Technology is becoming more and more critical for both and attracting and retaining guests in the hotel industry, and that means that in order to stand out, hotel operators must invest in a wide range of solutions to create personal engagement.
As expectations continue to rise amongst hotel visitors who grew up with smartphones in their hands, delight and surprise have been replaced with assumed and expected. This means reservations should be able to easily be made via any device, networks should be rock-solid, social media accounts should be active and relevant, and data is becoming the most valuable asset in the industry.
According to the 2016 Lodging Technology study by HT, 54% of hotels are expected to spend more on technology in 2016, and will be spending it on payment security, bandwidth, mobile engagement, and guest room tech.
Here’s what you can expect to see in the hotel tech trends of the future:
Mobile is King
Hotels need to forget differentiating between online and offline customers, and mobile has dominated as the top trend for the industry in 2016. This means mobile bookings, room access and even check-in options, and more and more hotels are launching apps to interact with customers. Mobile room access is a smart move, and can allow guests to access a variety of rooms including the gym, swimming pools and more.
Wireless Charging
Almost half of all hotels have charging stations within the room, but many are now going wireless, allowing phones to be charged with electromagnetic fields.
Guest room Tech
56% of hotels in the United States said that they’ll be prioritising guest room tech this year, and many will be boosting bandwidth to support the many devices carried by guests. Expect to see bigger TVs that easily integrate with your own mobile devices, and interesting tech options introduced to many hotels.
Virtual reality
Marriott has already piloted a program with virtual reality headsets which allowed guests to take a trip (virtually) to an exotic location. Soon, we may be using apps and VR glasses regularly, and may be checked in by a personal hologram.
Improved Infrastructure
With guests bringing at least one mobile device with them, delivering standout mobile and guest room experiences will be about delivering accessible, secure, and robust infrastructure since people tend to get very annoyed when the wifi doesn’t work.
Increased Security
Hackers are everywhere, and as methods become more and more sophisticated, with crypto-ransomare attacks on the rise, tech security is becoming a priority. Guest privacy is also a big challenge, as social and mobile channels are increased, and as data piracy becomes even more serious, expect to see more investment by hotels in intrusion prevention and detection.
Energy Conservation
Energy management is another challenge for many hotel operators, and usually comes in as one of the top three largest costs for most hotels. Technology is helping numerous hotels to monitor energy consumption, and this data can be used to set targets to improve carbon reduction, waste diversion and water conservation.
