Here are some of the new digital expectations of travelers, and how the industry can step up to the plate
In the digital age, the adage “the customer is always right” has taken on a new dimension. Today’s hospitality guests are not just seeking comfort, but seamless integration between technology and their travel experiences.
They expect keycards made from recyclable and sustainable materials; and a frictionless experience from the time they make a booking to the point of checking out, and also throughout their stay. And with smartphone in hand, they expect to be empowered to do everything from reserving their room to unlocking their door, adjusting the room temperature, or even ordering room service for a quick midnight snack — even without picking up the room phone.
Key to this frictionless experience is reliable connectivity. The common denominator is an expectation of connectivity woven throughout the total hospitality experience. AI-powered chatbots providing 24/7 support; mobile apps for personalized room control; and contactless technologies are no longer luxuries — they should be table stakes for guest satisfaction.
Ensuring digital hospitality with technology
The hospitality industry has always been based on human connection. In the digital era, we can both elevate and amplify that connection with seamless digital-age networks and technology. By embracing this reality, hotels unlock a future where comfort, convenience, and innovation go hand in hand. For example:
- Sustainability matters: Environmentally-conscious travelers are increasingly seeking out hotels that make efforts to minimize their ecological footprint. Technology can play a crucial, if behind-the-scenes, role here. IoT-enabled devices like smart thermostats and lighting let guests easily adjust the room environment to suit their preferences, which may also be something that can be learned over time and automatically replicated when the guests return for a future stay.
- Automation can streamline operations: With staffing an ongoing challenge in the Asia Pacific region, embracing automation to not just maximize staffing resources but also provide staff with the right tools to help make their jobs easier will go a long way towards improving the guest experience. This can include contactless mobile check-in capabilities and the ability to offer users the option to choose digital room keys so they can skip spending time at the check-in counter — as well as online ordering systems for hotel amenities and room service.
- Elevating the guest experience: Technology like AI can elevate personalization, whether offering personalized room settings for regular hotel guests or analyzing past stays to generate customized recommendations for what to see and do that align with the travelers’ preferences.
Cloud-based management systems reduce the need for on-premises hardware, while cloud services providers can typically be relied on to run their systems as efficiently as possible, reducing the hotel’s overall carbon footprint and saving on energy costs.
When Canberra’s Little National Hotel needed to streamline its employee communication and operations and also modernize the room and guest experience, the management consolidated printed collaterals onto a smart tablet. With the tablet, guests can order additional amenities, room service, and make reservations. The tablet also integrated with the hotel property management system and provides telephony capability for guests to easily communicate with staff.
Collaboration tools can also be deployed to enable more seamless integration between hotel sub-groups such as the food and beverage team and housekeeping to accommodate guests’ special requests more efficiently.
Mobile apps have a key role here as well, whether for booking rooms, making restaurant reservations, or even controlling room lighting and temperature. For restaurants, having excellent Wi-Fi and an app or QR code system on hand can let guests order and pay their bills when ready, letting the restaurant staff focus more on anticipating guests’ needs, offering personalized recommendations, and ensuring that the meal is a memorable one.
For example, on a rainy day, a guest could be offered a suggested itinerary for indoor experiences such as nearby art museums. AI chatbots can be deployed to provide 24/7 customer service and support, not just for answering frequently asked questions or fulfilling requests for in-room amenities, but also in providing recommendations for guests, or even assisting in making reservations.
Enhancing the guest experience can maybe boil down to something as simple as the quality of the free Wi-Fi connection — ensuring that it is resilient, reliable, and secure.
All these use cases require a solid digital infrastructure and connectivity network that is highly secure and robust. Easy-to-access Wi-Fi for hotel guests and visitors; seamless integration of wired and wireless networks; and unified communication systems that connect guests and staff easily and from anywhere — the hotel’s central nervous system.
The hotels that thrive in 2024 and beyond will be those that offer the frictionless hospitality above as a core strategy, not an afterthought will build loyalty in a competitive marketplace.
