Technology is enhancing most operations in various industries, such as manufacturing, production, transport, military, and hospitality. Almost 99% of all the activities in those sectors rely heavily on technology to undertake most of their operations.
How Important Is The Hotel Industry To The Global Economy?
Hotel refers to the art of receiving guests from another land and treating them with warmth and respect. As such, the industry becomes vital to economic development in various ways. First, the industry generates direct revenue to the economy, especially when people spend their money in hotels. Also, it makes a significant indirect contribution to the retail and other allied sectors.
Visitors can purchase goods they need and other local crafts, promoting the retail sector and the global economy as a whole. Furthermore, It has created millions of jobs for people globally. That contributes to economic growth because people can get an income and spend it. As a result, cash flows in the economy. It also supports jobs in the arts industry. Many people can confidently utilize their skills to get money. Read on to understand how the hotel tech industry has changed since adopting various forms of technology.
How Has Adoption Of Technology Impacted The Hotel Industry?
Technology has promoted efficiency in marketing, management, and giving guests a better experience in the following ways:
- Data Management
Hotels deal with the bulk of customer information considering the number of those who go there at any given time. Some may stay for some time during a vacation hence compelling the hotel to have the necessary information. Corporates also choose hotels frequently for conferences, making the hotel to have relevant information about them. Realistically, handling of such data manually may not be possible regarding how some of them are delicate. Hotels can now use modern data management systems to store, analyze, and secure their information. That also makes them carry out their operations smoothly without a doubt of cybercrime.
- Remote Check-In And Check Out
Customers do not like showing up at the customer care desk every time they check-in and out. Various hotels have adopted a smart system that enables their customers to check-in and out via their smartphones. That way, hotels can manage their customers’ movement, thus enabling them to serve them better. Additionally, the hotel staff can also know the appropriate times to attend to the rooms. The automated check-in and check off systems also enables the hotel management to save on labor costs. Timely completion of tasks is possible without the need for a lot of human labor.
- Energy Management
Smart energy-saving mechanisms can reduce hotel spending on energy by about 20%. Furthermore, a good energy management system can increase the hotel’s resale value if the owner wants to sell it out. Smart thermostats’ adoption helps monitor outside weather, humidity, and monitor room ventilation, hence providing suitable room conditions.
The adoption of smart lighting technology has made it easier for hotels to understand their lighting needs. It has also led to the automation of consumption and response to occupancy in real-time. The HVAC systems can now function properly because they use a machine-learning algorithm to analyze demand patterns and optimize consumption consistently.
- Use Of Robotics
Every business enterprise is currently focusing on ways of saving costs, especially labor-related ones. They have to adopt the latest mechanisms to make that possible. One of them is the use of Robotics. Robotics refers to automated machines that resemble human beings and exactly replicate how human beings undertake certain activities. They help in carrying our various hotel’s housekeeping services. Their adoption in the hotel industry has made it easier to complete monotonous tasks within a few minutes.
- Digital Marketing And Branding
Mass marketing methods are getting outdated rapidly. Today most companies are shifting to personalized marketing strategies to reach their prospects directly. The hotel industry utilizes social media, emails, and other forms of digital marketing to gain a competitive advantage. The other marketing tool that the industry is optimizing is the websites. Through their websites, they can update any information regarding their offers or new services introduced. They can also use the website as a perfect platform for feedback. Customers can make inquiries about services they need and get prompt responses. Also, they can get positive reviews from a customer they served from the platform.
- No Need For Brochures
The availability of tablets in the hotel rooms has proved that there is no need of putting brochures in the rooms to inform the visitors about the services offered. They can do that via the tablets, which appear more personalized to the guests. It helps them to get real-time feedback from their customers. That means that they get their ROI from the adoption.
- Predictive Maintenance
The same way hotels use technology to track various operations in various rooms and outside is the same way it uses the same technology to detect hazardous trends and alert the maintenance team before it’s worse and unmanageable. IoT adoption makes it possible for the maintenance staff to detect when the systems aren’t right and rectify them before the cost gets out of hand. Also, technology collects data from the hotel’s HVAC systems and avails the information to the team. They can use the information to detect if the equipment is declining in operation or consistent and take necessary action.
- More Personalized Guest Experience
The core reason for hotels’ existence is to serve the wide range of guests they receive from time to time. To accomplish that, they have to utilize better technology fully. An example is the use of occupancy sensors that enables the staff to accommodate the guest’s needs. The concept also helps in automating guest interactions. From that, the management can realize what the guests like most and what they hate, thus enabling them to customize their services to meet the guest’s needs.
- Facilities Communication
Information is vital in every aspect of the business. Similarly, the hotel industry values communication because it enables them to stay connected with various industry partners. The hotel team can stay connected today and make operations flow smoothly. Better communication enables different departments to predict future industry trends, considering the feedback they get from their customers. You can now imagine how technology is fundamental to the industry. Additionally, better communication platforms keep rising, thus making the exchange of information easy.
- Keyless Entry Into The Rooms
The keyless technology has been experienced in-car technology. There is no need to ignite your car today with a car key. Instead, there is an ignition button for that purpose. Similarly, the hotel industry has adopted the trend. Initially, swiping cards was the order. However, with time, the technology is getting replaced with new, allowing visitors to access their room via smart apps. The adoption of the app increases convenience and the efficiency of doing things.
As you can see, technology plays a vital role in making operations efficient for both management, staff, and customers in the hotel industry. Besides, it is continuously growing. Various hotel management systems should prepare for the growth and embrace whatever changes it will bring. If they fail to do so, their competitors may overtake them.
If you are an investor who is planning to venture into the hotel tech industry, you shouldn’t hesitate to do so because you will get your returns within a shorter period. The only important thing is employing the essential strategies that will see you succeed in it. Furthermore, technology is the future of every industry.
