The hospitality industry searches for ways daily to enhance their guests overall mobile experience.
Hotel guests have long been able to start their journey via an online hoteliers’ website, OTA, blog, social arena, etc. From this point a guest books via their desktop, tablet, or smartphone through the web. Over the last several years we’ve seen properties creating brand mobile apps that allow guests to book stays directly on their smartphones. Ultimately, empowering the guest to track their reservations, loyalty points, place food orders, and even submit special requests during their stay. Never needing to dial the hotel directly. Do we ever make calls anymore to hotels? LOL
Hoteliers are even texting their guests to elevate and fulfill guest service requests in an expedited fashion. Does this sound like all the traveler in 2016 will be demanding regarding their mobile hospitality experience?
The answer is no way!
Hotel mobile apps are one small piece of the guest overall mobility demands. The traveler today expects to check-in, how and when they want. This doesn’t mean arriving on-site to then wait in-queue. They want to be greeted by hotel staff upon arrival and walked to to their rooms bypassing the front desk completely. Whether this is through a mobile property management system, mobile key on the guests own device, or a self-serve kiosk.
Hotel Mobile apps are certainly leading the hospitality industry with Guest-facing mobility. Does is stop there? Why shouldn’t properties utilize the same hospitality technology trends? It should come as no surprise that we’re slowly seeing all department adopt mobility too. Mobility is quickly spreading to all departments. Front Office Managers, Wait Staff, and even housekeepers are finding that mobile hotel software systems are increasing their efficiency too.
I don’t foresee hoteliers’ desire to stay ahead of their guest mobility needs ending anytime soon. Nor will the guests demand lessen for more mobility regardless of how forward-thinking the hoteliers deems themselves. However, some of these mobility trials will forever change hotel standards and guests minimum experience expectations.
What is going to weather the storm you ask? No one may know today, but one thing is a given, that no two brands or travelers are identical. One thing is for certain, the industry will need simplified, yet robust, hotel software systems that have open integration streamlining their operations with existing partners while increasing revenue. All without creating a maintenance or operational nightmare.
By: Michael Dunn, StayNTouch
