Make sure your Hotel is not falling behind in the Technology race!

There is a lot of buzz around how the hospitality industry needs to wake up to the latest trends in technology and why it is so important for the industry to do so, keeping in mind the new proportions of millennial travelers who are flocking the hotels, for business as well as leisure. In the recently concluded 16th Hospitality Expansion Summit in Dubai, hosted by naseba, we had a very interesting roundtable discussion around finding the right balance between enhancing the guest’s stay through technology but at the same time not undermining the importance of the human touch in the industry.

Although the hospitality industry is nowhere at the top, when measuring the amount of technology dependent core functions, with a sudden exponential increase in IT budgets by the leading operators, the players need to be absolutely aware and open to the following 5 trends, that if neglected, might leave them behind in the race:

Mobility: Mobile devices are everywhere inside a hotel. Be it the tablets, smartphones and phablets being used on either side of the check-in kiosk, or mobility inside a room, where a guest can avail anything, from room service to the latest flick on his smart TV through a mobile device. It goes without saying that a ubiquitous internet connection with awesome bandwidth capabilities is the backbone for providing seamless mobility inside a hotel.

Personalized Services: All of us love being recognized and the hospitality industry is always expected to stay at the forefront of providing personalized services. Technology can go a long way in achieving this. Would it not be fantastic if you enter a hotel room and your favorite music is playing and a message flashes on your screen saying that the chef is preparing your favorite dish, which you can enjoy after going for a swim, just the way you always do? The idea is to adapt a culture of capturing guest preferences and proactively using this data to enhance the overall experience. ‘Facial recognition’ and ‘big data’ are the buzzwords to watch out for.

Your Hotel Lobby=A Tech Hub: From responsive touchscreens with flight and weather information, to F&B options, the hotel lobby has come a long way. Today it has become a destination in itself. From smart check-in kiosks, the best in large screen TV’s and mobile devices to ease the check-in and check-out process, the lobby has it all. It is a social meeting place, a place to grab a quick meal and a business center, all put together. Neglecting the latest technology trends to enhance this area of the hotel would not be a good idea for both the owners and operators, as the future hotel lobby could be a major driver behind brand loyalty and differentiation.

Go Social: I am sure that “Social” is a term that a lot of hoteliers are considering these days. With over half the world’s population on at least one social media application, it would be a crime not to have the right strategy in place. However, the hotels also need to learn how to effectively convert their social media following into actual business. Talking to the target community and engaging with them on a personal level is the way forward.

Sustainability: The S word is here to stay and technology and engineering need to collaborate more closely than ever before to ensure that green hotels become a reality. It is not only very important for keeping costs in check, but also to help your brand identify with the new generation of millennial travelers who have grown up reading and hearing about the ill-effects of an irresponsible business on the environment.

What the hotel offers as a differentiator is not as important today as what the guests expect from a hotel in terms of technology offerings. Things like free WiFi and unlimited access to in-room entertainment will no longer be a question to mull about, the hotels just have to figure out the best way to provide it. Technology is no longer a perk, but an absolute must.

Naseba will be hosting the leading trend setters in the hospitality technology domain from across the globe at the Digital Hospitality Expansion Summit in Dubai in the month of November. To receive more information about the event or to share your thoughts about the technology trends in the hospitality industry, email to apoorvk@naseba.com