Hospitality may be the most hit industry when you look at the numbers coming out. With airlines cutting as much as 90% of capacity, hotels have already cut down on staff and shut down multiple amenities for guests.
But, even in the midst of this pandemic, there are people including doctors, nurses, drivers, business personnel, and government personnel who require alternative accommodation. A number of boutique and small scale hotels are although open they are being operated with both caution and safety.
Josh Barro writes in his 15th April article for Intelligencer:
“All across America, high-profile hotels and resorts have shut down: The Las Vegas Strip is closed, as are all the hotels at Walt Disney World resort and many iconic city hotels like the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. STR, a leading provider of data on the hotel industry, estimates that 665,000 of the 5.4 million hotel rooms in the U.S. were out of service as of April 9. While that’s a huge number of closures, it also means most hotel rooms remain open and available for rent. In particular, lower-end hotels tend to still be open, and they have more guests in them than you might expect.”
Today, we look at 3 of the most interesting ways hotels are using technology to ensure safety and avoid COVID19 infections while open.
3 Intelligent Ways Technology is Assisting Hotels Survive the COVID19 Pandemic
Furloughs and layoffs are causing massive disruption in hospitality with restaurants, hotels, airlines, and other leisure businesses seeking to downsize immediately. It is, however, an ideal time to look into the inventive ways technology is substituting the human element in hospitality.
Robotics
Robots are by far the most intuitive solution for hotels in prevailing conditions. From the concierge desk, check-in, luggage transfer to unlocking the room, a vast array of customer-facing roles are now being performed by robots.
The Sheraton Los Angeles, San Gabriel has deployed a team of concierge and luggage bots to assist guests as soon as they enter the hotel. Assuring utmost safety, the hotel has also deployed room service bots to deliver food and essential items to guests without disturbing their overall guest experience. Tech reporter Rich DeMuro takes us on a virtual tour of the amazing Sheraton hotel
Property Management Systems
A reliable and easy to use property management software is the core component that synergizes the entire hotel. From staff management to custom room rates, everything must be recorded and authorized by the hotel PMS. Modern PMS applications are highly innovated for cloud computing and A.I. data analytics.
These technological innovations are now allowing hoteliers massive freedom to control and manage their properties better through a selection of leading-edge features. ALICE Suite the signature hotel PMS from the hotel operation tech provider of the same name. The ALICE team has launched a free Recovery Checklist software, meant to assist hotels to operate efficiently during COVID19.
The ALICE Suite provides hotels a standardized checklist with the option to customize lists in accordance with brand standards. The checklists are designed to primarily address:
- Essential preventative maintenance
- Operating with low occupancy
- Temporarily shutting down areas for guests
- Operating while closed for guests
- Temporarily shutting down the hotel
These printable, mobile-friendly and continuously progress tracking checklists are meant to streamline processes while ensuring hotels can easily scale back when things begin normalizing. Jeff Parker, ALICE’s hotel operations expert, comments in a statement:
“COVID-19 is a unique cultural, environmental and economic hardship for hoteliers … one where we are being asked to make cuts in places that seemed unimaginable a short time ago, … I wanted to share my experience with hotels that have not gone through the process of removing rooms, wings, and buildings from service. These checklists will also help hoteliers prepare for reopening to extend hospitality to guests once again.”
A.I. ChatBots
They are an excellent way for hotels to immediately answer frequent questions in usual hotel experiences. Chatbots are one of the most efficient ways to maintain a seamless guest technology experience in hotels.
Hotel chatbot technology providers, AskSuite, are offering their award-winning digital agent to answer crucial questions while keeping guests connected to hotels. With social distancing becoming the norm, providing relevant and timely communication is critical for hotels.
The AskSuite virtual assistant will be available for hotel owners in North America and Europe. Even hotels that have closed down can keep connected with guests for future booking and instant travel information. Rodrigo Teixeira, Asksuite CEO, commented in his statement on Incite:
“We from Asksuite are totally committed to the mission of helping hoteliers to overcome this severe crisis. All of the sectors are working together in an effort to empower hotels through this difficult time,”
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this edition of our blog. For more interesting reads, news, opinions, and trends from the hospitality industry remember to visit us again. Do connect with us on our social feeds now on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. Until next time, see you again soon.
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