a portable base of operations which shares across various solutions the hotel management information your staff needs to build the perfect guest experience.
Your hotel booking engine is the first solution your guests interact with when they choose to make a booking through your website.
With every year the number of people who shop and complete financial transactions using their phones and their tablets grows exponentially, which is why having a booking engine which is mobile friendly will certainly result in more direct bookings and an improved revenue margin.
But while your booking engine is aimed at the novice guest, your repeat customers, loyal business clients, and large event organizers may need something more.
A central reservation and management system can aid your staff in managing bookings in cross-referencing all the information on room availability, rates, and company profiles across all of your locations, helping them in managing reservations for large groups and companies.
2. Automate
Automation gets a bad rep as it is frequently portrayed as a soulless process which results in human redundancy. This could not be further from the truth. New technology in the hotel industry has brought about a much-needed relief to both employees and guests of the hotel.
A well-run establishment relies heavily on the proper allocation of its personnel and a good manager knows that if there is a way to cut down on the more tedious and time-consuming aspects of their employees’ work then they would be able to better utilise their abilities in tasks where they’re truly needed.
Implementing technology in hotel rooms has given guests the freedom of creating their own environment. They can choose the dimness of their lights or control the temperature of the room remotely, be it through an app or the room’s tablet for instance.
At the same time, your housekeeping staff can make use of a mobile housekeeping solution which allows them to instantly update the state of the rooms they have serviced, letting front desk personnel know that their new guests' rooms are ready.
Regardless of what shape it takes, automation has proven its value to both the guest and hotel personnel, resulting in fewer complaints and improved guest loyalty.
3. Help Your Guests Help Themselves
Modern guests are more hands-on when it comes to their stay. They see hotel technologies as a way of resolving issues before they’ve arisen. Guests will not simply be glad to see that you’ve provided them with a host of solutions for their own comfort, they will expect it of you.
This is not a matter of caprice but a one of convenience. Guests have gotten used to getting what they need quickly and without much hustle so in order to accommodate this lifestyle technology in the hotel has been revamped to reflect that.
Guests are not big on waiting regardless of the reason for their trip and so it should come to no surprise that they expect some sort of hotel information technology that would allow them to check-in either remotely or directly upon arrival, skipping the lines.
This is where self-service kiosks come in. They allow our guests to complete the registration process, check in and receive their key without needing to engage your staff. They can repeat the process once they’re ready to leave, giving them complete autonomy of their comings and goings.
Your guest can also use your hotel's self-service app to book a transfer from the airport to your establishment, along with a host of other services that they might choose to engage in such as making a reservation at your hotel restaurant.
Once they choose to make use of their reservation their waiter will present them with the option of billing their room directly using a restaurant point of sales solution (POS). And if your guests are concerned about whether they might be overspending then they can keep track of their expenses by checking their bill in their e-folio with the help of their hotel self-service app.
4. Customise
All guests enjoy a personal touch to their stay and thanks to solutions like a hotel self-service app it’s never been easier to know what exactly would please your guests. After booking with you they can download the app for free and proceed to upgrade to a better room or to sign up for some of the extra services you provide.
This gives the guest something to look forward to upon their arrival while giving your staff the information they need to improve their stay.
Another great way to make your guests feel valued is to address them with an offer made exclusively for them. They are much more likely to proceed with such a purchase or an upgrade if has that bespoke feel to it.
5. Feedback: It’s Good Even When It’s Bad
There are businesses that rely on outside consultants and secret customers for quality assessment of their services, but your guests will do it for free, whether you ask them to or not.
Online reviews while an irrevocable part of hotel branding but are not in themselves the sole indicator of whether something in your service needs to improve.
The more traditional surveys done in-house can still benefit your business greatly, as the guest must be willing to put aside a few minutes of their time to give you the constructive feedback you deserve without the attention and vitriol traditionally accompanied by many online posts.
And with the advent of hospitality information technology, you don’t need to rely on them being on the premise to take your survey. You can use the data you’ve gathered with your direct booking engine, such as their email, to send them the survey and give them the opportunity to properly respond and at the same time act as a reminder of their stay with you.
A follow-up email addressed to them personally concerning their feedback will show interest in their opinion which makes the guest feel valued and they might choose to repeat their stay.