Technical solutions have become critical to attract guests. But what are the right solutions that will satisfy the guests and work in the long term? Here are the important things to consider when you’re creating a guest experience platform.
Building a guest experience platform that lasts
There’s always talk about what’s next in hotel service and guest experience. The driving force now is the digitalisation of the guest experience. With new technology comes new expectations, and to keep pace with guest demands, old-fashioned hospitality needs to go hand in hand with technical innovations. Hi-tech solutions in hotels have gone from bringing surprise and delight to becoming something that will be expected, and is now critical to attracting and retaining hotel guests. It has become clear that anyone active in the hospitality industry needs to build a platform that connects guests to the hotel in a new seamless digital experience – from WiFi to Apps, TV-experience to voice-control and beyond.
The question is, what kind of platform is the right one? Which technical solutions are the ones that will last? And how do you find a provider that understands this challenge and can help reach your long-term goals?
The connected guest
To answer those questions, we first need to look at what hotel guests expect from their stay these days. Travellers today are constantly connected, and are used to having their work, shopping, entertainment and services at their fingertips in their personal devices. Now, they expect the same from the hospitality industry. Here are some of those expectations:
Personalisation
With the intelligent use of data, the guest experience should feel relevant, unique, and tailored to personal preferences. Offers should feel like an attentive and exclusive service rather than an attempt to sell.
More options
Guests want a wide variety of ways they can interact with the hotel – web-based self-service, chat, phone calls etc. And they expect each to be seamless, always available, and deliver a personalised experience.
Contact
With personalised content guests no longer see offers and post-purchase contact as a nuisance. As long as they get the right information at the right time, and through the right channel, they want to create a longer relationship where their needs are cared for. They also don’t mind surveys or requests for feedback if it will make their experience better.
Mobile solutions
The smartphone is the centre for almost all services today, and guests now expect mobile solutions for everything from check-in and keys to offers, ordering room service, bookings (massage, dinner, golf etc.) and external information like local events and flight departures. Guests also want to be able to stream their own content from their device to the screens in the room, without cables, downloads or fuzz.
Technical solutions for the long term
To meet these escalating guest expectations hotels are now investing more in technology, like mobile solutions, guest room-tech, bandwidth etc. But technology quickly becomes the casualty of innovation and changes in consumer behaviour. When choosing a platform, decision makers need to figure out which technologies will reshape the landscape of business. It may sound like a daunting task, but there are some factors to pay attention to:
- The user experience. Don’t look at the performance of the tech, rather focus on what it provides for the guest – i.e. the value it brings. Whether it’s a pleasant user experience or not will make or break any new innovation. Successful examples are for example instant wireless connectivity without cumbersome passwords, the connected in-room experience and non-intrusive offers at the right time and place – all which are helped by the guest simply being able to walk into a hotel room or lobby, and immediately be synced with the hotel’s features and services, through their own phones.
- Does it fix an existing need in a better way and with fewer resources? An example is the virtual concierge, which can provide guests with the service they need – make dinner reservations, request another pillow, ask about gluten free breakfast etc. – with the tap of their finger. It delivers a faster service and a more personalised stay without exhausting staff resources or causing delays.
- Is someone already using this, and is it successful? Do the research, look for references and examples – it will lower the risk.
- Agility and scalability. Does the solution meet the requirements and usage volume? What happens in the future if you need more functions? Cloud solutions are generally flexible and lightweight, because they require none or minimal installation (less need for a local server-room and its maintenance), instead the provider is taking care of upgrades, security and support, and these solutions will follow the needs of the hotel in an agile way.
- What happens after the investment? Will there be any issues? Is the solution in line with the long term goal for the hotel? Look beyond the hardware and try to find a complete experience provider that understands not only the guest journey but also the long term needs and strategy of the hotel – someone that delivers solutions instead of gadgets – and is willing and able to support and continue to enhance that experience.
With these things in mind it will become easier to find a platform that will meet the expectations of the guests, stay relevant, increase revenue, and deliver a seamless digital guest experience – now and in the future.
If you are interested in “How to create a guest experience platform for the long term” download our whitepaper, where we take a deep dive into the subject.
About the author
Martin has a background as an entrepreneur and brand & concept inventor. Martin started his career as Management Trainee for the Kinnevik group of companies, as Marketing Manager for a mobile phone network in Vietnam. Martin has a Masters in Business & Administration from Stockholm University and Harvard University.