Recently, the DC Chapter of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) hosted a roundtable that highlighted new innovations in the area of guestroom technologies. Industry leaders gathered to share their perspectives on technology as it relates to the “guest” experience, as well as what leading edge hotels are doing to improve this experience.
Some of the emerging trends that were discussed included:
- The ability to check-in to a room prior to arrival by using a smartphone, tablet or guest loyalty card
- Interacting with guests via multiple channels including email, text, in person or an app
- Knowing guest room preferences — including the temperature of the room, the number of towels, food and beverages, movies that were rented — and having the room ready upon arrival
- Using a smartphone or tablet to control the TV
It is exciting to see the hospitality sector embracing new forms of customer service that will enhance profit during a time when leisure travel is down. It would seem that hotels could achieve a competitive advantage by implementing these types of solutions.
And, kudos to HFTP for promoting these innovative solutions. As the hospitality sector continues to embrace new innovations that enhance customer loyalty, we will continue to shine a light on hoteliers that are moving the needle when it comes to implementing IT solutions that provide true business value.
Posted by: Diann Turner, Director, Business Development, NetLink Resource Group