Smart hotels: 6 reasons why keeping up with hotel technology trends is good for business
Not so long ago, having a “smart hotel” meant your décor was on point, your grounds well kept and your reception staff neatly turned out. Now of course, it’s not just aesthetics we’re discussing when we talk about smart hotels – it’s about integrating your hotel with the latest technology to create a better guest experience and streamline your hotel management system for better efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
But what are the main benefits of smart hotels? And do their benefits justify the initial investment required to upgrade?
What is a smart hotel?
Smart hotels use the latest technology to connect and control devices and appliances. This connection is based on what is known as the Internet of Things (IoT), in which conventional gadgets are fitted with internet connections. This allows them to send and receive data to communicate with a central control point, which could be, for example, a remote control, a smart speaker, or a smart phone.
In addition to this, devices are also able to get information from the internet, enabling them to “learn” and respond intelligently to user requests.
It’s the same technology that allows us to link up, say, an Amazon Echo or Apple Home Pod speaker with our home lighting and heating systems, so when you say “Alexa, turn off the lights” or “Siri, turn the hot water on”, that is exactly what happens.
What are the benefits of smart hotels?
There are many benefits of converting your hotel into a smart one, but we think these six top the list from a business point of view:
- Better guest experience: Smart hotel technology enables guests to have full control over their stay – from checking in quickly and conveniently, to ordering room service remotely, to turning the thermostat in their room up or down to their exact preference. Guests love having that autonomous control and, as we all know, happy guests make for happy hotels.
- Better for the environment: Smart technology can enable us to optimise energy consumption. For example, room sensors can detect whether anyone is in a room, and will automatically turn the lights, heating and air conditioning off in empty rooms. That’s a win-win for the planet!
- Cost savings: Smart technology not only saves money through energy efficiencies, there can also be savings in staffing costs. The tasks that guests are able to take control of – such as checking themselves in and out, booking restaurant tables, ordering room service, settling their bills – all go towards saving man hours for the hotel. This not only adds up to a cost saving for the hotel, but is also invaluable in combatting the ongoing staff shortages we’ve seen across the industry in recent years.
- Enhanced security: Some smart hotels employ enhanced security systems such as facial recognition or fingerprint sensing technology. These systems can help boost security for both guests and hoteliers, as only registered guests (and staff) are able to access their own rooms, and only hotel staff are able to access staff areas.
- Fully streamlined systems: Smart hotels are able to fully integrate the smart technology guests use with their property management systems. As well as giving hotel revenue managers reliable and valuable data to work from, they can also feed up-to-date information to distribution partners automatically.
- Direct line of communication with customers: Smart hotel systems that are controlled with guests’ own smart phones give hotels unique opportunities for two-way communication with their customers. This has the potential to provide incredibly effective upselling and reselling opportunities, as well as giving guests the chance to offer feedback on their experience.
If you’re considering upgrading your property to a smart hotel and would like advice on integrating a new system with your PMS and revenue management strategy, we can help. Get in touch for a chat about our revenue management consultancy and how we can help with hotel system implementations and upgrades.
