4 Must-Have Technologies in the Hospitality Sector

With technology taking a major change for the better in all parts of life, the hospitality sector is no exception. There are a few technologies that outshine all the rest, and here are the top four must-have technologies that will change the game forever.

Chatbots and Mobile Apps

Chatbots are an important part, and mobile apps also are good, since they’re often used for interaction and engagement.  These already start to take the center stage, with over 56% of millennials using this, and many prefer a loyalty app over a card as well.

Mobile cards have evolved as well, and many of these apps are changing the way people control everything. For hotels, for example, there are actually apps that allow guest to control lighting, order movies, and there are even augmented reality apps for finding employees or even just finding the closest icemaker.  You can start to integrate this into your hospitality-based service, and if you have wifi already, it’s a natural addition.

Chatbots are using predictive analytics, along with AI in order to give a personalized level of customer service, including recommendations based on your stay, allowing guests to find locations within the property itself, and also service order s on behalf of the customer. Starwood and Hyatt have started to use this, and for those who have queries, they’re getting their questions answered faster. Guest can even get services and information from this, and also listen to music that’s curated by the front desk team. Chatbots have evolved a lot, and they’re ready to help.

POS Systems

now, POS systems have made everything easier.  With this, people can use them to scan their loyalty apps, allowing for more rewards, and if they need to pay, it makes it so much easier than trying to fumble at a register.  POS system software has also evolved so that hotels can use this to track what guest are needing, and also to look at your own personal inventory.  They allow for hotels to be right on the ball for anything that is needed, and the staff will be able to help with this.  It also will make transactions so much faster for any hospitality service, and upgrading to this is something that, you as a business should consider.

This isn’t just good for hotels, but really any service that offers hospitality needs these.  they’re a great way to help with integrating technology, and that combined with a central reservation system and a property management system will allow you to be on top.

Cloud-Based Software Systems

Cloud-based services are good because you don’t have to worry about logging in from one hard drive, and if you need to log in from a remote location, this allows for you to do it.  This is a great one that hospitality sectors can majorly benefit from, especially the back office.  Many of these offer a software-as-a-Service subscription deal that eliminates a huge upfront expense that typical software licenses have, so you can pay monthly turning software applications, whether it be CAPAX, or OPEX, and this also allows you to use the current version of what you have, regardless of the application, and it allows for the software vendor to work on updates and maintenance.  The cloud-based software allows you to log in from remote locations, so if you’re not on the property, you still can keep a close eye on the business at any point in time.

For hospitality services, you don’t want to be on the property all the time, and having a way to log in and see how everything is going, and any problems, allow for you to take the matters into your own hands from a remote location.

Service Automaton

Now, this can be anything from self-service kiosks to other automation services, and it helps to simplify the check-in activity that happens, which guests will love.  Self-service kiosks can also be used as a concierge, so if guests want to order room service, find attractions, or book spa appointments, they can do just that with this.

This can also be used in a deeper manner, such as using apps and facial recognition in order to unlock guest rooms or giving guests the services that they want to be based on preferences, including extra towels.

This is a great one since it allows for customer facing and customer centric activities to become more automated, allowing for staff to bring a better experience, or allow for locations to work at the highest efficiency even with a reduced number of people.

AI is a major part of our lives, and for service automation, this is no exception, and it acts as a concierge service to help guests learn their preference,s including the ideal room temperature, or even their favorite cocktail.  They can use machine learning to remember this and keep it so that it’s automatically set like this, and if the person visits the bar, their favorite drink is made.

This is actually a big change, since it’s estimated by the 2030s, that over 38% of jobs will be automated, and at the same time, guests can have interactions with employees, along with a hospitality experience for people that they will enjoy.  They don’t have to worry about waiting for employees to come around if they need a towel, nor do they have to wait in long lines, they can just order and go.

With the advent of technology, it’s important to consider these changes for your hospitality business, and consider adding all of these in so that you can provide the best service that you can for the people that frequent the business that you have going on.