The role of technology in the Hospitality industry is very much expanded in these times, and the new needs are fulfilled with the help of technological advancements. Digitizing lives is not about convenience, it’s now an essential part of our daily life.
The hospitality industry is making new progress with the help of IT, and Communication Technology is making it easier to operate hotel operations and changing guest experience to another level.
Top 5 of the Information Technology trends in hospitality are here.
- Cloud Migration
- Going Touch less
- Integrated Guest Applications
- Service Automation via Artificial Intelligence
- Location-Based Services
Cloud Migration
The hospitality industry has started to migrate its operations to cloud technology, cloud communications offer hotels new opportunities for cost-cutting and efficient workflow. Other than small properties the larger hotels started to research the viability of cloud technology, they are mainly looking for answers in cost-cutting and staff reduction moreover enriching the next level of the guest experience.
Going Touch less
As significant as automation and self-service have become, the pandemic has highlighted the need to reconsider how guests can interact with amenities. From motion sensors that turn on lights to voice-activated control of appliances, advancements in IoT devices and natural language processing (NLP) have given hotels and the developers who serve them, the toolkit to tie these emerging technologies with their integrated guest applications providing futuristic experiences. Even existing features like digital room keys that allow guests to unlock doors using their phones are gaining renewed interest. Reducing contact with commonly touched interfaces allows guests to stay safe and housekeeping staff to sanitize and prepare rooms faster.
All of this can also be integrated into the property’s communication system providing administration staff with better visibility of what’s going on across the hotel. As these devices work in concert to care for guests and accelerate service, new options emerge for staffing, customization, and experiential design.
Integrated Guest Applications
Guest apps for personal mobile devices are the natural place to host all of these functions. A smartly designed application combines everything from deal notifications to hotel services to loyalty programs. If you see a guest using the group rate for a conference, you could use the app to electronically send your guest the event itinerary. This will include an interactive map of meeting spaces where sessions will be held.
Most hotels have some mobile applications available already, but they’re adding new features every day. Likewise, innovative developers serving the hospitality industry are offering interesting capabilities that can be integrated into these hotel applications that grant guests increased ability to engage with hotel staff and other guests at the hotel.
Some of the major hotel chains have already started investigating various ways to create tailored, personalized experiences for their guests on their mobile devices. Ultimately, the hotel with a truly connected experience will be full of very happy, much empowered guests.
Service Automation via Artificial Intelligence
Automation continues to be a trend that is changing the way guests are served. With the advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), hotels are looking at novel ways to interact with guests digitally while freeing up hotel staff to work on other tasks. This also improves the travel experience as language differences can be eliminated, ensuring clear communication with travelers wherever they may be from.
Creating a real human experience has been a challenge for developers in the past, but it is evolving every day. While many people are put off by the idea of talking to software that can understand language and respond easily, the day is coming when the difference between a real human and a computer will be indistinguishable. As long as room service and clean towels arrive promptly.
Location-Based Services
Being able to understand where hotel staff and guests are located at any given time creates all kinds of opportunities to improve the guest experience — from delivering services to guests wherever they are on the property to helping event staff operate more efficiently to turning over rooms more quickly and beyond. Location-based features are already available, but this is just the beginning. This is a category to keep an eye on.
Conclusion
It is clear that the broader themes affecting the hospitality industry are communications efficiency and mass customization. From integrated cloud communications to touch less, interactive service, the potential for the hospitality industry to revolutionize the guest experience has never been greater. The global crisis changed the ways people communicate, work and expect businesses to engage with them, and these advancements are timely and necessary to the long-term success of these organizations.
