As 2016 draws to a close, now is the perfect time to take stock of what we have experienced and learnt over the year as an industry. Every new year is an opportunity to put forward initiatives and strategies that hopefully steer our properties to greater heights and achievements. Here are insights that I wish to share with everyone as we move into the new year.
Big, big data
There is so much talk about ‘big data’ and ‘data analytics’ right now. With everything being connected in some manner via the Internet, everything we do can be tracked – from our spending habits in the hotel to our preferences when we browse the Web. It is now entirely possible to accurately profile and segment large groups of individuals into their different needs/demands and work to address them. The key to meeting the needs of the guests is to better understand their concerns and behaviours and ensure that the hotel is equipped to handle them.
For example, we noticed that business travellers are evolving, with some preferring the traditional conference room setup for business meetings whilst others opting for a more casual option. In order to address both groups of travellers, our NextJen Meetings are designed to be flexible enough to transform to fit both types of traveller. Leisure travellers are no different, some want to explore the city, whilst some would happily settle in with a book by our rooftop pool for the entire afternoon sipping on a cocktail from our poolside bar, BayWatch@Jen.
The ability to analyse data will grow in importance over the next 12 months and hotels must be able to act on the insights gained to provide a superior level of service that they might otherwise not be able to do without this knowledge.
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