8 Hospitality Tech Trends to Watch in 2015

Jacqui Monahan
2 min read

Newton’s first law of motion: an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

That’s the best way to describe the current state of hospitality. The industry is constantly changing and adapting to traveler’s needs. Every new technology that comes about acts as an unbalanced force to change the direction or increase the speed of change. Technological advances currently act as the most prominent forces changing hospitality today and we’ve identified what we think are the top 8 tech trends:

  1. Online booking systems: Customers value the ability to book when it is convenient for them. It is crucial that these are well-designed, mobile-friendly, and simple to be the most effective.
  2. Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS): You can operate more efficiently and provide better customer service by integrating this with your CRM, inventory management, and other tools. Staff can access this information from a tablet, allowing them to be flexible in where and when they process orders, bookings, and payment.
  3. Internet Management: Utilize a Wi-Fi management system to evenly allocate your limited bandwidth across all guests and all times, ensuring a pleasant connection.
  4. CRM (Customer Relationship Management): This makes it easier to build ongoing relationships with customers and offer them a more personalized experience.
  5. Marketing Automation: Reach out to your customers in a more meaningful way by personalizing and targeting the message to them at the most appropriate time.
  6. Social Media: Social media enables you to open up communication between you and your guests before, during, and after their stay. Targeting your audience based on platform and utilizing attractive images provide the best results for engagement.
  7. Smartphones: Creating an app for your hotel that is friendly across devices gives your guest all the information they seek, and opens the door for you to present extras like room service.
  8. Smart Appliances: Completely connect the guestroom to be controlled by a in-room tablet or a hotel app. Lighting, temperature, blinds, alarms, TV, and radio could all be connected to give the guest the ideal environment.

With these advances comes a higher level of customer service with less direct interaction. This “high-tech, high-touch” approach leaves guests happier and gives hoteliers more time to prepare for the next unbalanced force. Want to know more about the technologies that are transforming the hospitality industry? Check out the full story in Hospitality Magazine.

Is the rapid pace of technological innovation helping or hurting the customer experience in hotels?