Hospitality technologies: 5 examples of the hotel revolution
“Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test…”
How many of us have dreamed, at least once, to be helped by everyday furniture like Belle when she got to the Beast’s — otherwise creepy — castle? Thanks to the technologies that the hospitality world is adopting, this dream could soon come true. Pretty much every hotel or hosting service has got its own app, but this doesn’t mean that this market is saturated or, worse, still: on the contrary, it is evolving and adopting futuristic solutions that include some new generation hospitality technologies.
1. Internet of Things
We have already talked about how the IoT has been changing the way buildings are managed, and hotels are not lagging behind: some structures have already installed Amazon Echos in all their rooms, providing their guests with a digital assistant which works with a simple voice command. So, without the need to call the concierge and wait for a service, they will be able to simply ask the room to adjust to their requests.
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2. Biometric Authentication
Already experimented on the market by Amazon Go, biometric-based payments are considered as the future of transactions. According to Forbes, “The nature of biometric authentication allows for consistent and seamless customer transactions that enable users to leave right after a restaurant meal with the confidence that their bill was paid automatically without the need for waitstaff or pay terminal interaction.” Probably, this is one of the hospitality technologies that will take longer to be implemented, but it will be worth it.
3. Near-field communication
One of the average traveler’s main nightmares is losing the key to their hotel room. Smart hotel technology is here to help forgetful guests (and the environment): thanks to smartphones with integrated NFC — a technology that is already in use in big offices and buildings — guests will be able to check in or open their doors with the same device they use to make calls and Instagram their hotel rooms! This would mean saving in the production of digital keys, but also to avoid the consumption of tons of plastic cards — which often get lost or demagnetized.
4. Geofencing
This technology, which is spreading more and more in marketing, allows to monitor a specific perimeter and to send messages to those who are inside it: have you ever received a notification from a shop that was very close to you?
Geofencing is a powerful instrument that the hospitality sector is using to personalize travelers’ experiences: automated check-ins and check-outs from airports or hotels when they are in their proximity, location-based customized services, loyalty offers — these are just some of the advantages that this smart hospitality technology can bring both to hotels and guests!
5. The challenge of non-technological hospitality
Contrasting what we have said until now, some structures are encouraging their guests not to use any technological devices: by offering special prices and “no-tech” bonus packages, they invite them to enjoy the surroundings and to be more aware of the reasons why they are far from home — to run away from their routine.
As you may know, hosting structures Wi-Fi lines are often congested with all their guests’ technological devices, that they use to watch the latest Netflix show or to just read the news, not using the hotel’s services: so, is this an environmental/detox/zen move, or a marketing strategy?
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