The hospitality sector has a clear objective: to offer the best customer service, giving an agile and personalized response to each of their needs. Hotel innovation has never been so intense and in this article we want to guide you on what trends to follow in your technological prospecting actions. Let's start!
Hotels know that if they do not innovate they lose competitiveness. But, what are the new lines of innovation in the hotel sector? Why is it so important to be aware of them and value their implementation?
The rise of digitization and personalization of the guest experience
The hotel sector is constantly innovating to meet the needs of guests, improve their experience and optimize service. Today, when guests travel for business and pleasure, they aspire to a much more personalized experience. They want hotels to engage, listen, empower and delight them.
This innovative process that we have experienced in recent years has gone a step further with the coronavirus pandemic, as it has triggered a competitive digitization process that has forced hotels to innovate to strengthen their positioning and competitiveness. Never before has so much technology been introduced in such a short time. It is time to continue this inertia and consolidate digitization in the sector.
At this point, what technological trends in hotels should I consider improving or introducing?
7 pillars in hotel innovation
towards an experience contactless
If there were two repeated words during the pandemic, they were “no contact”.
The hotel industry had to quickly adapt to the current moment so that its guests would find as few physical contact points as possible, thus ensuring the safest and most hygienic stay possible.
How to achieve this goal? Generating the largest possible number of digital contact points at each stage: before, during and after your stay. For example:
- Option to perform check in y check out online
- Mobile keys and hotel locks connected to the cloud, without traditional access cards
- Have other means of instant communication with the staff, such as IPTV in the room, the hotel's mobile applications, etc.
- Do not offer cash payment, but innovate by offering check out express (Invoice & POS)
Deepening IoT in hotels
One of the trends that stands out most strongly within hotel innovation is the "Internet of Things (IoT)", and making the most of it is very important in this sector.
We will define the Internet of Things (IoT) as the introduction of connectivity in everyday devices —thermostats, energy meters, lights, locks…— that did not have this capacity, turning these into smart devices capable of communicating with each other, as well as to receive and send data.
Its importance focuses on the automation and control of these devices from a centralized place, for example, a tablet or mobile phone.
"The new 6 WiFi it has a positive influence on the IoT, as it allows many more connections with lower latency”
This technology contributes to energy saving and structural cost reduction; although the focus is on offering a more personalized customer experience, this is the case with in-room voice-controlled customer service.
Integration between systems and automation
The automation of the core of the hotel, the cloud-based PMS, is a necessity, because it guarantees the interconnectivity between different tools or systems.
At this point, the main line of technological innovation is focused on automate guest data collection and communication with guests. Here the most common example is that of the WiFi captive portals, which obtain guest contact information in exchange for access to the hotel's Wi-Fi network. This solution integrates that information into PMS and automated email delivery systems.
The interesting thing is that this interrelation between technologies allows for intelligent workflows, optimizing the time of employees and allowing them to focus on serving guests instead of administrative tasks.
Technological innovation in the rooms: streaming, customization and home automation
The great workhorse in terms of new technologies in hotels is centered on the concept of connected room. Here new personalized services proliferate in the rooms, from the access and control of common devices such as temperature or lighting; up to access to personalized streaming services, voice control or the personalization of services according to the interests detected throughout the guest trip.
Privacy and cybersecurity
It is true, the guest wants to enjoy a user experience complete and differential, but also safe. The hotel sector is increasingly exposed to problems such as cybercrime. Ensuring the privacy and security of the data of the hundreds of clients of a hotel is already one more technological need.
Today it is essential to incorporate tools and technologies that provide multilayer security, data protection, and always secure transactions.
in the messure that digitize more processes within the hotelly increases technological dependency, the risks and the need to reinforce the entire security layer are increased of these new hotel infrastructures.
These needs at the cybersecurity level require regular training of staff, as well as constant surveillance in the cybersecurity compliance, being diligent and going one step beyond the basic regulatory framework.
6 WiFi
When we talk about technology in hotels or technology for hotels We must think about the current and modern guest, about the new hyperconnected 5G client who needs to complement their technology in the hotel, enjoying optimal bandwidth, a quality connection, with maximum speed and security.
In addition, we must not forget that in the coming years this high connection capacity, with the incorporation of new connected devices in hotels, will make it essential have the latest Wi-Fi technology. This is where the need to upgrade to the new WiFi 6 arises.
It may interest you: Key points of a WiFi audit: how to optimize your hotel network
Technology at the service of sustainability
The sustainable development of companies has been accelerated due to Covid-19 and the hotel industry is no exception.
The crisis in the tourism sector caused by the pandemic has confronted the sector with a much more digital and sustainable reality. The reactivation of the sector, supported by European funds Next Generation US, will focus on two fundamental pillars: smart tourism, with the digitalization of the hotel chain, and the sustainable tourism, minimizing negative impacts on the environment, society and the economy.
Keep learning: Sustainable hotels: keys to becoming one of them
It is essential to incorporate new digital tools and technologies, but always preserving and minimizing negative impacts, such as GPON fiber optic networks, which generate less waste and CO2 emissions and, at the same time, are more energy efficient.
GPON fiber optics, the best way to integrate new technologies in hotels
If you want to integrate all these new technologies in hotels, you must have a renewed and adequate communications network. If you still have conventional wiring in your hotel, it is time to migrate to GPON fiber optics, which is much more sustainable and efficient. You can no longer stay anchored in an infrastructure that conditions your growth.
Thanks to this network, the integration of all the new technological services that we have been discussing in this post is greatly speeded up, since you can incorporate an endless number of services in a single fiber optic cable. At Cerium we are experts in the design, implementation and management of GPON networks in hotels and we can help you take this important step.
All this hotel technological innovation is contributing to improve the competitiveness of hotels reinforcing the technological experience of the guest and also deepening in an improvement in areas such as sustainability, privacy or data security.
Are you looking for a technological partner in your hotel? In Cerium We are technology integrators specialized in the hotel sector with more than 15 years of experience. Withtrecord with us and we will help you to improve your infrastructure and your service offer.
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