An overview of technology for hospitality.
Shared economy sites, after working their way into the travel sector over the last few years, have recently seen some bumpy roads. I don’t want to get into the gory details, but it seems that all of the problems you think could happen when strangers borrow homes actually do happen. Nevertheless, some adventure-seekers and budget conscious travelers are looking for new ways to explore the world. So why are people still throwing caution to the wind? Bargain: Hotels are locked into overhead costs that homeowners simply don’t have. This keeps room rates higher than it typically costs to borrow a house from someone, especially if a few people are traveling together. Your upper-hand: The budget seekers probably don’t want to lose their money, but stand a good chance of doing so if their sharing deal gets cancelled – even by the host. You can utilize this advantage by making your refund policies clear. An extra step would be to offer a discount for travelers who lost their previous booking. Then be sure to step up your game and show them what true hospitality is all about. Authentic Local Experiences: Today’s travelers want to immerse themselves in the local environment and …
Over the last few years, text messages have become a mainstay of communication. In fact, recent studies show that people use smartphones more for texting than any other function phones provide. Marketing departments have not overlooked this fact and are using SMS to promote deals, remind users of payments, and otherwise keep their brand at the front of the consumer’s mind. Hotels have the potential to reach guests through SMS from planning to after the stay, providing valuable and useful information that doesn’t intrude on the experience. Following are suggested uses for SMS over the entire guest journey: Planning: Connecting with guests via SMS can begin as soon as a phone number has been entered. This is a great time to push seasonal or package deals, provide information about local merchants, or alert guests to area events taking place during the time of their visit. Booking: During the booking phase, many guests will have special requests or traveling needs that aren’t specified in fill-in-the-blank forms. SMS can be an opportunity to stand out and create positive memories before the guests arrives by providing a way for guests to make these things known, as well as to know that someone has …
Have you ever filled out a comment card or done an online survey and wondered if anyone would ever look at it? Does the data you offer to companies in hopes of improvements even matter? Is anyone listening? Hotels perhaps have the greatest available insight into customer data, because they own (and receive feedback on) everything from breakfast time to bedtime. Last week, we talked about actionable data hoteliers can capture through branded mobile apps. But how valuable is it? Five ways to improve operations based on mobile data: What is grabbing your guests’ attention in your app, and what are they ignoring? Better yet, which aspects of your app are bringing in the most revenue? An understanding of guest behavior in the app gives you the power to promote various aspects of your property as needed, and tweak the things guests aren’t using. Are guests using your app more on property or off? You can use this kind of information to tailor messages to the guest. If more guests are using your app off site for area recommendations, try pushing your in-house dining. Alternately, this would be a good time to push any special discounts you may have with …
Two of the biggest hurdles to overcome with hotel apps are adoption and retention. In January, Angie shared ideas for getting guests to download and use your branded app. This month, we hear from Ken Marold on maximizing the power of your hotel app. Hotel smartphone apps have a unique burden in that they own a lot of power over the guest experience and subsequent loyalty. They have to intelligently address every aspect of each guest through their entire journey. Right now, you may have the OTAs or a booking app, but there’s a much bigger picture. If your app has reached its full potential, your guests will not need to leave it for their travel needs. On the business side, approaching an app as an end-to-end experience opens up incremental revenue opportunities along the entire guest journey. Just think for a second, what services could you promote through mobile if you could combine it with a personalized guest profile? For instance: Signature moments: Can you think of new signature moments that would be exclusive to your mobile app, something that you could use as a differentiator? Local expertise: Individual insight means custom tailored experiences unique to each person. The …
Don’t use it – If you and your staff are not using your app, you are putting it at a serious disadvantage. The best way to increase guest adoption is to create a buzz, and that starts with you and your staff. Make it inaccessible – Your app should be available for use by as many guests as possible. Make it available for multiple devices. Or, as is our current focus, multi-lingual capabilities to break down any language barrier between guests and staff. Make it useless off-site – Guests are more likely to download and keep your app if you provide value beyond the stay. Your concierge recommendations, directions, and even other travel information are all functions that can be useful to guests even when they are not on your property. One-sided conversation – Provide a channel for guests to speak with your staff, instead of just using your app as a fancy marketing message. Sure, it’s useful to view spa or restaurant hours, but what if they can make reservations while they’re looking? Limit functionality – Along the same lines, try to think of your app as an extension of your hotel as a whole, rather than an …