In 2018 Gartner research identified that hospitality would become the number one industry for enterprise I.T. solutions & investment between 2018 and 2012.
Even the 2018 Hospitality Industry Technology Exhibition & Conference (HITEC) speaker sessions were dominated by intriguing debates on technology and its correct implementations in hospitality.
“Technology was very tactical in the early days,” … “If you couldn’t justify saving labor, then you couldn’t put new technology in. Accounting, point-of-sale and front-desk check-in took priority. Now we want the tech stack to deliver guest services, and we want technology to be front-and-center, which is a challenge because we have a lot of legacy systems.”
Cindy Estis Green, CEO & Co-founder of Kalibri Labs
Today, technology is the cornerstone of delivering delightful guest experiences at even the smallest hospitality assets. An important observation from last years HITEC conference was about having the correct integrations instead of all the technologies available.
Gone is the time when technology was a luxury in the hospitality business, we live in an age when technology is now part of business strategy. Hotel technology consultants and I.T. technology providers are an essential link to the hotel supply chain. Since technology helps make operations more efficient, and it also plays a central role in defining the guest experience.
5 Leading Technologies that make Guest Experiences Better in California Hotels
Popular hotel technology in California is rapidly upping the game across the Golden State’s very competitive business sector. From cutting edge mobile applications to smart rooms, and robot butlers, California hotels are quick to adapt to new technology thanks to their diverse guest segments.
Let’s take a look at the 5 cutting-edge technologies helping hotels in California deliver stunning guest experiences.
Mobile Apps & Property Integrations
Mobile may simply be the greatest thing to ever happen for California hotels. The introduction to dedicated mobile apps has allowed popular franchises like the Marriott Group simplify the guest onboarding process and made the guest technology experience simply marvelous.
Mobile technology when properly implemented and strategized can make a hotel’s service offering unique and appealing. From the beginning of the cycle where the guest searches for and books their trip, to checking them into the hotel mobile can play a massive role in making the customer journey convenient and more personalized.
Mobile apps are also making great progress with in-room technologies and amenities for guests. The famous Aloft Cupertino Silicone Valley California offers seamless service with its breakthrough mobile app. The mobile app controls brilliant aspects like bookings, keyless entry, room service, and the leading edge robot butler called “Botlr” to serve guests.
While discussing the guest experience is great, mobile brings several cutting edge competencies to hotels. Cloud PMS migration, back office management, real-time staff support, and much more is now being integrated through ORACLE’s Opera and other property management systems to enhance hotel efficiencies.
Cloud PMS migration itself speeds up the service delivery process, providing staff with all necessary permissions and information to deliver a more personalized guest experience. Mobile integrations also lead to faster internet solutions and better cybersecurity infrastructures.
A hotel technology consultant can massively help in this regard, by explaining the synergy between mobile, A.I., and cybersecurity. Do remember that no hotel technology can be brilliant without its relevant support systems, and that is where most hotels lose the plot.
Automated Self Check-In & Information Kiosks
Self-check-in automated kiosks and robots are becoming very popular for hotels that are busy 24 hours throughout the day. Not only do these robotics save time for guests to check-in, but also save considerable costs to the hotel for having a concierge present during late hours.
There are multiple excellent benefits of automatic check-in machines, Clock Software identifies five of the most common ones:
- Reduce ques during busy hours and makes check-in/check-out faster.
- Offers hotels a chance to boost revenue through upselling room feature & hotel amenities.
- Reduce the cost of hiring additional human resources.
- Prevent clerical errors.
- Enhance the guest experience and customer loyalty.
Automated concierges, kiosks, and signage services can significantly improve operations at hotels. When the automatic kiosk can perform the basic welcome and on boarding tasks, staff can be delegated elsewhere to complete other complex tasks.
Information kiosks and robot concierges play a great role in personalizing the customer experience. Guests can easily browse through hotel amenities, restaurant menus, taxis & tours, weather, and other information without having to engage with staff.
Online Reviews & Customer Testimonials
Breakthrough in social networking, web development, and mobile technology offer hotels a transparent way to make their guest experiences majestic. Online guest reviews on websites and social media, as we will discuss later, are a brilliant way to give prospective customers a realistic preview of the experience they offer.
Collecting guest reviews at different stages of their stay is probably the best way to get a clearer view of all the services of the hotel. Siteminder noted the following conclusions from surveys conducted by TripAdvisor and TrustYou:
- 88% of travelers filter out hotels with an average star rating below three
- 32% eliminated those with a rating below four
- 96% consider reviews important when researching a hotel
- 79% will read between six and 12 reviews before making a purchase decision
- Four out of five believe a hotel that responds to reviews cares more about its customers
- 85% agree that a thoughtful response to a review will improve their impression of the hotel
Hotel owners must remember that there are two types of guests who will consider leaving a review, ones who had a brilliant experience and those who had a below par experience. Both types require careful response and attention to ensure their brand loyalty remains concrete.
In time, these reviews will reach new eyeballs through social media, articles, and messaging apps. This is where the real test of guest experience with technology will really begin to take shape. The overall customer review and the hotel’s response to the review carry great significance to the overall reputation of the brand.
High-Speed Internet Access
High-speed internet is a prerequisite for great guest technology experiences. From mobile devices to gaming consoles, smart wearables, and laptops the age of IoT demands that hotel managements offer seamless connectivity across their properties for a truly connected experience.
The modern traveler carries a variety of IoT devices including phones, cameras, smart watches, voice assistants laptops & tablets, etc. among other digital devices. Offering your guests a memorable technology experience means offering connectivity across all their smart devices.
Most branded hotels in California are now integrating smart TVs and tablet controlled rooms with unparalleled connectivity throughout their assets. Others are implementing voice assistants in rooms who welcome guests by their name and provide assistance with basic tasks like room control, food, room service, housekeeping, and contacting the front desk.
Delivering the same internet speed, reliability, and security to guests is also the responsibility of hotels. Usually, hotels provide guests with the option for different data limited or bandwidth limited bundles with their stay.
I.T. technology providers are a popular part of California’s hotel management supply chain. High-speed internet services require cutting edge infrastructures and network design to be effective across hotel properties. But, once the foundations are in place with the best hardware installed, this infrastructure will require continual support & monitoring.
Artificial Intelligence
Using high-speed internet infrastructures, digital platforms, and integrated smart room technologies, California hotels are harnessing the power of AI machine learning. The speedy evolution of smart devices that can not only identify voice commands but also understand the context of statements is quite phenomenal for hospitality.
Smart voice assistants and hotel kiosks accumulate valuable information that can speed up the service delivery process without even involving human support. Learning from current and thousands of historical guest interactions, smart assistants can easily understand and predict guests’ wants, needs, and preferences, continuously expanding their own knowledge base.
The more data that passes through hotel information systems including POS payment data and hotel amenity usage, the more accurately A.I technologies tend to be, Oracle mentions in its latest hospitality report. Voice assistants and text-based apps can engage with guests in meaningful conversations, offering the best recommendations, and provide the guest with more control over the process.
By accurately predicting guest behavior, A.I. and machine learning tools respond to service request much faster than humans. These A.I. technologies can also respond to an unlimited number of guest requests, allowing staff faster response times and problem resolution.
Oracle Hospitality identify in their report that properties who have implemented A.I. machine learning tools, process 70% of guest requests through these solutions. With a long way to go in hospitality, A.I. has already shown great promise across hotels in California.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed our latest article on the five most amazing technologies that California hotels are using to make guest experiences better. The impact of technology on hotels has been great but in this progressive time many hotel owners in California have yet to profit from their technology investments; the reason, a bad mix of guest technology.
Most hotel owners prefer to consult with experienced technology consultant specializing in California hospitality management services. Hospitality technology management is a skill that provides specialist expertise to determine the correct technology infrastructures, investment, hardware, etc. required to renovate hotel technology.
If you enjoyed this article remember to share it with your colleagues. For more interesting reads stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter.
Advanced Hospitality Technologies is a leader in Hospitality Technologies. We have an award winning benchmark for providing affordable, reliable and most advanced hospitality Technology Solutions.
