Digitization has hit the hotel sector with force and more and more establishments are seeking to strengthen their competitiveness with solutions that allow them to automate processes, save costs and improve efficiency, while improving the experience of its guests. Hence, many hotels have already taken a step forward by becoming smart hotels, thus covering the real needs of its customers and adapting to a rapidly changing technological market.
On the other hand, in a context of rising energy prices and supplier costs, the best idea is to invest in solutions that help improve business profitability.
If you have a hotel establishment and you are looking to apply smart technology, this article is for you. Let's go there!
What is a smart hotel?
Un smart hotel u smart hotel is he who uses internet-enabled devices capable of interacting with each other to improve both its own internal processes and the experience of its guests.
These devices are often capable of not only receiving and sending data, but also searching for information on the Internet, giving hoteliers data that enables them to make better decisions as guests find direct answers to their questions and requests.
Advantages of smart hotels for guests and owners
An interesting feature of the smart hotels is that they pose a situation win-win in which both the hotel owners and their guests benefit. Let's see how!
Owner
Contrary to what may initially be believed, the smart hotels Not only do they bring significant benefits to guests, but hoteliers also benefit greatly from their implementation:
- Reinforcement of the commitment to sustainability: the technology applied in a smart hotel It can be a great source of energy savings and reduction of the polluting footprint of a hotel. In addition, it helps to transmit the value of sustainability so valued by consumers today. For example, rooms can be equipped with smart thermostats or energy management systems that avoid waste or install lighting systems that adapt to the lighting needs of each moment of the day or space.
- Improved experience and reduced maintenance: With remote control lighting systems, personalized channels or leak detection systems, not only is the comfort of the guests improved, but you can also implement preventive maintenance systems that avoid incidents and bad experiences. You will also avoid future breakdowns and dedicate more resources to repairs.
- Greater operational efficiency: that smart hotels offer more accessible information to guests than traditional ones. Some of the devices can even connect to the Internet to provide personalized responses to specific requests. This prevents the staff from dealing with recurring queries and can focus on issues of greater added value.
- Cost reduction: As a consequence of all of the above, technological investment in a smart hotel It pays for itself quickly with the savings in energy, operating, maintenance and personnel costs that it entails. Thus, the profitability of the business increases.
Guests
Guests are the other big beneficiaries of more and more hotels choosing to become smart. The most outstanding advantages are the following:
- Greater comfort and a superior experience: the technology of a smart hotel increases guest comfort, especially by streamlining processes that could lead to unnecessary waiting and remote control of devices. This last point allows a high degree of personalization of the experience in the establishment, which is always highly valued.
- Eco-friendliness: Among the main criteria in the search for accommodation, sustainability plays an essential role, especially among younger guests. Hence, staying in establishments that respect the environment is a determining factor in your satisfaction with your stay.
What technologies are being implemented? smart hotels?
La digitization of the hotel sector advances at a forced pace and the technologies used in this typology of hotels they are most varied. To make it easy for you, we have listed below the most used and that cannot be missing in your establishment.
voice assistance
The rise of voice assistants is undeniable and the hotel sector is no stranger to this trend. Equip your facilities with voice recognition systems that allow guests change settings for devices in your room, order room service or make an inquiry fast. Safe bet!
Free Ebook!
facial recognition
Whether you are looking simplify the registration process in the hotel as if you want to focus on improve safety and comfort of your guests, facial recognition systems are a great ally. With a quick comparison between a guest's credentials and their face, these systems can verify identity at check-in, open the front door automatically, or even take an elevator to your floor without you having to press a button.
IoT
Connect your devices to connect with your guests. The Internet of Things is the enabler that allows you to connect all small devices through the Internet, creating a digital and interconnected atmosphere. The IoT encompasses everything from motion sensors to smart TVs through smart lighting switches.
contactless keys
Digital keys are here to stay. And is not for less. Their many advantages make them the ideal solution for speed up the arrival and the exit, avoid contact physical and its negative effects, guarantee the security, prevent losses and thefts and optimize the work of the staff, among others.
Thermal motion sensors
Spending energy acclimatizing empty rooms has been the trend of the hotel sector for years. By installing thermal motion sensors you can program air conditioning systems to turn on when the room is occupied and automatically turn off when empty. The energy, economic and sustainability savings will be very notable.
Apps
Communication with the client is essential to guarantee a quality stay. A good way to promote fluid, two-way, real-time communication is to have an app for such purposes that ends with the crossing of mail, visits to reception or calls with cost that disturb guests.
Smart room: one step further to make your customers fall in love and retain them
Una smart room is a room with devices capable of communicating and interacting with each other. In the same way that more and more houses are implementing home automation systems to facilitate the daily life of their occupants, it is not surprising that smart rooms are also increasingly in demand in the hotel sector.
Its main advantage for guests is the improvement of their experience, by considerably increasing their comfort during the stay. For his part, the hotelier also benefits from seeing how reduce your operating costs and how it can be an attractive differentiator from the competition.
And what are the technological implementations that turn a traditional hotel room into a smart room? Take note!
Personalized entertainment options
The first way to go from a traditional room to a smart room is to offer personalized entertainment. This basically consists of allow guests to access their own service accounts streaming, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Spotify. This way they will feel at home.
There are two main solutions that will allow the user to enjoy their favorite content on demand while guaranteeing their security: IPTV y Chromecast Wi-Fi for hotels.
Interactive hotel maps
One way to provide intelligence to a hotel room is by implementing an interactive wall map that, through the Internet, provides useful information in real time, such as the opening hours of restaurants, the prices of the main tourist attractions of the destination or their reviews.
It may interest you: Digital signage for hotels: uses and benefits
Internet as a guest-hotel communication channel
A smart room offers resources to the guest so that he can request information, carry out procedures or contract services using the Internet as a vehicular channel, thus avoiding direct or telephone consultations addressed to staff, such as an app for clients or IPTV for contracting services or consulting invoices.
Solutions oriented to preventive maintenance
At this point it is especially intended avoid bad experiences due to interruption of services. The IoT allows staff to know the status of the facilities at all times and anticipate breakdowns.
What do you need to start designing your smart hotel?
Basically, there are 3 main requirements to start the process of transforming your hotel into smart hotel:
- Have a network infrastructure optimum that supports the necessary technological implementations.
- Having an Wi-Fi solution high capacity that adapts to the needs of your hotel, both at the level of users and devices connected simultaneously.
- Design a cybersecurity plan that guarantees the protection of the data of the establishment and of its guests obtained through the different devices connected to the network.
There is no doubt that turning your hotel into a smart hotel it has ceased to be a luxury and has become a necessity to remain competitive in the market. Luckily, taking the first step is easier than it seems if you get the right support.
En Cerium As hotel technology integrators, we can help you digitize your business and introduce new technologies that strengthen the competitiveness of your hotel, improving the experience of your customers, building loyalty and attracting new visitors.
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