Modern technology in the hospitality industry is rapidly gaining ground and patrons expectations are also changing in line with rapid developments in high-tech solutions. Seamless experiences, remote access and smooth efficiency are just as relevant for hotels, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and motels as businesses and homes. Technological internet of things solutions provide hospitality venues the opportunity to transform guest experiences with time-saving, cost-effective solutions. Hotels can streamline operations, marketing and guest experiences and generate more revenues by capitalizing on latest tech tools.
Skyscrapers, highways, airplanes, and space shuttles; all things which were considered the stuff of science fiction by previous generations are indicators of how far technology can take us. These technologies are being developed to help humankind in many fields. But when it comes to customer service and the hospitality industries, both have adopted newer technologies to improve their services and standards.
Collectively called “Smart Hotel Technology,” it offers many different ways of saving costs and increasing revenue generation. So let’s take a brief look at ten ways the hospitality industry has benefited from modern technology!
Smart Management using Machine Learning Tools
Monitoring thermodynamics using machine learning tools has become an integral part of hotel management. Most modern hotels and vacation houses utilize vacation rental housekeeping software to manage their thermostats and occupancy sensors accordingly. Doing so makes it extremely easy to monitor occupancy fluctuations daily.
Furthermore, this system uses machine learning tools to gather extensive data and analyzes daily thermodynamics, local weather patterns, and peak times. This analysis informs real-time energy consumption optimization throughout the year. It is a tool designed to help hotel owners reduce business costs up to 20 percent and increase the overall resale value of the hotel.
Advanced Maintenance
This technology acts as a predictive measure where hotel owners routinely use it to highlight trends in energy consumption. It further uses sensor data gathered from multiple devices to identify potentially hazardous trends and alerts the maintenance staff before these trends escalate into a disruptive issue. The goal is to minimize waste of energy, thereby reducing the overall consumption costs.
It helps the maintenance and engineering teams predict faulty behavior before it occurs and continuously run diagnostics. It is a truly valuable tool in predicting maintenance based on system usage and prevents system failures.
Improved Guest Experience
Hotels without guests would be like pizza without cheese, simply not possible! For that reason, hotels use innovative technologies to gain insights into their guests’ experiences and improve their services. Guest data is used for two things, to help better accommodate their needs and automate their interactions throughout their stay.
Why automate guest interaction? Well, to reduce friction and labor costs. So smart technology makes it possible for hotels to predict (based on past behaviors) and personalize services based on gathered data!
Actionable Data and Data Protection
Smart technology makes guest data actionable and is of great help to hotel managers and owners. But another form of technology plays an important role in the hospitality industry, and that’s data protection.
With the recent onslaught of data hacks, consumer data protection services are in high demand and intrinsically linked with hotel management. Why? Because customers know that their data is gathered and stored, they trust it not to be leaked or shared with unauthorized third parties (breach of trust).
Parking Reserves
Another reason hotel owners use smart technology is to eliminate labor costs associated with monitoring parking spaces and inventory. It’s a hassle and consumes a lot of time, which can be used in more productive ways.
Smart sensors and mobile applications can now monitor parking spaces and allow guests to reserve their space in advance. It creates a smooth experience for the guests from the moment they pull in!
Hassle-free Check-in and Check-out
Gone are the days when you had to call or show up in person to check-in. With smart technology, guests can now check-in and check out remotely. Remote access via mobile phones and other gadgets is a game-changer because owners can focus their services, personalize them accordingly, and save unnecessary labor costs.
What’s more, guests can have a seamless check-out experience by ordering their preferred transport service to their next destination right from the mobile app.
Room Keys
Plastic key cards are quickly becoming legacy technology because of smart-mobile room keys. They are environmentally friendly, help hotel owners save costs of making individual room keys, and help them focus their efforts on marketing and upselling.
Furthermore, mobile keys do not get lost, stolen, or damaged, unlike a plastic keycard prone to loss/theft and demagnetization. It also eliminates the hassle of maintaining inventory.
Reputation Management Software
A hotel’s online ratings are vital for both the management staff and the guests. It either brings in more customers if the rating is good or deters people from choosing your hospitality service. It also gives insight into how well a property delivers.
Therefore, smart technology will continue to be a significant part of the hospitality industry, helping owners monitor their online presence and use this intelligence to improve their services and standards!
Final Thoughts
These eight trends are not exhaustive as other technologies (smart-loyalty programs and surveys) are continuously being developed. The key to success is knowing your business and implementing the right technologies for its growth.
As we enter 2022, we can expect more and more hotels to include smart technologies to manage expectations, reduce operational costs, improve revenue generation and guest experiences. As they say, information is power, and the person who knows how to use it in an actionable manner will undoubtedly succeed!
