Technology and innovation have stopped taking us by surprise. Every year numerous new innovative solutions and technological concepts enter into the market addressing issues, solving problems, easing operations and keeping the industry vibrant and ever changing.
Technology and Hotel Industry
Hospitality and travel have always been dynamic and vibrant thanks to technology. We have seen the advent of Online Travel Agents (OTA) from Global Distribution System (GDS) and Meta Search Engines from OTAs. In hotels we have seen key card systems, entertainment systems, call accounting systems and more. With innumerable systems and departments, managing a hotel today is a lot more challenging and complex. Out of all the new trends in the hospitality domain in the last two years, Cloud has been one of the most talked about, discussed, debated and adopted. From small and mid size hoteliers, chains to 5 star hotels, from upcoming cloud based property management systems to well established systems like Opera and Amadeus, everyone has had to give attention to the Cloud to avoid being swept away by this giant wave.
Cloud and what it means for the Hotels
The reason why cloud technology has seen widespread adoption and innovation is because of the power that it gives to the hoteliers.
1. Cloud for Small and Mid-Size Hotels
The SME sector in hospitality sector has gained the biggest advantage. They now have the option to have the best features of a property management system at an affordable cost. With a choose, plug and play kind of option, small hoteliers can select the features that fit best for the kind of facility they are running and pay only for those features. It levels the playing field and allows the hotelier running a homestay, motel or a 20 room hotel to compete with a 5 star in terms of operational efficiency. It also smoothens processes to enhance customer service.
2. Faster ROI and No Capital Expense
The hotelier no longer has to frown looking at the capital expense incurred for having a property management system. Cloud PMS requires no capital expense and gives instant ROI because of the subscription model. A hotel using a cloud based PMS has almost zero infrastructure expense. Cloud eliminates the need to manage data servers, data security and hiring specialized IT Staff to maintain the same. All you need with a Cloud system is an internet connection and a browser.
3. More Control with the Hotelier
A hotelier can now have more control and can manage his hotel much better with the anytime anywhere access available with Cloud. Almost all Cloud systems work well on smartphones and tablets allowing the hotelier to keep an eye on things on-the-go.
4. Integrations Made Simple and Affordable on Cloud
Integrated systems are no longer a dream for a small hotel because of cloud solutions. Cloud PMS now allows for affordable integration with external systems like entertainment systems, call accounting, key card systems and more.
5. Never Outdated
With Cloud technology, you do not have to worry about upgrades and latest versions of the program. Nor do you have to worry about compatibility of the old version with new tech. Cloud based systems never get outdated and pass on all the latest upgrades and advancements over to the hotel at no additional cost or effort.
6. Enhanced Customer Service
Hotels have now started using Cloud Based CRMs to manage guest information and loyalty programs. Some hotels are also experiencing greater levels of guest satisfaction in terms of Wi-Fi usage if they are using cloud based systems because of smaller hardware and software footprint on premise.
Are you Still Not on Cloud?
Early adapters like InterContinental Hotels Group have seen a vast improvement in the operational systems and guest services with cloud systems. The cloud being cost effective, flexible, and easy to integrate, with increased data security eliminates chances of owning a capital investment that is outdated. Cloud PMS is now the go-to choice for the intelligent hotelier who wants to stay ahead in the competitive hospitality and travel industry.
