2021 ushered in a new decade. Hotels in this decade appeal to customers differently. But some things never change – like the importance of customer service and facilities. Guests these days place equal, if not more, importance on cleanliness, design and hotel technology.
Technology trends in the hospitality industry are not only used to give guests a superior experience but have become extremely important in our post-covid world to prioritise guest and staff safety. New technology in the hospitality industry also helps us convince travellers that it is worth the time, money and risk to stay at your hotel.
Emerging trends in hospitality help hoteliers adapt to guest expectations and thrive in this competitive industry. Keeping up with these hotel technology trends is especially important during the COVID as customer expectations and market demands are constantly changing. We need to let go of the idea of “returning to normal” and instead embrace more innovative and revolutionary ways to conduct business. Guests no longer want conventional methods of service delivery, there is a demand for more personalization and customized service.
The trends in the hospitality industry continue to evolve, and it is only expected that hotels evolve with them.
Let’s look at five upcoming and interesting trends in the hospitality industry and better prepare ourselves for the new wave in hotel tech solutions.
1. Cloud Migration
Cloud technology is a must-have for hoteliers today. Not only does it cut costs in terms of OpEx, but it also cuts out expenses in terms of new tech acquisitions, software and hardware updates, maintenance, and back-office efficiency.
Investing in cloud technology is extremely important to keep up with emerging trends in the hospitality industry. In the traditional approach, hoteliers would have to incur a large amount of CapEx and OpEx to install, upgrade and maintain property management software. However, this burden is eliminated in cloud-based systems. Additionally, traditional systems don’t offer the flexibility of remote working. Cloud-based hotel property software work on any device- even smartphones and tablets- all you would need is a stable internet connection.
Operating on the cloud provides additional benefits such as real-time updates across channels and user, and seamless integration with third-party applications. Thus, promoting smooth operations and superior customer experience.
2. Mobile Check-In
Mobile technology is leading the must-have trends in the hospitality industry. The pandemic has made it crucial to limit the interaction between staff and guests. In the post COVID times, it is very common for guests to check-in to their rooms using a mobile app.
This trend aims to improve safety and convenience for guests in terms of minimising human interaction, lines at the front desk and contact with different members of the staff. Mobile check-in also makes it flexible for customers with arrival and departure timings.
For these reasons, it is also a great strategy to highlight in your COVID related marketing efforts.
3. Contactless Transactions
Contactless payment methods are one of the fastest-growing trends in the hospitality industry right now. With evolving technology, contactless payment methods have also transformed from contactless cards and net banking to online payment gateways and mobile wallets.
What was considered to be a privilege has now become a necessity, especially during the time of coronavirus. With most guests hesitant to use cash and credit card machines, contactless transactions have become faster, safer and more reliable. It has also provided the added advantage of preventing loss or theft.
4. Service Automation
Automation is yet another unavoidable 2021 trend in the hospitality industry. With lower staff availability, we need to make sure that existing employees are focused on customer service rather than on menial tasks.
Automating operational tasks like sending email confirmations, requesting feedback, sending messages for special occasions, setting seasonal pricing, booking rooms for a loyal guest, and more can help free up resources to do much more important tasks.
Providing VIP guests and corporates with their own log in details also automates the self-service process.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence is yet another example of emerging trends in hospitality leveraged by technology. It plays a role in almost all of the trends in the hospitality industry that we’ve discussed above.
Artificial intelligence is not only used to provide a seamless guest experience but is also used to streamline hotel operations. A few examples of the application of AI and big data include:
- Collecting, compiling and interpreting guest data
- Identifying customer preferences and creating more customized packages
- Effective marketing techniques that are more efficiently targeted
- Personalization of the entire guest experience
Hotelogix PMS: All-In-One Integration
Keeping up with the needs of the hospitality industry, Hotelogix has bundled up its services into a full-stack PMS. Listed below are a few advantages of the Hotelogix all-in-one solution:
- A powerful cloud-based system that is packed with all the necessary integrations to cater to a hotelier’s needs.
- It can be accessed and can be accessed from anywhere at any time, and offers a versatile mobile-based PMS to further improve mobility and productivity.
- A dynamic reservation system- with real-time updates that synchronize with all your distribution channels.
- Provides an easy to use web booking engine that can be integrated into your hotel’s website and Facebook page.
- A single panoramic dashboard helps front desk staff visualize bookings, manage housekeeping and assign maintenance.
- Empowers touchless transitions and online payment gateways to ensure customer safety and social distancing during these times.
- Multiple POS integrations so that you can keep track of all your point of sales units from one screen.
- Supports multiple currencies and 12 languages to ensure you never lose out on business.
- Extensive audit trails and night audit reports helping you always stay in the loop with your operations.
- 24/7 support to help with any difficulties or queries you may have during operations.
- Powerful service automation to ensure high levels of productivity- share automated feedback emails and confirmation emails, configure dynamic prices and packages, and more.
- Train and certify your staff with an Automated Coaching Engine (ACE) which harnesses AI to help your team get familiar with the software.
- Integrate your PMS with all the necessary 3rd party applications for a seamless and streamlined hotel experience- from revenue management to loyalty programs, Hotelogix is a one-stop solution for all your hotel needs.
Conclusion
From cloud-based solutions to touchless hospitality technology and interactive service delivery, there is unlimited potential to revolutionize the hotel guest experience. Travel restrictions and reduced occupancy caused by the global coronavirus crisis has made it very clear that we need to innovate and adapt to not just survive, but thrive in this future.
Future trends in hotel technology are ever-evolving. But as we proceed into this future, we know that personalization and communication are the two most important aspects of success in the hospitality industry. Technological advancements are necessary to ensure profitable growth in the new normal.
