The Tech Trends in Hospitality Leading the Way

Hospitality technology can refer to a wide range of IT, e-commerce, and technology solutions in the hospitality industry meant to improve the overall experience of customers and make life easier for employees. These technologies work in many ways, from increasing automation to easing the workload for staff.

Here are some ways tech trends in hospitality are leading the way.

1. Robotics        

In recent times, the utilisation of robotics in hospitality has gained momentum as one of the most exciting tech trends. Many establishments, aiming to enhance customer service, improve guest experiences, and foster valuable business connections, are increasingly adopting robots for various roles.

One of the reasons robotics emerged as a popular tech trend in hospitality is because self-service and automation play an increasingly crucial role in improving the customer experience. Using robotics can lead to improvements in cost-effectiveness, speed, and accuracy. For instance, chatbots can answer some of the customer's most common questions without human involvement. In more advanced situations, the chatbot can gather information and pass it on to human staff, resulting in a faster and better consumer experience.

Aside from customer service, some businesses utilise robots for housekeeping, cooking, and even greeting guests by assuming the role of concierge, greeting customers, and delivering essential client information.

Overall, robots help make tasks smoother and faster while lowering operational costs, which can benefit many businesses in hospitality. There are concerns about robots taking jobs from humans and decreasing employment opportunities. However, experts pointed out that robots will not replace jobs. Instead, they help relieve humans from dull and repetitive work and improve productivity.

2. Localised Guest Services     

Another way hospitality businesses are benefiting from technology is through localised guest services. They can integrate location-based services to develop personalised and localised experiences for guests. For instance, they can offer local recommendations once they pick up a guest's location, such as the nearest supermarket or the best bars in town, and not have to personally interact with staff, which also helps with the language barrier.

Determining the location of visitors can also help with the company's customer service and marketing initiatives. For instance, they can send special offers to the smartphones of their guests if they are near a spa or send water to a guest's room while they are at the gym working out. Knowing the staff locations also allows for faster service, such as sending the staff closest to a guest making a request.

Localisation is highly beneficial to new companies. When entering a new market, the goal is to succeed in selling your services to customers. You can leverage localised guest services to tap into your target consumers and improve their experience.

3. Mobile Check-In

Another popular choice of technology in the hospitality sector is mobile check-in. Many hospitality businesses like this technology because it improves the customer experience from the moment they arrive. It's especially beneficial since first impressions can significantly affect customers' perceptions of the company. In addition, mobile check-in eliminates the need for face-to-face interactions with staff, giving customers greater flexibility when checking in.

Mobile check-ins can benefit hotels and guests. With this technology, companies can do away with a reception desk. They can instead use the space for other purposes, such as common areas and luggage storage. Also, having mobile check-ins means companies don't have to hire staff for the reception desk. In addition, guests will no longer queue at the front desk, offering a better experience for guests, especially busy business travellers and families with small children.

While the aim is to check in guests with no human interaction, the technology can also perform several other functions for guests, from ordering food to booking transportation and discovering nearby attractions. The main benefit of using mobile check-in is that it enhances the customer experience. In a competitive industry like hospitality, client engagement is crucial. By providing customers with a streamlined means to check in, you can improve their overall customer experience.

3. Contactless Payments          

Contactless payments are among the technological trends gaining popularity in the hospitality sector due to their many benefits. Aside from accelerating payments, it facilitates loyalty programs, resulting in a better customer experience. Even when guests lose their credit cards or wallets, they can rely on mobile contactless payments for various functions.

Many companies in the hospitality industry can benefit from contactless payments. Aside from restaurants and hotels, bars, cafes, and resorts can integrate the technology into their daily operations. Because of this, it has become one of those technologies leading the way in hospitality. It offers a seamless payment experience and improves customer satisfaction.

Mobile contactless payments are extremely useful since it's common for guests to leave their wallets or credit cards in their hotel rooms while going out and about. With this technology, they only have to carry their mobile phones to perform various transactions.

And although the Covid-19 pandemic is a thing of the past, many guests are still concerned about getting the virus. Contactless payments can offer a fantastic way to minimise human contact and prevent the spread of the virus.

4. The Use of AI           

Artificial Intelligence is a technology that simulates human intelligence in computers, machinery, and systems. It enables machines to process information and carry out tasks by collecting data and learning patterns.

Customers nowadays expect timely interactions, seamless processes, and personalised services. AI and machine learning aim to transform this. For instance, AI chatbots help businesses communicate with customers 24/7 with no language barrier. AI can predict and optimise room occupancy according to data, offering a highly personalised guest experience through an integrated network.

In today's digital era, customers expect to engage with hospitality companies through multiple online channels and anticipate prompt responses. Maintaining round-the-clock human monitoring for these channels and ensuring swift replies is challenging. This is where artificial intelligence plays a crucial role.

Chatbots run by AI can understand basic questions and offer answers almost instantaneously, which removes the burden from customer service staff, and improves the customer experience. AI's uses can also extend to other essential hotel areas, including data analysis.