Richard Eastburn
Senior Director and Head of Product Management Hospitality
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How Meeting the Expectations of Modern Hotel Guests is Rooted in Technology Adaptation
2024-02-27
7 min read
The hospitality industry is undergoing a rapid transformation with hoteliers shifting more and more towards relying on digitalized technology and services in order to enhance the guest experience and improve operational efficiency. Pushing this trend is the fact that modern travelers are looking for more than just a comfortable bed and a clean room; they want a convenient, personalized and safe hotel stay able to mirror their growing preference for a mobile and IoT-enabled lifestyle.
Yet thanks to the industry’s strengthened commitment to boosting innovation in technology, new and improved solutions and services continue to be introduced to the market that are pushing the boundaries on what today’s hotel businesses can achieve. From ongoing improvements in IoT and mobile-based platforms to ever more impressive advancements in cloud and artificial intelligence technology, hotelier goals of delivering the ideal stay experience that each guest truly wants has never been more within reach.
Making Convenience and Efficiency With Mobile and IoT
An expectation of modern travelers undoubtedly is a growing demand for increased convenience. They want to minimize the hassle and friction of travel and instead enjoy a smooth and seamless stay with services and amenities always within easy reach. Preferences for such instantly accessible convenience has doubtlessly been influenced by the growing number of services and activities that consumers prefer to perform using their mobile devices- from online banking and grocery shopping to controlling at-home devices such as lights, thermostats and even dishwashers or ovens. With many now accustomed and reliant on using technology, it’s hardly surprising that consumers expect the same level of easy and instant interaction from the services and amenities of a hotel vying to attract them as a guest.
One area where barriers to enhanced convenience are being broken down across the industry is with the ability for guests to use their mobile devices to check in and check out of their hotel. Whether staying at a luxury resort, budget hotel or boutique property, large numbers of guest now have access to and prefer mobile-based check-in/out, bypassing front desk lines and winning back time that can go towards relaxing and enjoying their stay.
Better still, guests seeking out greater mobile-enabled convenience can now frequently use their devices to instantly access guestrooms and other onsite locations such as the gym, parking garage or swimming pool area. Digital key service offerings have even continued evolving to keep pace with changing guest perspectives over what counts as a convenient digitalized experience. This notably includes integrating a digital key solution with a property’s guest-facing app, deploying mobile keys as an offering available alongside other IoT-based services such as in-room thermostat and lighting control. For the more tech-inclined guests, electronic mobile keys can also now be made to function with their device’s digital wallet, allowing users to effortlessly organize and access important items from one centralized location throughout the course of their journey.
From the comfort and familiarity of their own devices, more guests are also expecting to be able to manage and control much more than the door lock to their room. Thanks to now being accustomed to the benefits of the smart home, they increasingly are finding enhanced value and convenience in also using their device to control the temperature, lighting, guestroom TVs and more. By making these abilities available via a single mobile app that also includes access to hotel offerings such as room service, spa reservations or amenity rentals, hotel businesses are finally able to live up to the expectation of providing instant convenience to each guest literally in the palm of their hands.
For forward-thinking hoteliers aiming to gain a competitive edge, location-based services are steadily increasing in popularity and adoption rates as a way to provide their guests with even more convenience that’s accessible at their fingertips. Similar to when consumers use smartphones to find information on nearby attractions and services or to receive directions, guests are now increasingly gaining the ability to perform the same kinds of actions with regards to a hotel’s services and amenities. Sidestepping the likelihood of new arrivals losing their bearings and having to find a staff member for directions, onsite wayfinding abilities are steadily gaining attention by providing guests with the ability to be precisely guided to a property’s restaurant, fitness area, gift shop and more- all in real-time and with just a few taps of a finger. For hoteliers aiming to deliver an even greater impression while increasing opportunities for revenue, location-based services also provide the potential to push promotions and discounts to guest devices based on their onsite location, with examples that can include a hotel’s restaurant, bar, concierge and spa.
Where Technology Comes into Play for Enhanced Personalization
One factor that has played a significant role in the rise of digitalization and mobile-driven experiences has been guest desires to experience enhanced personalization and a hotel stay that is tailored uniquely to their preferences and needs. Today’s guests want to feel recognized, valued, and catered to individually by their hotel; with expectations for the presence of services and solution capabilities able to maximize the ability to deliver on this increasingly vital need.
This has been a significant influence on the industry’s widespread interest in leveraging big data. Combined with advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, hotel businesses are now able to analyze guest data and behavior almost instantaneously and in ways that previously were never considered possible. From a multitude of property systems, including PMS, POS, booking engines, websites and even social media, hotels can now identify a guest’s unique preferences, dislikes, spending habits, hobby interests and memberships to name a few examples.
Using AI-enabled software able to construct and access detailed profiles on each guest, hotel staff can automatically pair available amenities and activities that are mostly likely to resonate and demonstrate enhanced value. Such suggestions can be shared with guests either when they arrive or in the form of personalized messages sent before, during and after their stay. By accessing such information, AI-enabled solutions can even aid hoteliers in creating a more competitive and adaptive business by segmenting guests in order to develop tailored loyalty programs, pricing strategies, and marketing campaigns- boosting satisfaction rates and guest loyalty while maximizing revenue-earning opportunities and reputations as a result.
In addition to compiling and presenting high-value guest data, artificial intelligence also continues to gain an increased presence throughout all touchpoints of hotel guest interaction. For example, AI-enabled chatbots are fast becoming commonplace hotel mobile app features that can simultaneously personalize and speed-up guest service while freeing staff to focus on other important tasks and needs. By using a chatbot, guests can now instantly ask and receive answers to queries such as swimming pool opening hours, current bar drink specials, available fitness classes and restaurant vegetarian meal options. Through their mobile devices or an in-room virtual assistant, guests can now push personalization and convenience even further by being able to request details on nearby attractions and events, make onsite restaurant reservations or to simply let property staff know that they wish more towels to be brought to their room.
Delivering on Expectations for Greater Security and Peace of Mind
While seeking out increased convenience and personalization, guests by no means expect to make any sacrifices with regards to their safety and instead demand that enhanced security measures are likewise put into place. Fortunately, several technologies that are capable of boosting convenience and personalized service are also equipped to maximize the protection of guests and staff.
With digital key services largely being adopted for the ability to enhance guest service quality with instant room access, a sometimes overlooked advantage is the enhanced security capabilities that such solutions often provide. In addition to minimizing the chances of a physical key being stolen or lost, more reputable digital key solutions come with a range of advanced security features that minimize the likelihood of data being vulnerable to theft and misuse. This includes using advanced and highly encrypted communication channels that transmit digital keys to guest devices and from a guest’s device to the appropriate door lock reader- preventing would-be intruders from being able to use devices that can otherwise sniff out digital key data and clone information.
Cloud-based access management systems have also grown in popularity as an effective method that simultaneously improves guest service and hotel security. Cutting the cord to stationary terminals and onsite servers, these online-enabled platforms importantly provide hotel staff with the ability to manage and monitor building and room access operations securely from virtually anywhere. If a threat to property safety does arise, employees can be instantly alerted and can take immediate action without wasting precious seconds trying to locate a computer with access to the system. Yet another crucial advantage of cloud-based access management solutions is the ability to be continuously updated automatically and without any need to make a costly investment in new hardware. Unlike older, onsite server supported systems, an access management platform existing entirely in the cloud can always receive software updates or patches if a vulnerability is discovered or if a new service feature is desired.
Stay a Step Ahead of the Competition and Guest Needs
Technology is continuing to rapidly transform the hospitality industry by providing hoteliers with the means to live up to the endlessly increasing and evolving expectations of modern travelers. With more and more guests expecting hotel experiences to mirror their mobile-driven lifestyles along with a desire for instant, personalized service, forward-thinking industry professionals that are currently investing in IoT, AI, the cloud and location-based solutions are undoubtedly set to gain a competitive edge. To ensure their ability to outperform rival properties and increase market share, hoteliers should always maintain a watchful eye over new trends and technologies. By observing the best practices of their industry peers and by seeking out the advice of reputable technology providers, businesses can discover and take advantage of new opportunities able to ultimately translate into enhanced reputations and revenue in the months and years ahead.
The ultimate Buyer's Guide to
Keyless Entry and Digital Check-In
A Mobile Key is a digitally encrypted “key” that resides on a mobile device, smartphone, tablet or wearable, allowing the authorized user to gain access to secured doors or other physical or digital access points within a property.
In this buyer’s guide, you will learn about the advancement of mobile technology and how successful application of digital keys within the hospitality industry has led to a rapidly growing trend toward Keyless Entry.
What's inside:
- Cutting edge trends
- Business impact
- Top rated providers & side-by-side comparisons
- Top questions smart buyers ask vendors
- Key integrations to drive efficiency
- Pricing models and budget insights
- Implementation process and timeline
- Success stories, use cases and articles
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