Hotels, resorts, and country clubs will finally reopen in the US with different states enacting specific rules for both travelers and hospitality businesses.
As the industry looks for stability organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) have already released guidance on how to safely reopen and manage accommodation businesses.
Increased investment in technology will establish the role of the technology manager even deeper into hotel operations & strategy. Hotels are delegating much of the onboarding process to technology with mobile applications, self-service kiosks, and tablets, while staff remains on standby for more important tasks.
Cleanliness will be the leading mantra as hotels, resorts, and country clubs open their doors to travelers. Both hotel owners and staff will agree that the stringent SOPs put forward to operate may be impossible without tech. Technology is already assisting hospitality businesses to enact rigorous cleaning standards and maintain social distancing.
In his article for CIT Magazine, Mark Williams mentions the use of thermal tech and in-room safety notifications. Thermal technology is already breathing through in hospitality monitoring over 90 people a minute. Wyboston Lakes Resorts have deployed a leading-edge & discrete thermal monitoring system across their properties.
In-room notifications can now be delivered through mobile and in-room tablets, allowing guests to constantly pay attention to necessary SOPs. The technology manager is essential here to understand the frequency, timing, and delivery of safety information. The management of apps and signage must be hands-on to assure COVID19 safety throughout assets.
The WHO has also specified in particular the use of remote work management to operate properties and manage staff. The guidelines read “It is necessary to decrease the number of direct contacts between customers and staff, and that could be achieved by implementing shifts in work and at meal-times, by using phones and digital means of communication.”
One of the most crucial areas for hospitality owners will have to manage proactively is online payments. The security of guest data and hotel technology systems is already top of every hotel and resort owner’s agenda. The technology manager will be essential in keeping payment technologies secure, data management in place, and all systems compliant.
Technology is also assisting hospitality businesses to develop trust with travelers as they seek clean & safe accommodation. Using digital mediums to deliver timely safety and cleanliness information to guests when they are booking. The NH Hotel Group has taken such a top-notch initiative in its new marketing campaign:
As hotels, resorts, and country clubs introduce more technology, the training & education of staff will become essential for these integrations to work. Network management, data management, privacy & cybersecurity, and cyber liability management training will be critical to ensure staff knows their responsibility when accessing & handling guest data.
A massive emphasis will now be put on the “guest technology experience”, with hotels highly interested in data insights. Managing technology to derive meaningful insights from mobile app & website data, market data, and forecasts are essential in the Big Data economy. The technology manager is simply critical to integrate the right technology stacks that deliver timely breakthrough insights for owners.
Conclusion
I hope you found this edition of our blog resourceful. Our technology management team is available online 24 hours a day to assist you with all your queries. Join us for a Live Chat session to discuss your hotel & resort technology today.
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