In a recent report, Reuters identified that business travel will progress at a fairly slow pace over the next few years. The report predicts reaching 25% to 35% of 2019 levels, while close to 80% till Q4 of 2022.
Hotel operators need to realize they really have no time but to ride the wave of change and digitization as it happens. An increase in cases and more health SOPs in place for hospitality providers demands rapid digitization to enhance service delivery with barely any human interactions.
Technology management as we have written before is clearly gaining great popularity among hoteliers who have already begun innovating their properties with guest technology. Having well maintained and secure technology infrastructures has become essential for hotels to remain operational over the last 2 years.
Business travel was the bread and butter of the travel and hospitality sectors until 2019. With corporations and businesses needing last minute accommodation, meeting venues, and travel packages, business travel contributed a large chunk of hospitality revenue post pandemic.
Simplify and Personalize Booking
One of the simplest and most popular ways for hotels to manage their tech is with their booking services. Simplifying the booking process to clicks instead of long phone calls and long online forms has become a trend of the times.
In 2018 alone, more than 700,000 US travelers booked their accommodation and lodging through smartphone app AirBnB. Hotel owners must now have a consistent online presence through services like Booking.com and Airbnb that allows guests to simply book rooms with a few taps.
Digital booking services also provide guests great personalization, allowing them to make unique requests and instructions upon arrival. Managing this entire digital guest experience has become essential for hotels that wish to greet business travelers. The ease of booking rooms with special promotions at convenient locations remains a very critical step to attract business travelers.
Digital Payments
Digital payment options have quickly become a popular demand from travelers ever since COVID19 transmission got out of control. Popular providers including PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay are already field testing their services across several hotels and resorts.
Digital travel services including AirBnB, Booking.com, and Hotels.com already offer customers to pay through their digital payment platforms directly through their interfaces. Digital payment according to a 2020 Oracle research was one of the top three digital services that guests demanded in the survey.
Having the ease to pay online not only offers peace of mind for business travelers but also makes travel more convenient with added health safety. Digital payments in theory mitigate liability from the hotel owner and allow a safer checkout every time with human interactions.
Renovating for Business Travel Convenience
Renovating guest rooms and business centers remains a top priority for any hotel planning to attract this segment. Having all necessary business essentials is necessary to not only attract guests but also keep them satisfied during the stay.
The essential renovations must ensure that the room is equipped with essential elements including:
- USB ports
- Electric charging ports
- Smart TVs
- High Speed Internet
- Well equipped conference rooms
- Leading edge business center services
Hotels must be equipped to handle essential business requirements that corporate travelers may face during their stay. Access to digital charging ports, bluetooth room keys, digital concierge chat, and stable internet are some of the most popular features that travelers identified in a 2019 research.
Business travelers demand enhanced comfort, convenience, and service when compared to leisure ones. This means to retain business travelers, hotels must not only carry essential technology, but also ensure maintenance & compliance of these digital assets.
Designing a flawless contactless guest experience is one of the most important strategies that requires professional insight. Onboarding guests, providing them access, delivering room service, offering assistance and many other aspects have to be synchronized to build a solid digital guest experience.
Conclusion
Creating a safe and efficient contactless experience is definitely achievable in hotels through intuitive technology management. Having the right set of tools, an action plan and a team of professionals is essential to make technology the leading driver for hospitality.
At AHT Inc. we customize the hotel technology and IT management experience by taking the back seat while you manage your guests. Our legacy spans two decades of experience making us one of the leading hotel technology management providers in the US.
From basic IT support and on-site support to complex liability management, our team offers a wide selection of services for hotels. Our proficient team assists hoteliers choose unique technologies that make their assets cost efficient and grow revenue even without the human touch.
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.
