A tipping point has been reached where it’s no longer possible for hotels to survive without technology. From marketing to operations to sales, the modern hospitality industry relies on a range of tools and software to support virtually every area of business.
As the digital industry matures, is your hotel equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead?
Just recently, executives from Travel Tripper, StayNTouch, LodgIQ, and Fuel Travel hosted a lively discussion on the changing role of technology. The conversation covered three maxims that will define the coming year for hotels:
1. Technology is not your ticket to get ahead, it’s your way to stay alive.
2. Technology and service must go hand in hand.
3. The technology of the future will be felt, not seen.
Maxim #1: Technology is not your ticket to get ahead, it’s your way to stay alive
Guest expectations are now higher than ever. They expect to get what they want, the way they want it, when they want it. This mindset is a relatively recent one, heavily influenced by the rise of mobile technology and on-demand services
The likes of Amazon Prime and Netflix have taught consumers they don’t need to wait for things, and that they can have a frictionless experience. In turn, this has brought about a fundamental shift in the way consumers interact with brands.
Applied to travel, this shift translates into a digitally-connected guest that wants to engage with hotels on their own terms through a seamless mobile experience.
A demand for mobile
A study by Gartner found that 73% of consumers have a more positive view of a company if it provides a mobile service experience. Based on this fact, how can your hotel capitalize on the consumer demand for mobility?
First, start by thinking how your guests would like to be serviced. Maybe they want to skip the front desk on arrival and head straight to their room. Perhaps they’re keen to avoid dealing with an uncomfortable phone call down to the front desk to request a longer stay in their room.
