Technology in Hotel Industry

• Ansyst
• 17 August 2022

Discover Technology Trends in Hospitality technology is the name used to describe a wide range of IT, e-commerce and similar technology solutions within the hospitality industry.

The use of this technology is typically intended to either make life easier for a business’s employees, or to improve the overall experience for hospitality customers.

This can be achieved in a number of different ways. For example, hospitality tech may help to increase automation and ease the workload for staff. Likewise, it could be intended to make processes faster, which could potentially save money as well as time.

Alternatively, it could help customers at numerous points along the customer journey.

Today, the world is dominated by cutting-edge technology, and humans can feel its presence all around.

Several advanced technologies have reshaped the world to become a better place to live - mobile apps, artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, blockchain, internet of things, to name a few.

Our primary focus in this blog will be 'Artificial Intelligence (AI).'

The Latest Technology Trends in the Hospitality Industry-:

1.Voice Search & Voice Control-:

Voice search is a growing technology trend within hospitality because a growing number of guests or customers are turning to voice search in order to find hotels, restaurants and cafes, so it is worth taking the time to properly capitalise on this.

To do so, you will need to make sure your website and booking engine are structured so that the voice search can be used properly. In some settings, demand for voice control is also growing.

This could include everything from the use of smart speakers in hotel rooms, allowing for control of the various in-room devices, through to automated order taking in restaurants and cafes, meaning customers will no longer need to wait for waiting staff to take their order.

2.Contactless Payments-:

Contactless payments offer a number of advantages for hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars and cafes, which is why this has been among the main technology trends, within the hospitality industry in recent times.

Aside from speeding up payments and improving customer satisfaction, contactless tech is also easily compatible with loyalty programmes.

Mobile contactless payments are possible even if customers do not have their wallets with them, or even if their credit card has been misplaced. Additionally, with COVID firmly in the minds of hotel guests and other hospitality customers, contactless payments can also offer an excellent way to reduce human-to-human contact.

3.Robots in Hotels & Restaurants-:

One of the most exciting technology trends the hospitality industry is getting to grips with is the rise of robotics and the use of robots to carry out tasks traditionally performed by humans.

For instance, robots can occupy a concierge role within hotels, welcoming guests and providing them with important customer information.

Similarly, some hotels have started to use robots for cleaning purposes, such as vacuum cleaning floors and even for germ killing.

This is a practice that can be replicated across the rest of the hospitality industry too, including in restaurants, and the use of robots can also help to make an environment more COVID secure.

4. Chatbots-:

Chatbots have been an emerging hospitality technology trend for several years, but the importance of this option is only growing, especially as customers now demand swift answers to questions at all times of the day.

Hotels and restaurants will also often attract queries from people in different time zones, so having staff available is difficult.

A good chatbot will answer the most common questions without the need for any human involvement.

In more advanced cases, the chatbot can obtain information from the customer and then pass the query on to a human staff member at the earliest opportunity, while also providing them with access to what the customer has said.

The “Reasons Why Every Hotel Needs a Hotel Chatbot” post covers the topic in more detail. It is also worth noting that with the emergence of COVID, customers are likely to have questions about the topic. Chatbots can be ideal for answering here, as these questions will often require standard answers about procedures and policies.

5. Virtual Reality-:

Virtual reality is another of the major technology trends in the hospitality industry that you need to be aware of. In particular, this can make the difference at the stage when customers are ready to make a booking, because it will give potential customers a much clearer sense of what they can expect when they visit for real.

During the COVID pandemic, those working in hospitality marketing have a particularly good opportunity to capitalise on virtual reality technology and gain an edge on rivals, because it provides customers with the ability to experience elements of a hotel or to see the layout of a restaurant prior to booking.

Most modern virtual reality tour videos can be viewed within a web browser, making them easily accessible.

A greater level of immersion can also be achieved if users have access to a VR headset.

6. Mobile Check-In-:

Mobile check-in hospitality tech is another important area to give consideration to, because it can help to improve the customer experience at the point of their initial arrival.

This is especially beneficial, because first impressions can have a huge bearing on how customers ultimately feel about their visit or stay.

Crucially, mobile check-ins swerve the need for face-to-face customer interactions, meaning customers can potentially have greater flexibility in terms of when they check-in.

This ties in with wider contactless technology trends within the hospitality industry, and can be especially welcome for those who are nervous about COVID.

7.Cybersecurity-:

Finally, the increased need for cybersecurity is among the most vital technology trends in the hospitality industry.

Today, hotels and restaurants are more reliant on data than ever before, and make more use of IT systems than ever before too.

However, this potentially leaves them in a much more vulnerable position. Some of the biggest threats here include ransomware attacks, phishing attacks, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and human error within the company.

For this reason, hotels need to invest adequately in cybersecurity awareness training, protect their IT systems, keep customer data secure and ensure data is backed up and recoverable.