Technology is all around us. It transforms us, our habits and the way we do things. It also transforms our demands and expectations. This affects our expectations as hotel guests too. As a result, it’s important for hoteliers to understand how technology impacts guest expectations and behaviour so that they can implement the right improvements to satisfy guest expectations and demands.

Guests Want Personalised Experiences

Many hotels have started using automated messaging and interaction systems to quickly respond to guest messages, such as chatbots. Some have even leveraged the quick response and guest experience personalisation features to start collecting customer data.

More complex systems like Alexa not only help hotels respond to a very high number of guest requests but also collect data and reveal general patterns in customer behaviour. A simple example would be the timespan involved for customers to check-in, check-out, have dinner and breakfast, and perform other in-demand services.
The personalisation of services requires a comprehensive approach, which means it’s important to use multiple channels to collect data and provide personalised services. A centralised PMS is a good way to achieve this but we’ll cover that later in this article.

Guests Want to Go Mobile

Hotels have already started offering services through mobile devices. We don’t mean a simple messaging system here but something much more complex. Some hotels offer keyless access to rooms through near-field communication, also known as NFC. Some hotels offer in-room equipment and access to facilities through a mobile app, such as air-conditioning and TV. Mobile payments are also a requirement if a hotel wants to go fully digital.
The more hotels start offering such capabilities, the more customers will start expecting them as the standard experience. So it’s a good idea to keep an open mind to determine where more technology can be implemented.

Guests Expect Efficient Staff Management

Well, actually guests don’t care how a hotel manages its staff or how efficiently they carry out operations. What guests care about are the results and they expect near light-speed results. They want a response as soon as they attempt to interact. They want their orders delivered to them as soon as possible and they even want to see the progress of that order. They also want to be able to deliver their complaints and to see how their concerns are being actively resolved. They may not care about “how” but they are passionate about the results. This makes efficient staff management a key factor in guest experience and satisfaction. Today, there are guest experience platforms that can be easily branded to your hotel and implemented to dramatically increase staff management efficiency.Guests are Adapting to Progressive Technologies

Guests are Adapting to Progressive Technologies

There are hotels that embrace a progressive approach and are eager to try new technologies, some of which may even be in the testing or development phase. Robots are one of these technologies that some hotels have already started introducing. Robot butlers to be exact.

It’s obvious that the robot butlers used are not exactly like the robots in the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence. However, they sure can handle many operations both at the welcoming stage and during the stay. These robots can deliver certain orders and items to people’s rooms and safely move around the premises. They can even use the elevators in the building and relocate to different floors to make themselves more useful.
They are also very useful as robot concierges. They can welcome and inform guests about the hotel, respond to requests and questions, and even fulfil some of their requirements. They may not resemble the fancy and super-clever robots in the science fiction movies yet, but they sure are useful and helpful (considering they don’t enslave humanity one day).

Manage Your Guests With A Centralised Property Management System

Hotels can use a centralised Property Management System (PMS) to meet high guest expectations As we mentioned before, a cloud-based PMS is a good way to centralize all operations in the hotel. PMS systems have evolved so much that they have started becoming the nerve centre for all operational, management, and even maintenance purposes. With the power of the cloud, they can either connect or integrate with auxiliary systems and even with the handheld devices of staff members.

This ensures a seamless operations structure and a central hub where the collected data is categorised and stored in appropriate databases.

In conclusion, technology affects and shapes guest expectations, which in turn transform hotels. It’s good to keep up with the technological trends that are shaping today’s guest expectations in order to satisfy guests and improve brand loyalty.

Categories: Business