By Jasmine Seliga
I started my career in hospitality selling software, thinking that I would eventually move to something else. But a comment someone made to me at HITEC proved to be true. Once you enter the hospitality space, you will never want to leave. That has certainly come to pass for me. Having now spent a decade in this industry, I deeply value the opportunities I’ve had to share technology with hoteliers across the globe. I am continually amazed by how rewarding my job is: unfolding new possibilities before an operator’s eyes, giving them tools to run their business more efficiently, and improving the guest experience on all levels.
While hospitality technology has proven benefits, a pre-pandemic snapshot of the industry demonstrates that adoption was on the slower side. Some would argue that we were not as slow as the healthcare or aviation industries, yet we are historically not early adopters. Serving guests is the heart of our industry, and there are risks with automating processes that could potentially disrupt the seamless guest experience we have worked so hard to establish.
Yet, something is on the horizon. There’s an evolution unfolding in hospitality unlike anything ever seen, and it will have a lasting impact.
The Rise of Contactless Technology
Our industry has been uncharacteristically receptive to new development and technology since the onset of the pandemic. We had no choice but to welcome these new technologies with open arms as we ushered in a new era of contactless check-in and socially distanced guest service. In many cases, hotel staff are expressing the desire to communicate with their guests in a more sophisticated way that goes beyond in-person service.
We see the need for automated solutions to support staff in a way we never have before. Sure, there are frustrations and risks to this, and that’s not to be taken lightly. But there are also many operational gains to be found as we embrace the era of automated and contactless guest service.
Now lies the question, how do we marry excellent guest service and seamless operations with the sudden demand for automation and technology in the hotel space?
Enter Integrated Business Operations
Integrated business operations is a fancy term that essentially means software that can do more than one thing. We must look to invest our dollars in a solution that handles everything from booking and contactless check-in, seamless guest communication all the way to business intelligence tools that track the guest experience. Before the pandemic, these solutions might have been a “nice to have,” but safety protocols and shifting guest expectations now demand it.
The good news is these solutions are here, and technology companies are pouring millions of dollars into making them work for hoteliers and guests like never before. If your current system is not delivering this level of functionality for you, it’s time to cast a vision towards change.
Looking Ahead to Adoption
What should you be looking for if you haven’t adopted an integrated solution already? Your system should give guests options to personalize and take control of their experience with online reservations, mobile check-in and check-out, self-service kiosks, communication through a guest portal, and support for online and mobile payments. The more convenient self-service options you can provide, the greater your guest satisfaction will be.
Next, talk to your staff. Find out what challenges they are facing in this new era. Start asking your vendors the right questions. What automated options are they coming out with? How quickly can they deliver? Consider new solutions on the market. Be open to the agility of a product that can do more than process a reservation and check a guest in. And most of all, stay engaged. Stay engaged in what’s going on in and around our industry.
Guests are demanding us to adapt to this new expectation – and this expectation is here to stay.
