An overview of technology for hospitality.
In January of last year, Nielson found that smartphone penetration had reached 80% by users ages 18-34, and the lowest penetration was still nearly half (47%) for the over 65 crowd. Comscore data reveals similar numbers for the UK, with over 51% share of mobile users across all markets. And it’s only growing. Gartner estimates that 1.1 billion smartphones will ship worldwide in 2015. The percentage of smartphones for newly acquired devices has gone from 20% in 2009 to 60% in 2011. So what do all of these numbers mean for hotels? The call to “go mobile” has been heard loud and clear. Hotel websites are being optimized, mobile booking engines are rolling out, and guest usage is growing by the second. Comscore released a report on the 18th showing that 51% of the smartphone audience has used smartphones to view travel information. Of those, 23% looked up attractions near their hotel, and 22% researched restaurants. Pairing this data with personalized search technology, hotel operators are pushing to keep the pace with the expectations of today’s travelers. How can hotels answer these needs while still keeping up with face-to-face service demands? Our own research has shown us that 73% of …
It is rare to find someone in the hospitality industry who does not have a passion for it. Similar to F&B, medical, and other forms of service employment, hospitality is fast-paced, ever-changing, and high-demand. Those who have hit their stride are able to think ahead and juggle numerous tasks at once, all while keeping a smile on their face and remaining calm under pressure. If it sounds grueling, that’s because it is. Yet, anyone who has done time in hospitality knows of its siren call. Owners and operators speak of their property in reverent tones; there is a sense of relationship, as if the union between man and hotel is something sacred. Consider the intrigue of working the front desk, especially as night auditor. Hotels are a constant source of drama and mystery. Why else would they be the scene of so many thrilling tales by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King? Certainly the monotony of nightly check-ins is broken by the small insights into the lives of late-night travelers. The high demands put on hospitality workers makes for a strong desire to run a tight ship. Even those at the lowest on the chain of command expect …
i2E is a private, not-for-profit corporation with a focus on high-growth companies in Oklahoma. They visited our offices early this month and spoke with CMO Ken Marold about what to expect from Monscierge in the coming year. Check out the video below for Ken’s take on guest experience, hospitality technology, and the emerging markets for touchscreen software.
Imagine that you come across an industry report detailing what to expect in your field over the next decade – a glimpse of the future. Curiosity piqued, you read through and realize that they are describing your company word for word. Do you know what this means? You work for the future! That is how we felt when we read the “From Chaos to Collaboration” report from Amadeus (which can be read and downloaded by following the link), under the heading “Intelligent Recommendation.” (p.28) “As technologies make it easier to tag and recommend all aspects of the travel experience, travelers will increasingly be influenced by their peers. However, internet search engines and expert advice will be equally important. The combination of the three will make the exploration of niche tastes or interests while traveling more accessible to a wider group of people.” (excerpt, “From Chaos to Collaboration” p. 28) This is what our Recommendation Network™ is all about. We have spent the last 3 years researching the hospitality industry to understand how it is that hotel guests want to be interacted with in today’s digital age. It became apparent very quickly that what travelers are looking for are trusted sources …
Vice President of Customer Development, Amy Morgan How long have you worked for the company?I started with Monscierge in November, 2010. What is your job position and what are your responsibilities? I’m Vice President of Customer Development. It’s my responsibility to maintain all of our current customer accounts, and lead the various aspects of supporting the software and our units. That’s the technical description of my job; but really it’s my mission in life, and in my job, to keep our customers happy, get to know them by name, get a feel for their property and their individual needs, and try to meet those on a daily basis. I want them to LOVE their Monscierge unit, and our company, and be happy about inviting us into their lobbies to help keep their guests happy. Please tell me about your most rewarding or satisfying experience, your proudest moment, since you joined the company. This is a tough question. I’ve been proud at a lot of milestones and moments – this is a great company, making huge progress and always learning as we go, so I’m proud to watch that growth every day. I’d say for me, though, my most rewarding …