Empowered guests

“Empowerment’ is the buzz word for 2016. A recent Ericsson Mobility Report revealed that by 2021, the number of smartphones worldwide will have increased by 3 billion.

“We live in an age where hotel guests are digital natives and insta-travellers, using multiple Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices. These devices are an integral part of their everyday routines.

“In-room entertainment is no longer solely provided by the hotel. Instead guests want to connect with their own data, update their own status, log into their own Netflix or track their fitness on an Apple Watch. Hotels are now at the hub of the guest communications – empowering them to stay connected to their own world and lifestyle. The quid pro quo is that guests also connect with the hotel and their facilities and special offers. This enables the hotel to learn far more about customer behaviour than ever before.

Personalisation is key

“As we grow closer to the ‘internet of things’, beacons and motion sensors are also helping hoteliers understand guests on a whole other level.

“The future of customer service in the hospitality industry is becoming increasingly personalised with the help of technology. Hotel chains such as Starwood, Hilton, and Marriott have already empowered their guests, allowing them to use their smartphones to access rooms and hotel services. Other brands, like hub by Premier Inn, enable guests to use their devices to control room temperatures, adjust room lighting, and change the channels on their televisions.

“If they decide to book again with the same hotel, everything in their room is the way it was during their previous stay. This sort of personalisation is great for increasing guest loyalty.

“Of course the backbone to all of this is a reliable Wi-Fi connection which is now the norm and poor Wi-Fi – the exception.

Technology to fuel profit
“IT departments, which were once peripheral, have now become central to operating any business in hospitality.

“Increasingly hoteliers are understanding the importance of investing to directly drive profit and open up new revenue streams. The focus in 2016, and beyond, will also be on how to maximise ROI on tech spend.

“The world is now tech-driven and this has truly raised the guest experience, but it is still vital to preserve a personal touch. In order to offer the finest service to guests, technology and people must work together in harmony. We are a long way off hotel staff being replaced by robots!”