Technology was once a mere helping hand for the hoteliers, but those days are long gone and now the complete hospitality experience is revolving around technology. The hospitality industry may have been reticent regarding adoption of technology in the past but then the covid-19 happened, and it completely changed the industry. From hotel operations to guest experience, technology has completely overhauled the business for the hotels. Technology progresses at a brisk pace, and so does the hospitality industry.
Being in such a competitive industry, hoteliers need to keep ahead of their competition. Technology can help the hoteliers in maintaining the edge over competitors. The old idea of amenities is fading as guest expectations are changing. Now the speed of the internet may be a decisive factor for a potential guest in selecting a hotel for stay. The availability or non-availability of contactless check-in may prove to be a deal breaker for some guests. The guest experience is being defined by technology and this is how it will remain so.
Following is a technology checklist for the hoteliers to ensure if they are keeping up with the technology this year:
Guest Room Technologies
The aim of hospitality is to provide an experience of home away from home. Similarly, the guests want the amenities to match those at home. So that includes good Wi-Fi, smart TV with access to their favorite streaming services or option to cast from their own devices and so on. Smart technologies are becoming more common with each day and guest room technologies will have to be upgraded with time for the rooms to become “smarter”.
Digital Guest Communication
The “human touch” was a key tenant of the hospitality industry, but it may not be the case anymore. Many younger people don’t prefer to talk to people in person if they were given a choice and would rather text someone. Similarly, on their stay they would prefer to utilize a chat service to communicate with hotel staff. Many hotels have employed chatbots to assist their guests and are also embracing social media communication. A modern hotel must be equipped to provide chat services to their guests in 2023.
Energy Saving Technologies
Rising energy costs have greatly affected the hospitality industry. Hoteliers have been concerned that energy costs are wiping their profits. In this situation a little technology can provide great savings for the property. Integrating smart thermostats, and other forms of smart IoT technologies can reduce energy consumption without affecting the guest experience by automatically accounting for factors such as room occupancy and location within the hotel, and real-time outdoor temperatures.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity has always been a concern for the hospitality industry. A 2020 Trustwave Global Security Report claimed that the hotel industry suffers 13% of all cyber-attacks 一 the third highest of all industry sectors. For secure payments, PCI DSS certification is generally seen as the gold standard, but some providers are opting for a higher PCI DSS v4.0 – Level 1 compliance, to ensure that their payments are safe from cyber-attacks. It is high time for the hoteliers to invest in data security as the threat of cyber-attacks is highest than ever.
Cloud Technology
Cloud technology is the future of hospitality. It allows real-time updates across all channels and makes adding innovations to your hotel’s tech stack easier, more efficient, and less expensive. Cloud PMS provides greater flexibility and mobility as compared to on premises PMS. Hotels need to start move to cloud PMS to keep up with the industry.
Conclusion
This year will see the continuation of the technology revolution in the hospitality industry. Hoteliers need to keep up with the pace of revolution to maintain their edge over the competition. With a major shift in guest expectations, hotels also need to provide adequate guest experience, and technology is the core component for it.
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.
