An overview of technology for hospitality.
The busiest time of the year is upon us and your hotel’s app should help to keep things running smoothly. One common question are asked is how to get guests to download and use an app. The most successful method by far is to send an SMS message containing app information to guests on the day of arrival. Our research has shown that 83% of guests will download a hotel’s app if it is relevant to their stay. An interesting percentage as it happens to be the same as the decrease in check in time for a hotel using mobile check in. To be sure your guests know about your app before their stay, include the link on your social pages, hotel newsletters, and website. You can also use the shortcode in social media images, or attach it to a booking discount via text. Include app information on confirmation emails and other communications with guests before arrival. Consider sending a text with a local concierge recommendation and let them know they will have 24 hour access to full recommendations if they download your app. When guests arrive, have your staff mention the app in person as a quick way to …
The use of mobile apps by hotel brands and properties continues to grow, the most common uses being booking, hotel information, and guest-to-staff communication. However, the back of house can benefit from as well, and many hotels are beginning to implement their use to increase efficiency and guest satisfaction. Guest to staff communication via SMS messaging enhances guest experience by allowing guests to easily make requests for room service, housekeeping, or maintenance and then track the estimated wait time for the request to be fulfilled. It also provides an opening for guests to make preferences known before or during their stay. The back of house management can assign and track tasks and be notified if they take too long and when they are complete. Departments have quick means of communication with each other and management can track guest satisfaction, housekeeping progress, maintenance tasks, and requests in real time. The age of BYOD has put the proper technology in the hands of almost every staff member at no cost to their employer. A staff app brings the latest in tracking and communication technology directly to an employee’s own device, and can integrate seamlessly with guest-facing apps. Please look for our report …
Although bandwidth demands are already difficult to keep up with, hotels should be prepared to go above and beyond the current usage very soon. Streaming television is quickly overtaking traditional viewing means, and travel is its next target. More and more people have ditched cable or satellite in favor of streaming, and their number is expected to grow over the coming years. The major differences in streaming and traditional television viewing are the same things that will cause it to be an essential part of the guest experience in the near future. The three major streaming services are Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. Netflix recently hit 65 million subscribers, up 30% from the previous year, and is expected to continue growth at an even faster rate. Last year, Nielson found that 2.6 million households are “broadband only” – not a huge number, but it is more than double the amount from the year before. Subscribing to all three of the top services costs approximately $32 per month. Compare that to the average cable cost in the U.S. for 2015 of $123 per month and the first reason for the switch is immediately clear. Other reasons include shorter or non-existent ads, personalized …
This is the second post in the last few weeks about family vacation, but it was the one I most wanted to write due to the pivotal nature of the welcome moment. My family drove for about eight hours to reach our destination this year, and if you’ve ever spent that long in a car (with multiple youngsters, no less), you know that the check-in desk was a welcome sight for us. Our check-in was efficient and friendly, but marred by a fairly long line and a full ten minutes of upselling which was something I have never seen before, thus prompting these five quick tips for a great welcome. Be rid of the line – by whatever means necessary. If lines seem unavoidable, there’s an app for that. Smile and listen. A welcoming demeanor is the best show of hospitality. Let guests know ahead of time what you will expect them to have at check-in, and be sure that the files are already loaded with as much of their information as possible to increase efficiency. Do not use this time to sell things. I don’t think this is a common practice, but it bears emphasizing that a weary guest …
Today’s post is written by our Marketing Coordinator, Angie Ford. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her posts on Instagram. It’s been almost 5 years since Instagram was first released, but it seems in the last year or two that hotels have discovered the power of a (free!) photocentric social media platform. While I share photos of our devices and our lovely Bricktown office in Oklahoma City, I get to see hotels on beaches, luxury spas, 5-star restaurants, and other photos that make me try to convince the boss I need to visit those places for “business”. This made me realize how powerful Instagram is for hospitality. I took to Instagram to find examples of hotels doing it right. JW Mariott Cancun I learned something- guests can check out a GoPro 4 for free. Guests are commenting about that on their Instagram takeover photo, which is another great idea. Liz, a travel writer from The Lemon Bowl, took over their Instagram while staying at the JW Marriott. Accor Hotels There are a lot of photo contests on Instagram, and that’s okay. We like contests if it means fun and …