Good hospitality is ALL about the guests’ experience. Check out these examples of the smartest ways that hotels are using tech to change how guests interact with the environment.
Starwood Hotels is leading the charge in changing the way guests see their environmental impact. And they’re doing it without sacrificing the comfort that guests are familiar with.
The hotels feature counters that show guests how much electricity they’re using. It also gives them the choice to turn down the lights to help reduce energy consumption.
These wall-mounted counters are just a start. Hotels are doing it all with top-of-the-line technology.
So, are you keeping up with tech innovations as much as you should?
Here’s how other tech advances can pave the way for better customer experiences at your hotel.
#1 – Digital Locks
There’s nothing wrong with old-fashioned locks and keys. Some may even argue that there’s something decidedly retro about using a key to open a room. And did you know that keycards can also elicit the same sense of nostalgia?
However, if you want to truly improve guest experience, it may be time for an upgrade.
The newest trend is to let guests use their smartphones to unlock their hotel room’s door. In a world where you use your phone for everything, it just makes sense to integrate that into the hotel experience. It also helps to get them used to swiping their smartphone – it’s a habit you want them in when they visit the hotel bar later on.
Smartphone room entry isn’t a new thing, though. Starwood, as well as other big brand hotels like Hilton, already incorporate this type of tech into their hotels.
If you want to keep up with the competition, you may want to consider using it as well.
#2 – Mobile Check-In
The check-in process becomes an arduous task sometimes. And just about the last thing a guest wants to do is wait in a long line after an already long flight.
Fortunately for these guests, going to the reception desk to check in is becoming a thing of the past. Some hotels are leading the charge to use mobile tech to get their guests checked in. It makes it a much smoother process, avoids long queues, and decreases any guest anxiety.
So, if you’re looking to get ahead in the industry, you may want to consider adopting it for your hotels together with digital locks.
#3 – NFC Technology
NFC, or near field communication technology, is another way of elevating the guest experience at your hotel. It’s a short-range, high-frequency way for two devices to transfer data wirelessly.
And you can leverage it in a variety of ways.
The NFC way of taking payments is secure and nearly instantaneous, with more and more people using it. Remember the hotel bar I mentioned earlier? The simple habit or swiping a phone (which is almost always on the counter) makes ordering more drinks the most natural thing in the world, which is great for increasing your average revenue per guest. It saves guests rummaging around for credit cards, cash, or loose change. The smartphone is more readily available and it makes the transaction super smooth.
You can also use NFC for mobile check-ins and digital locks.
Beyond that, the possibilities are endless.
Imagine being able to personalize advertisements to guest demographics. Digital signs in the lobby could change to ones featuring the hotel’s kids club when a child walks by. Or women may see beauty treatment package advertisements for the hotel’s spa.
It could all happen if you choose to adopt NFC technology at your hotels.
#4 – Voice Controlled Rooms
Smart devices in the home are nothing new. Nowadays, many people have voice-controlled or smart technology helping with their day-to-day tasks.
But what about incorporating that same technology into hotel rooms?
The Wynn Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas did exactly that by installing Amazon Echo in all their rooms. Guests can ask Amazon’s Alexa for assistance in various things, like controlling the lighting, draperies, temperature, and TV.
So many people already use a voice-activated assistant to help them with tasks throughout the day. It makes sense to take that familiar technology and put it in hotel rooms, too.
#5 – Tablet Computer Technology
Remember the last time you sat down to dine at a restaurant?
Odds are that the staff there used a tablet to seat you and take your order.
Tablets started popping up in the hospitality industry years ago, and for good reason. They make it easy for guests to personalize their experience without using a go-between, or a staff member, to do it for them.
You can use tablets for everything – from guest check-ins to controlling different systems in the room. Why search for a light switch when the tablet is on-hand to help guests with the perfect lighting and temperature control?
And because of a tablet’s versatility, you can load them with different types of software that your guests may find useful. Forget those hotel restaurant menu binders and outdated television slide shows. Show every feature to your hotel’s advantage on a vivid tablet screen.
This is one technology that you really can’t afford to delay.
Most customers nowadays expect some level of digitization. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking outdated and out of touch with today’s market.
Guest Experience in a Digital Age
Leveraging technology in your hotel doesn’t necessarily mean an end to the age of traditional customer service. There is always a need for superior customer interaction in the hospitality industry.
However, you may need to re-strategize how you offer that same customer service.
Switching to mobile check-ins or digital locks doesn’t necessarily make your front desk reception obsolete. You may just need to refocus their roles in other areas. It may even free up your staff for more personalized interactions.
The same goes for NFC technology and tablets.
All of them are conveniences meant to make your guests’ stay as seamless as possible. Technology isn’t necessarily meant to replace human interaction.
Think of it as a new way of doing things.
It frees your staff from routine tasks so they have more time and energy for what’s really important – taking care of your guests.
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