BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY
WHY SMART TECHNOLOGY IN HOTELS MAKES PERFECT SENSE
We are witnessing technological advances every single day, especially in hotels. Andrew Wheal, founder and chief techspert at Hospitality Tech Expert Ltd., takes a closer look at the smart technologies that are being deployed by operators to enhance the guest experience.
Like many people reading this, I often arrive at my overnight accommodation after a long journey, a challenging day or both. Whether the trip is for business or pleasure, the stresses of everyday life mean that I am keen to get to my room. While checking in online can spare us the inconvenience of having to queue up at reception, how else can guest technology make us feel at home and comfortable?
announce daily (and in real-time) to guests via multiple distribution channels that each guest room and the whole hotel has met Covid-19 health and safety protocols.
Recent guest surveys indicate that people most value cleanliness, safety and security as well as sustainability. Much of today’s in-room technology is focused on convenience, so if we are to improve the “techsperience” while aligning with guests’ core values, what technology should we be considering?
Another consideration around cleanliness in rooms is how to provide your guests with access to the information they need. Until recently, many properties would place a printed compendium in each room. This guide would cover everything from fire safety to what time the pool opens and how to order food. In today’s world, digital compendiums are a more hygienic solution as well as being simpler to maintain. Hoteliers can invest in tablets, such as those provided by Intelity. With built-in docking stations, they can also provide sound and light options.
Smart tech solutions
Each to their own device
Unsurprisingly, more than ever before due to Covid-19, guests seek technology that reduces contact points in their rooms or that provides them with the comfort of knowing the rooms have been cleaned to a high standard. Technology providers such as Hkeeper, the housekeeping app provider, have introduced Cleanliness Certificates into their apps to allow housekeepers to complete a Covid-19 checklist of tasks during the room clean. HKeeper provides the tools for the hotel general manager to
Other providers are moving toward leveraging the guest’s own devices, which also reduces the capital outlay. Companies such as NexGenGuest and Nonius provide an app that includes concierge functionality, as well as that all-important option of being able to order room service.
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With guests using their own devices to curate their experiences, the humble QR code has become commonplace in many rooms. Companies like Alliants can provide a complete guest experience platform using
QR codes to access messaging and services. While using personal devices is often seen as safer and more hygienic, another technology which further reduces contact is voice control. Companies like Digivalet provide solutions that utilize Alexa, Google and Siri to adjust room controls. Technology allowing guests to cast their own devices onto the room TV is gaining traction. Companies such as Nevaya provide casting solutions for televisions, as well as Wi-Fi and mobile guest experience interfaces, so that guests have the convenience and security of using their own devices in the room, controlling their interaction with it. It also reduces investment in cable or streaming services as the guests use their own streaming accounts.
Smart buildings While many hoteliers have rightly focused on the guest “techsperience,” the hotelier’s largest asset and cost is the building itself. Many guests have embraced smart technology in their homes. For example, I have a Samsung SmartThings equipped home with sensors and automations that allow me to control lighting and other functions. Many of us now have domestic smart meters to help us manage and track our energy usage too.
