The modern traveler demands a fair amount of personalization from lodging providers, in some cases, certain peculiar demands come up. Guest expectations from the hospitality business are growing radically as tech-savvy millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z travelers become the dominant demographic of the industry.
Service delivery is a complex yet unique job in modern hospitality business, with staff constantly ensuring that guests are happy, comfortable, and enjoying their stay. Sometimes, it becomes difficult and costly to cater to immediate guest requests, unless, a professional hotel technology infrastructure is in place to assist the in-house staff.
Hotel technology services are becoming the predominant trend in the world of hospitality. Hotel owners are continually seeking innovative, sleeker, smarter, and efficient technology solutions to power their hotels. In a May 2018 news release, research firm Markit informed that U.S. hotels will invest an estimated $500 million on connected equipment while a phenomenal $2.2 billion will be spent on converting traditional hotel rooms to smart rooms.
Legacy Systems: Cost, Risk, Inefficiency
One critical fact that every hotelier should embrace is that no matter how powerful, every hotel technology, I.T. solution, or technology security system has a shelf life. Legacy systems are the primary reason hotels experience technology risks, higher costs of business, security risks, loss of productivity and obsolete reporting systems.
Legacy hotel technology services are damaging for the entire guest experience. For instance, waiting in line to get checked-in while the concierge had an issue with the front desk reservations system.
Modern technology optimization and management platforms are essential for hotels to be precise, proactive, and prepared for unique guest demands. Hoteliers simply cannot afford the risks of carrying outdated hotel technology infrastructures.
As hospitality technology ages it starts to experience issues including malfunctions, slower processing times, require manual updates & configuration, and is less likely to synchronize with the latest hotel technology hardware & software.
In addition, legacy hotel technology services & systems are also increasing the risk of data breaches and perimeter security infiltration. This is simply unacceptable in an age of constant progress and heightened national security.
Hotel owners must, therefore, seek professional hotel technology management services. These expert hotel technology providers bring together an intelligent mix of solutions, industry insights, trends, and understanding of hotel standards that hoteliers usually do not possess.
The Hybrid Hospitality Service Model
Keeping up with the constantly evolving nature of hospitality is essential for hotels to remain in business today. Growing expectations of travelers require hoteliers to find automated assistance where they can.
A large number of hotels still depend on manual processes in their daily operations. This reliance on staff can cause variable service experiences and late service delivery. Delegating minor tasks through hotel management platforms allows staff the freedom to concentrate on higher priority tasks.
Hoteliers cannot be expected to deliver memorable experiences with obsolete & malfunctioning systems. The hybrid model of service delivery is gaining great popularity in the hotel industry with a great reliance on connected property management systems, smart mobile technology implementations, and advanced robotics.
This merger of hotel technology and hotel staff gives birth to an entirely new world of hospitality for hotel owners to bank on. With technology optimization, hotel staff and management can expect better reporting systems with innovative metrics available to enhance services. In addition, technology-assisted operations are an excellent way to improve staff collaboration and task management.
Staff will feel motivated as they can save considerable time, reduce downtimes that cause frustration, and maintain a seamless workflow across the entire property. Hospitality technology providers can offer real-time insights into innovative services that can significantly enhance the guest technology experience.
Synchronization Matters
Hoteliers must realize that not all technology is meant to go into a hotel technology infrastructure. There must be a careful analysis of hotel operations, areas of concern, areas of improvement, and staff grievances to understand where exactly hotel I.T. solutions should feature.
Every hotel has its own unique clientele and prescribed technology standards today, even stand alone businesses. Professional hospitality technology companies are a great resource for hoteliers to gain ready insights, opinions, recommendations, and reviews of ideal technology systems.
Synchronized hotel technology solutions are the heart & soul of the modern hotel experience. Hoteliers should keep in mind that not all hotel technology hardware & software is meant to go together, and without professional management can cause downtimes.
Professional hotel technology management companies are equipped with cutting edge knowledge and expertise to connect diverse systems & apps. But, once the technology is in place, what happens if there is a malfunction, or, when updates are due?
To avoid the accompanying costs of keeping hotel technology downtimes, remote hotel I.T. support is becoming a popular means to resolve routine issues. These highly cost-efficient support services are usually a major offering from professional hotel technology providers. Engineers constantly monitor hotel systems for vulnerabilities, updates, compliance, and maintenance to ensure optimal services at the hotel.
Hospitality technology companies are now going the extra mile to ensure hoteliers get the same unparalleled service they are aiming to offer their guests. Termed in the industry as “White Glove Service”, hospitality technology companies are rapidly investing in this area of hotel technology solutions.
Under the principles of white-glove technology services, hotel technology managers pro-actively manage technology systems, their upgrades, and compliance. Relevant upgrades and renovations are made automatically with the hotel owner informed about all services through meaningful reports.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this edition of our blog.
The scope of technology optimization and management platforms is vast in hospitality. Massive integrations to make hotels smart and their systems intelligent will lead the way for the industry in 2020.
Hotels are already investing in the future with retrofit smart room projects, complete smart room renovations, A.I. & big data applications, and robust cybersecurity frameworks. Visit us again soon for more interesting reads, news, insights, opinions, and developments from the world of hospitality.
Until next time, see you again soon.
