Five Technology Trends in the Hospitality Industry

Technology has undoubtedly left a deep footprint on every business sector, and the hospitality industry is no exception. The hospitality business has significantly benefited from technological developments that have led to lower prices, higher efficiency in operations, and better quality in service and satisfaction for customers. So both customers and businesses benefit from the improved communication, reservations, and guest service systems.

Adopting tech in the hospitality industry translates to innovating the customer experience. After all, hospitality businesses heavily revolve around improving customer experiences, and technology has taken it to a different level. 

The Importance of Technology in the Hospitality Industry

Businesses must embrace an open-minded attitude towards technology to retain customer loyalty and gain a competitive advantage over others. 

Great consumer experiences empower your customers and increase customer engagement, ultimately increasing your revenue. Thankfully, realizing all your customer satisfaction goals is no longer a pipe dream for many SMBs, as technology can help you achieve that and much more.

Hospitality businesses can leverage technology to create seamless consumer experiences with an added personal touch. For example, with specialized hotel management systems, hotels can optimize their business processes, cut down costs, and increase the efficiency of booking processes. Similarly, hotels can use housekeeping software to manage their housekeeping and maintenance operations efficiently. 

Today we provide a round-up of five technology trends in the hospitality industry that lead the change. Continue reading to learn more!

Five Technology Trends in the Hospitality Industry

1. Robotics

Robotics is at the forefront of hotelier technology that enables contactless service. The Covid-19 pandemic has played a massive part in advancing this trend throughout the industry.

The shift towards robotics is mainly due to the changes in perspectives regarding personal hygiene, especially when traveling. Furthermore, if hospitality companies wish to keep up with the stringent government regulations and customer expectations, the only way to go is to adopt the right technology.

However, cleanliness is not the only reason the hotel industry is hastily eliminating human interaction. Many businesses switched to contactless services because of the workforce shortage and SOPs brought on by Covid-19. Hotels can minimize the spread of germs by leveraging robotic solutions that enable contactless check-ins, concierge, delivery, and housekeeping services. 

The adoption of contactless technologies such as digital payment solutions, housekeeping, self-check-ins, and mobile keys saw a 66% surge in use during the Covid-19 era. This trend is expected to continue throughout 2022.

2. Facial recognition

The Covid-19 pandemic has heightened customer demand for keyless entry solutions that rely on biometric or facial recognition tech. For example, hotel guests can easily lock and unlock their rooms with a simple face or biometric scan that authenticates their identity resolution. The use of facial recognition technology in hotels has the potential to improve safety measures radically. Furthermore, it can assist hotel staff workers in recognizing VIP visitors and screening those with a problematic past to avoid any trouble.

Additionally, hotels can use face recognition to cut down on check-in delays. Marriot is already testing this tech to streamline check-in procedures. Guests simply need to approach a check-in kiosk to have their faces scanned in to confirm their identity and then scan their identification to get the key to their room.

3. Predictive analysis

As hospitality businesses continue to invest in technology, the numerous data generated from customer interactions with hotel employees can be used to optimize the customer experience. Companies can gain insights into the daily routine of their guests. For example, hotels can estimate the average wake-up time by the time when lights or TV get activated. 

The insights gained from IoT and mobile-activated systems can help hotel employees meet all client expectations and maintain guest profiles to provide high-standard service. As a result, hotel chains have a more integrated and consistent experience throughout different locations. 

As more businesses understand that they can glean insights by gathering and analyzing data, the micro-level details and service adjustments can mean the difference between an average visitor and a loyal customer. These insights can help businesses stand out in their quality of service and bring in more business.

4. Service Automation

As automation becomes more commonplace in the hospitality industry, the treatment of customers continues to evolve. With the development of AI comes the possibility of more efficient digital customer interactions, allowing hotel employees to focus on other responsibilities. 

Furthermore, with automation, the language barrier will no longer impede providing a great consumer experience to foreign guests. Many are still skeptical about a realistic AI experience that can comprehend and react to natural language interactions. However, as technology continues to grow and evolve, it is not long before it would be impossible to distinguish a computer from a person. 

5. Location-based services

To survive in today’s increasingly competitive market and stand out from the competition, hospitality businesses must offer better and more personalized customer experiences. Hotels can leverage insights for geo-location data to provide more localized recommendations to guests about what they can do in the area and better cater to their needs.

Guests can find out about things from the best diners to the best views without waiting for help from the front desk. In addition to helping with marketing and customer service, knowing where a guest is located is a huge plus. For instance, if a guest is working out in the hotel’s fitness center, the staff can send them a text message with a discount code or bring them a bottle of water to their room after they leave. An accurate headcount also allows for faster customer service, such as dispatching the closest employee to a guest’s fifth-floor request.

The hotel’s ability to track the whereabouts of its employees and guests at any given time can be leveraged in numerous ways to better serve guests, such as by expediting the turnover of guest rooms and facilitating the smooth running of events.

Conclusion

Providing a memorable stay is key to success in the hospitality business. Standing out from the competition is only possible by maintaining high service standards to retain customer loyalty. To that end, hospitality businesses must embrace new concepts and cutting-edge technologies to provide unique, tailor-made services that today’s hotel customers need.

The hotel sector is undergoing rapid transformation, with businesses and consumers welcoming new developments. Adopting these five technologies can optimize customer experience, boost rapport, and maximize your revenue throughout 2022 and beyond.