Hospitality industry is deemed as a technology-driven industry today. Hoteliers invest in smart technologies to make their property more visible on social media and search engines, attract more guests through amenities, improve client interaction and earn good feedback. The role of Hotel Technology solutions is remarkable and there are some technologies that hoteliers must invest in to gain an edge in this competitive market. Apps like BotSpice serve to make running a hotel simpler, besides enhancing customer experience multi fold.
Table of Contents
Following is a rundown on the latest technologies that are a must in today’s hospitality business.
Having a chatbot:
Technology upgrade has reached a level where chat bots can take care of several queries by the guests. The chatbots are an AI-based solution that can be employed to answer some regular and repetitive questions by the clients. As the Workbot can be customized according to the requirement of the hotel, it can have an interactive conversation with the guest in different languages. The hotel website or hotel’s app with a chatbot will essentially mean that all the questions will be properly and quickly answered. Unless there is a need for human intervention, data will be directly sent to the hotel management software. It is easy to install it on the website and conversation history will guide the AI-based chatbot to engage clients in the conversation.
Guest application:
Integrating a sophisticated guest applications into the hotel management system can make the most complex jobs seem simple. A single hub can monitor several operations, helping the hotelier establish a convenient option for the marketing people and in-house staff. From introducing deals to loyalty programs and distributing jobs, the applications can do a lot of things. A single app can be used to control all the operations. For example, BotSpice can be a guest app installed in the system. It can help spread advertisement more skillfully than before. It is possible to generate and manage huge data in this guest application without any additional cost.
Touchless technology:
Pandemic has made people highly aware of terms like hygiene and infection. They don’t want to touch items that are kept in the public place, as everyone is concerned about contamination of any kind. While traveling, guests would feel safe and comfortable in the hotel, if a hotelier can introduce touchless technology in some of their systems. Integration of such sophisticated technology would certainly help to keep them ahead in the game. Amenities can be motion-censored instead of touch-based. Hoteliers can install IoT devices and NLP or natural language processing systems to activate appliances. Getting technology-driven is the new normal in the travel and hospitality industry and if a hospitality provider can offer the same the hotel would certainly benefit in the long run.
Booking Engine:
Every good hotel needs a website. They can roll out offers, showcase their rooms, take the direct booking, and cater to customer complaints in a discrete manner. There are hotel websites that do not allow booking the property. A booking engine needs to be integrated into the hotel website and the hotel can also integrate an AI-powered Workbot that will handle customer quality. The booking engine with the best features allows the user to create packages, upsell rooms, promote the hotel, and offer great deals to return customers. The booking engine is a SaaS-based solution for hotel websites and it is easy to integrate into the system.
Smart Energy Management:
High energy consumption is a crucial issue in hotels. Not only does it increase the energy bill but it also wastes energy when not needed. An occupancy sensor and thermostat can be installed in the hotel room to allow the devices to use the minimum required energy. the occupancy sensor detects if people are present in the room and dims the light down and switch the air conditioner off even if the guests have not done so. It keeps a soothing temperature in the room based on the set thermostat as people enter their hotel room. It is not a huge expenditure considering how much can be saved on electricity bills. Smart energy management is said to be able to reduce the cost by 20% and it pays for itself in 12 to 24 months. Smart energy management also increases the resale value of the property.
Data protection:
Cloud migration is a must for hotels. The payment server, the booking engine, and other applications should be such that the data is encrypted. Cloud technology reduces the need for employees by 30% and offers a better experience for guests. Easy check-ins and check-outs are comfortable and thorough data protection, the security and reliability are around 99.99% which is beyond the SLA. Investing in such a technology will boost the hotel business.
Mobile-based technology for guests:
How many times a front desk receives a request for duplicate keys? If you are a hotelier, you know it’s in the double digits for a single day. Smart hoteliers use mobile-based technology that can be integrated into the mobile phone of the guests. Instead of a physical key or a card-based key, it can be simply a mobile key that they carry around. More and more hotels today are shifting to smartphone apps when it comes to keys. The cost is negligible and it reduces the use of harmful plastic cards. They are not going to lose the keys as they would be quite protective about their mobiles. This ensures fewer requests to the reception and more productivity on the parts of the hotel staff. A hotelier can also integrate apps to the guest’s mobile to control equipment present in the room. The guest can conveniently switch on and switch off the devices with their mobile phones.
Reputation management technology:
The online rating of the hotel is the most important factor that determines the pricing and booking no. There should be an automated system that will respond to feedback received online and will also manage the ratings. Operators are constantly investing in platforms that offer in-depth reviews of the hotel allowing them to assess customer needs and thus, improve the hotel experience. It can help in creating a more positive feedback that will eventually increase the occupancy and hotel rates.
Automated HR technology:
The latest in hospitality business, automated HR processes half the energy and expense spent in recruiting and upskilling the new hires. AI based technology, like BotSpice helps you find the perfect candidate for the vacancies and train the staff to meet the requisites. From new staff recruitment, onboarding, induction and training, the new technologies work 360 degree to cut the cost and minimize the efforts, besides delivering great results. You can also complete and store employee feedback surveys for perusal at a later date.
Revenue management system:
This technology of the hotel industry is all about data. Even the biggest properties with no revenue management system receive less occupancy and poor feedback. A revenue management system considers the previous data while anticipating the number of guests for the upcoming seasons. At the same time, the data guides the hotelier to understand what kind of amenities are more appreciated than others. This improves their overall rating and occupancy.
BotSpice is an AI-driven technology that really simplifies running a hotel. It can be installed on the hotel website. The web app will guide the customers to book hotels, solve queries, provide offers based on previous visits, and much more. It can take care of huge data management and draw analyses when in need. It is a secured technology that helps hoteliers with their business. The conversation with the bot is tracked in the system to draw more results and increase conversion. Every hotel that has installed the app has benefited from it. The technology can aid in customer support and help you gain new customers.
The decade 2020s is the decade of technology irrespective of sectors. Companies are investing in effective technologies to yield more results. Technology in the hotel and hospitality industry not only reduces the need for manpower but also improves the customer experience. With automated technology the process of managing a hotel and properties becomes streamlined. The cloud and AI-based solutions are perfect for every hotel irrespective of its size and capacity. Invest in the best technologies and see your business grow several folds.