Over a period of 4 months, the outlook for the global hospitality industry has worryingly gone in the wrong direction. Social distancing and quarantines have absolutely devastated the industry’s chances of sustaining all the progress made since the recession in 2009.
But, there is an opportunity at the heart of every problem. Hotels have already begun the essential migration of their properties to host intuitive technology solutions to assist guests. This interest in technology has triggered a clamor for technology management professionals.
Technology has been a leading driver for growth for hotels over the past 10 years. Some amazing transitions to tech have given birth to the automated hotel experience. Deloitte mentioned in their 2019 Travel and Hospitality Outlook
“It’s easy to lose perspective on just how much technology has shaped travel in such a relatively short time. In 2009, the first hotel and airline apps were just hitting the market. Instagram and iPads didn’t exist.
Most travelers scoured newspapers and magazines for vacation rentals. Taxis were hailed by hand, and small luxury hotels were among the only businesses that could attempt to create a personalized experience for every guest—and even then, mostly in the physical realm. Perhaps even more remarkable, ten years of travel innovation could be dwarfed in the next three or four. “
As the COVID19 lockdowns continue to affect economic activity, hotels will increasingly look towards cost-effective technologies to delegate operations to. Remote work is already being encouraged across the world to curb COVID19 infection, with cloud-based solutions and robots also leading the way for hospitality businesses.
Hotel owners burdened by the loss of revenue, are already seeking relief and rescue from the US government. Similarly, a number of hotel technology providers and vendors are also supporting the industry through cost alleviations and discounts.
Technology management is an excellent way for hotel owners to manage several liabilities through automation and digitization. A hospitality technology professional can interestingly assist with a number of strategies and services to educate hotel owners, staff, and guests.
Promoting Social Distancing
Technology management professionals can assist hotels to determine the right channels and digital technologies to interact with guests. Reinforcing social distancing, washing hands and sterilizing public areas through signage, mobile apps, and other digital mediums are such examples.
Technologies to Keep Active & Maintain
A technology management professional will be essential for hotels to determine which technologies to keep active during the lockdowns. Not all hotel systems can be shut down due to their critical importance to the business.
Revenue, inventory, property management, and distribution systems must be kept active to ensure properties are ready when the pandemic is over. Many hotels are now migrating to cloud-based computing to create a secure workspace for their staff to share.
A technology management partner will also have a crucial impact on the maintenance of all technology systems even when they are not being used. The sheer number of technologies lining up hotels today includes office hardware & software, TVs, voice assistants, radios, electronic locking systems, and perimeter security to name a few.
Budgeting for Technology During COVID19
Technology budgets will be completely offset and will require professional assistance if hotels are to succeed. Hotel technology management providers will be highly preferred when it comes to creating budgets for technology systems.
Professional hotel technology management companies have direct relationships with vendors that can ensure relief and discounts during the COVID19 pandemic. This can, therefore, help with creating more realistic hotel budgets during a time of severe economic crunch.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this edition of our blog. Do remember to leave us your comments to improve our content and do leave your ideas for us to ponder about.
With the best of health to everyone, everywhere … until next time, see you again soon.
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.
