The Hospitality industry has gone through a major shift in the last few years with new business practices becoming the norm in the industry. The focus of hotels concerning the guest has also changed now as guest expectations from the hotels have changed. Much of these changes can be attributed to the pandemic and its aftermath, during which hotels had to implement various measures to continue being able to operate. Technology was at the forefront of all these changes as implementing different technologies ensured the continuity of operations for hotels. However, these implementations became an integral part of the service and operation in the hospitality industry.
This brings the focus on the technology infrastructure of the hotels, their sophistication, their adaptability, and versatility. As technology is becoming more central to guest satisfaction, so does the technology infrastructure. Following are some of the key reasons why the underlying IT structure is so important for the future of a hotel.
Technology is the future of guest experience
The future of the hospitality industry will be based on technology, with technology being the foundation for guest services. Day by day new technologies are being implemented by hotels to provide better services for the guests, the guests are also expecting the hotels to provide ease and comfort by the use of technology. Many such technologies have become an integral part of guest service for example mobile check ins and mobile key cards. Similarly, more technologies are on their way to become an essential part of the guest service with hotel technology providers introducing so many new products in the industry to help hoteliers provide excellent service to their guests.
The IT Infrastructure needs to be able to incorporate new tech
With the landscape of technology changing rapidly, hotels need to be able to adapt to new technology quickly as well. But in order to do so the infrastructure of the hotel needs to be able to accommodate new additions. For this the Infrastructure needs to be malleable enough and advanced enough to support new technologies readily. This is where hoteliers especially need to focus, as it is high time that hotels prioritize technology in their investment plans so that their infrastructure is able to integrate new technology. In recent surveys most of the hoteliers have expressed interest in investing in technology in the future.
Invest in Technology
The decision of investing in the property is a very tough decision for hotel owners as every hotelier wants to get the best return on their investment but investing in technology is one of the best decisions that a hotelier can make right now. The success of a hotel in the future will be dependent upon the technology-based guest services, even today one of the most important contributing factors in a hotel receiving 5 stars (and retaining it) is the internet speed. A guest is more likely to rate a hotel 5 stars if he is provided with 5G internet at the hotel. Guests expect services such as mobile check in and contactless payment as mandatory at a hotel. With technology evolving rapidly guest expectations regarding technology are also increasing, hotels may have been able to skate through without technology in the past but today it is simply not possible.
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Even in the operations technology is the key element in increasing the efficiency of a hotel’s operation. With so many technological solutions now available for hoteliers to improve their business, more and more hotel owners are looking towards technology. Even today most of the hotels have incorporated a cloud-based service for their PMS, and rest are soon to follow suite.
This is the best time for new hotels to make their technology infrastructure future-proof. During the construction of hotels, hoteliers need to plan for the future not present, they need to make sure that their infrastructure is sophisticated enough to accommodate new technology in many years to come. Similarly, existing hotels that are planning to overhaul or revamp their properties need to upgrade their technology infrastructure to match the current technology trends.
Conclusion
The times are changing, and the hospitality industry is going to change completely in the future. The hoteliers need to realize that the takeover of technology is inevitable, and the best way is to prepare for the future and prioritize technology and its integration. The Future of guest experience and services will be revolving around technology and the industry needs to be ready for it.
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