Contactless Guest Experience as the Future of Hospitality
The shift towards a contactless guest
experience is spreading like wildfire. Several hotels around the world now use
technology solutions to automate their check-in, in-room, and checkout
experiences for visitors. COVID-19 has greatly popularized contactless
technology due to the increasing awareness about possible risks that can be
linked to physical contact and touch. That is why hoteliers are investing in
more innovative ways to deliver a hands-free experience to guests.
However, the idea of contactless hotel
experiences isn’t entirely a new one. Over the last few years, many players in
the hospitality industry have implemented smartphone door locks, instant
communication, and other self-service technologies. In 2014, Starwood, one of
the world’s largest hoteliers, introduced two new robotic butlers at Aloft
hotel in Cupertino. These robots use a combination of sensors and WiFi/4G
connectivity to communicate with the hotel software, and navigate to and from
the rooms without any issues or accidents.
Aloft Hotels was the first hotel brand to use
robot butlers back in 2014
Also, in 2016, Hilton and IBM
partnered to develop a robot concierge (two feet tall with arms and legs) that
can help guests find anything on the hotel property. The robot, Connie, was able
to move itself to point in the right direction whenever a guest asked for
directions or guidance. Connie’s eyes also display in different colors to
express understanding, confusion, and other human emotions. By developing
Connie, Hilton was looking to operate more efficiently, surprise their
customers, and remove customer pain points such as waiting in a queue to ask
questions at the reception desk.
What is a contactless guest experience and why
does it matter?
Since international travel reopened, delivering
contactless experiences has become the primary goal of leading players in the
hospitality industry. This involves offering contactless bookings, contactless
payments, contactless check-ins, in-room outpoints between staff and guests in
their customer journey. They also map out areas where contactless technology
could be used to reduce exposure while simultaneously preserving the brand’s
uniqueness at the same time. Moreover, the new generation of travelers wants
the best experience at the best price with less friction and hassles.
As per PwC Hospitality Going Digital
report, millennials prefer planning, booking, and staying at hotels with tech
amenities
With a contact-free experience, you’re
able to book and pay for a suitable room even before you arrive in the lobby.
Upon arrival, all you need to do is find your way up the stairs or elevators to
locate your desired accommodation. With the hotel’s mobile app, you’re able to
unlock the door, regulate temperature, turn on the television set, and do much
more. Most hotels even have Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa installed in the
room to help you run simple tasks and place requests.
The hospitality industry
is undergoing a transformative and collective change: a complete rethink of the
guest experience for a world where human interactions, shared spaces and
high-touch surfaces pose new risks.
Of course, this effort
to streamline the guest experience by reducing contact and eliminating friction
is not new. Covid-19 has simply sharpened our focus on “frictionless” guest
experiences and accelerated adoption of contactless technology across all
property types and categories.
The difference today is
that many guests not only expect but demand contactless operations: McKinsey found
that “the United States has seen a 20% increase in preference for
contactless operations,” greatly shifting what consumers expect from
businesses.
To help today’s
hoteliers and hosts meet these contactless expectations, we’ve put together an
expert panel to discuss the issue and have aggregated our learnings below. You
can also view a replay of our Contactless
Guest Experience webinar. As we in the lodging industry pave the road to recovery
together, we’re focused on collaboration and co-creation to build the
experience that makes guests comfortable – and even excited – to return to
travel and hospitality.
Self-Service Hotels: The
New “Contactless” Guest Experience
From the moment a guest
arrives at your property all the way through to departure, each touchpoint
(both literal and figurative) must be revisited with an eye on balancing
sanitation and safety with service and hospitality.
Each hotel should do a
complete audit of their guest’s journey that includes physically going through
the motions of a typical guest experience to see things from their point of
view. The goal is to note each touchpoint and identify opportunities for
reducing contact by implementing new procedures and identifying opportunities
for self-service technologies.
After the audit, you may
realize that you don’t have the underlying technology to enable a truly
contactless experience. To craft a guest experience that meets both guest
expectations and your property’s requirements, you need to consider your
underlying technologies too.
Jordan Hollander, CEO
at Hotel Tech Report, points out, “It really
comes down to: do you have that core operating infrastructure that enables your
team, who’s kind of strained and short staffed right now, to do all of these
new processes and adapt them and learn them in real-time?”
Hollander shared that
the number one search term on Hotel Tech Report during the COVID-19 crisis is
“property management systems” as hoteliers realize that the fundamental
infrastructure of their hotel, their PMS, needs to be able to easily and
quickly integrate with tools like contactless technologies, otherwise their
business is at a disadvantage. Properties who have the means to make these
upgrades during this time of low occupancy are taking advantage to do
so.
Raj Singh, CEO of Go Moment, an AI guest
communication solution, mirrors Hollander’s point,
The communication layer
is the most important part. And that’s enabled by the PMS [which] is the rate
limiter of how quickly you can adopt new technologies
During the webinar,
Cloudbeds polled attendees to gauge where the adoption of contactless check-in
initiatives sit today, and 41% of respondents revealed that guests still have
to talk to them directly, compared to 26% who are fully online. Of those
polled, 28% give guests the ability to pre-register but still require them to pick
up a key. Only 5% of respondents have online check-in with a lobby kiosk.
Moving forward, there
are three key focus areas hoteliers and hosts can consider
when looking to shift towards self-service oriented hotel operations:
- Self-check-in. In recent
years, guests have come to expect express check-in and remove the
requirement to stand in line upon arrival. Hotels responded by deploying
kiosks as additions to (or replacements of) a traditional front desk.
These kiosks can be expensive to install and maintain and may be
impractical for many properties to adopt. Another approach is to offer
self-check-in by allowing guests to pre-register and simply pick up a
key upon arrival. The final, most contactless option is for properties
to invest in technology that enables guests to skip the front desk
entirely and use their mobile phone as a key.
Lynx is one example of
a modern keyless entry solution that properties can use to implement self-check-in.
When integrated directly into your cloud-based property
management system, Lynx supports pre-check-in and self-service check-in, as well
as guest access to individual room locks via a white-label app.
- Guest
communications. Another area full of opportunity for
self-service technology is guest communications. Even with social
distancing practices in place, you’ll want to keep an open line of
communication with your guests to make sure all their needs are being
met. A guest communications platform, like Whistle, allows you to engage with guests and
your team in real-time, even when you’re not sharing the same physical
space. As an added benefit, Whistle uses SMS and mobile messaging to
reach guests directly on their phone, the device they use the
most.
An additional advantage
of using a guest communications platform is the ability to send automated
messages. For instance, you can use Whistle’s automation functionality to share
your hotel’s up-to-date “no-touch” check-in procedure with guests 24 hours
before arrival. Send guests automated messages throughout their stay to
maintain communication and guest satisfaction even at a distance.
- Staff
training and communications. Self-service technology also
extends to employees. For the foreseeable future, hotels will be
expected to maintain service levels with, most likely, fewer employees.
Hotel staff will have to be cross-trained and remain flexible to be able
to fulfill multiple roles. To do this successfully, you’ll need to
safely and effectively manage tasks and communicate across
departments.
A staff communications
and hotel operations management platform, like Flexkeeping, will easily let you exchange
information with your teams, resolve maintenance issues, organize housekeeping,
provide guests services, and stay informed about everything that’s happening at
your property. By integrating Flexkeeping with your PMS, you’ll have a central
place to keep your staff organized and up-to-date, even if they aren’t all in
the same room. With better communication and stronger workflows between
departments, your reduced staff can stay in sync and on top of
everything.
Using an integrated approach to connect your
tools and technologies together can help you keep flexible and provide the
self-service, contactless guest experience that your guests expect and
desire.
What is the Return on
Investment on Self-Service Tech?
Before discussing that topic let discuss what is ROI
and what impact occurs in hotel industry lets us discuss that 1st in
short note:-
Return on investment (ROI): As a thumb rule, most hotels in India have an
ROI of around 10-12% per annum. This is either at the cost of capital or lower.
The payback period can be 10 years or longer. However, this need not be the
case if a hotel is built smart. Hotels can potentially have a payback of even
4-5 years, if the product is built to suit the market and is managed well. Low
ROI is usually observed when developers spend too much on the cost per key
initially.
Here we towards the main topic
The concept of a
contactless hotel experience isn’t a new one. The industry has been moving
towards a self-service approach in the last few years, with hotel brands and
independent hosts utilizing smartphone locks and mobile communication. Even so,
calculating your return on investment (ROI) is important – especially when
running a property during a pandemic when occupancy is low.
From a hotelier’s
perspective, there are a lot of upfront expenses to becoming more contactless.
Philip Bates, CEO of Bode, believes in investing
in the contactless experience. Even so, Bates cautions, technology must serve a
clear purpose. “Tech for tech’s sake” didn’t work before the pandemic and it
still won’t work today. To maintain focus on ROI, he looks at three things when
evaluating tech investments:
If we are going to
invest in technology, it either needs to increase revenue, reduce cost, or
enhance the guest experience. And if it’s not doing one of those three things,
we’re not going to invest in it.
Bates had already
noticed the industry’s shift towards contactless, so from the very start, his
team implemented an SMS concierge program and a keyless entry system at Bode
properties.
Singh believes
that: “The highest ROI you can get is communicating with guests really
early, really often, and managing expectations within this new, changed
journey.”
Active communication
fosters a feeling of safety and security, which translates into trust and
loyalty. In uncertain times, travelers are more likely to return and stay at
properties they trust to do the right thing and keep them safe.
At the same time, as
John Hardy, President & CEO at the John Hardy Group, a hospitality
investment group, points out, “[Hotels] are trying to figure out hygiene: How
do you make the guests comfortable? How do you manage valet parking? How do you
manage the F&B? They don’t have the money right now for anything other than
the bare minimum.”
Still, he acknowledges
that even though the hotel industry, particularly large hotel chains, has been
slow to adopt innovative solutions, he believes COVID-19 will accelerate the
implementation of contactless technologies, “They’re gonna have to do it, it’s
just a matter of time.”
Hollander adds a good
reminder for any business looking to evaluate the ROI of their tech
investments,
Technology itself is a
tool, and how you use that technology is what enables you to create a better
guest experience or better ROI.
Whether it’s pristine
hygiene or advanced technologies you’re focused on right now, you can be
certain that guests will be more inclined to visit again or share their
experience with others looking for safe and comfortable properties when “a
customer’s interaction with a company can trigger an immediate and lingering
effect on his or her sense of trust and loyalty.” (McKinsey)
The Self-Service Hotel
of the future
The self-service hotel
has arrived. And not just as a niche product for busy business travelers or as
a perk for the leisure traveler. It has become urgent to safety and key to
running a successful lodging business.
Cloudbeds webinar
attendees were asked whether the contactless experience is a temporary trend or
a permanent feature in hospitality. The vast majority see contactless as a
fixture that will stay, in some shape or form, for the foreseeable future, with
32% of respondents believing that contactless is the new reality and an
additional 28% agreeing that it’s here to stay.
Of course,
“self-service” means different things to different hotel categories and
property types. Not everyone has the budget, space, or service style to
accommodate a completely self-serve experience. Nor does every guest want to
experience a hotel without ever talking to a human. As Hardy has found from his
own experience, “guest behavior isn’t totally clear yet.”
Hollander adds,
When it comes to
actually delivering a better experience, you really need to understand, what
are you going to do with that technology? Is keyless actually the thing that
you need? And is that something that’s going to last for years to come? It
really depends on the property.
As you calibrate
your self-service hotel experience, keep in mind that guests will
have similar desires as before: getting away from it all and escaping the
everyday.
It’s up to you to know
your guest and build a self-service experience that makes them feel safe and
secure without sacrificing the hospitality that they crave during tough times
or adopting high-cost technologies that don’t necessarily enhance the guest
experience.
While guests absolutely
want your property to be clean and safe, they also don’t want to feel like
they’re walking into a hospital. Even with self-service, warm, welcoming, and
inviting spaces will entice more guests to visit and return again.
Benefits of contactless experience for guests:
It once seemed like a dream to be able
to work and travel the world. However, various employee monitoring software,
communication apps, and other collaboration tools have made remote work to
become an attainable reality. Many online freelancers and remote workers who
earn six-figure incomes now travel the world while working from hotels,
beaches, Airbnbs, and anywhere else.
According to a research by MBO
Partners, 4.8 million independent workers see themselves as digital nomads, and
17 million more are aspiring to become nomadic. More knowledge workers prefer
the location-independent lifestyle that allows them to experience a new
culture, new foods, new sights, new friends, and more.
Although the pandemic halted
international travel and public gathering, it didn’t stop hotels from rolling
out suitable packages for remote workers who would rather work from a tranquil
room than a noisy home or neighborhood guest house. In fact, Hotels By Day, a
company that offers day-use hotel rooms to business travelers saw a 900 percent
increase in demand through the lockdown.
Bjorn Hanson, a hotel lodging
consultant, said, “The privacy of an enclosed room is ideal for workers with
pandemic anxiety regarding sharing space.” According to Hanson, day-use guests
are a desirable market that places limited demands on hotel staff and
maintenance. Hanson’s discovery agrees with Criton’s research that shows that
80 percent of travelers would download a hotel app that allows them to get all
information they need, check into their desired room, and also checkout.
This research goes further to show
that
· 73 percent of travelers would use an app that
enables them to open the door of their hotel room.
· 30 percent of travelers would check-in and
checkout via a web page.
· 47 percent of travelers would be more likely
to place an order for room service via an app.
· 48 percent of travelers would be more likely
to use the hotel restaurant if they can place orders for food via an app.
Examples of Tech-Driven Contactless Experience
Technological solutions are disrupting
the hospitality industry by replacing in-person touchpoints with safer and
frictionless self-service options. This includes self-service check-in and
checkout kiosks, mobile (in-app) hotel navigational guides, contactless in-room
entertainment, AI-enabled voice assistants, and even concierge robots.
Digital Concierge Bots for Hotels
Vouch is changing the future of the
hospitality industry with its digital concierge system for hotels. A digital
concierge is engaging because it has instant access to a large database of
information and can respond to searches or queries quickly. Vouch’s bot allows
hotels to receive and respond to questions or requests from guests without the
need for phone calls or queues at the reception desk.
Vouch uses the Progressive Web App
technology, which gives guests access to app-like interface without downloading
an app
By scanning the hotel’s NFC tag or QR
code, guests can access the bot from their mobile devices. Guests can place
requests for spa bookings, food orders, room service orders, and any other sort
of demand. When COVID-19 created the need to monitor the health status of hotel
guests, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore, used its bot to track guests who were
not feeling well without having to run manual door-to-door checks.
Using Voice Technology to Engage Guests in
Leading Hotels
Volara is partnering with Google to
enable hotels to deploy contactless room control solutions and guest
engagement. By speaking from their hotel rooms, guests can request services,
access extra information, entertainment options, and recommendations. Since
Volara runs on the Google Nest Hub, guests are able to use the voice assistant
to operate television sets, watch shows, stream music, make calls, set alarms,
adjust room temperature, and more.
This solution from Google and Volara
also features private, automated, and conversational interactions between
guests and staff. Volara’s easy-to-use voice assistant technology is finally
giving travelers the opportunity to genuinely enjoy their travel experiences
knowing full well that every request can be attended to whenever they speak
from their rooms.
According to the CEO of Volara, David
Berger, with this solution from Google and Volara, hoteliers can reinvent their
guest experience while also reducing costs. Delivering contactless guest
engagement replaces the antiquated bedside clock, paper directory, and
Bluetooth speaker.
Automating Accommodation Experience from
Check-in to Checkout
Jurny is addressing two of the biggest
problems in the hospitality industry—efficiency and profitability. Jurny’s
technology is designed to meet the evolving demands of a new generation
travelers who desire a service that seamlessly puts them in a hotel room
without much friction. This solution is pioneering the next generation of
on-demand hospitality by enabling an automated check-in and checkout experience
for guests, while generating increased revenue for hotel owners at the same
time.
Jurny partners with hotels and rentals
enabling them with social distancing-based technology
The company is championing a new,
immersive, professional, and comfortable way to experience home, luxury and
cutting-edge technology as a hotel guest. Guests don’t have to place multiple
calls to book reservations or wait in line to check-in after a long day’s trip.
From the Jurny app, guests can use the single-touch check-in and check-out
feature, access keyless entry, WiFi connection, 24/7 virtual support, and even
request for on-demand cleaning services.
Delivering a Personalized Experience to Hotel
Guests
Xperium is using deep learning to
create personalized automation for more than 2000 hotels around the world. This
platform is designed to increase guest satisfaction, revenue per booking, and
overall operational efficiency. With Xperium, guests can experience seamless
and contactless check-in and checkout by performing all activities from their
personal devices. Hotel staff can approve room selections and even monitor the
check-in/checkout process via Xperium’s integrated visualization dashboard. Its
DataHub reports also provide insights that are highly beneficial for travel
agencies and tour operators who want to understand purchase intent and guest
behavior.
Xperium’s platform follows guests on
all steps of the customer journey, from sending confirmation emails to asking
feedback
Serving Guests with Safe, Seamless, and
Personalized Hotel Experiences
Prefme, a universal hotel app, is
providing highly customized experiences for travelers across multiple partner
hotels in different parts of the globe. Guests can choose from Prefme’s robust
list of hotels, pre-book services if need be, and even enjoy personalized
offerings based on past visits to partner hotels.
Prefme interface
By sharing their profile, Prefme
Number, and/or eat, stay and fly preferences in advance, users can customize
their stay at every partner hotel. With these details, hotels can access guest
preferences before their arrival in order to personalize room inventory, food
menu, and/or fulfill special requests. From the Prefme app, guests can review
bills, make payments, unlock designated hotel doors, and make in-room requests.
These features are beneficial for those who never want to physically interact
with other guests or staff.
Improving Connectivity and Convenience for
Hotel Guests
Monscierge is delivering user-centric
guest experiences for leading hotels around the world. The platform is also
improving collaboration and job satisfaction for hotel staff with its analytics
feature that promotes task accountability, ticket management, and more. Monscierge
has three core products that are connected and form its hospitality content
management system (CMS)—Staff Connect, Apple TV for Hotels, and Connect
Signage.
Staff Connect is making task
management and collaboration easier for hotel employees, Apple TV for Hotels is
giving guests control over their entertainment preferences, and Connect Signage
is an interactive digital concierge that is making it easier for hotels to
display menus, recommendations, etc.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology in
the Tourism Industry
Technology has converted the lives of
many humans. On a primary basis, it has totally modified their manner of doing
things.
The hospitality, travel, and tourism
industry is one of the leading sectors which have witnessed more modifications
introduced approximately with the aid of using technology.
Technology has contributed plenty to
this achievement. Technology is paramount with inside the achievement of the
Hospitality and tourism enterprise regardless of getting a few flaws as
evidenced with inside the paper.
This industry is ranked among leading
industries with many others using technology across the world. Today here, in
this article, we are going to tell you the advantages and disadvantages of
technology in the tourism industry.
QUICK NAVIGATION
· Introduction to Travel and Technology
· Impact of Technology in Tourism Industry
· Advantages Technology In Tourism Industry
· Disadvantages of Technology Development in
Travel and Tourism
“According to the Tourism World
Council (2004), the tourism enterprise contributes to around 10% of GDP with
inside the world.”
This makes the tourism industry a
topmost industry among many others in the world!
As per the World Travel and Tourism
Council, there has been a rapid growth in the adoption of IT in the tours &
travels management and operations.
And in this article, we will see how
the technological usage of different digital solutions and IT systems stands a
good chance?
Introduction to Travel and Technology
Travel Technology or commonly called
as tourism generation technology is a cluster of software of IT - Information
Technology or ICT - Information and Communication Technology to run the sectors
like hospitality, travel, tourism, and tours.
While the pc reservation device is
applied in tours and travel technology, it includes simply the tour enterprise
as digital excursion generation that is actually quicker in the tech-enabled
tourism industry.
This is very similar to the digital
tourism or e-tourism (electronic tourism). For example nowadays, in the
pandemic times, people are preferring virtual tours!
Apart from this, the development of
cellular generation with inside the tour enterprise has helped numerous people,
and the development of on-line commercial enterprise has affected the tour
enterprise and tourism as customers can see special tour options by using the
internet via the mobile applications.
Dynamic programs are one of the
approaches of tour generation, which can be used to offer a brand new option.
Some of them are discussed below:
“Internet, Computer Systems, AI
Automation, Digital Payment Systems, Online booking Software, Virtual Tour
Software, Mobile Application, and other Communication Systems are some
tech-based applications or the tourism technology trends that are found in the
travel and tourism industry.”
How Technology Changed Travel Industry?
Technology gives environmentally friendly and
less time-taking travel plans
Saves time by minimizing packaging via
technology
Surpassing luggage barriers by using
applications like Google Translate
One-Click and Book applications via social
media channels and chatbots applications
Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, or Google Wallet
electronic payments make digital money accessible everywhere.
Impact of Technology in Tourism
Industry: Advantages and Disadvantages
The largest extrude that befell is
that these days everything is on-line. The net has become the most important
area for doing commercial enterprise.
“According to Signature Travel Network
and The Center for Generational Kinetics, 69% of American vacationers or
travelers take their first step in the direction of getting to know tour
on-line.”
Now no longer because of this only,
tour retailers and excursion operators ought to adapt — preserve an excellent
on-line presence. Since everyone is now online, social media networking has
become one of the key factors to attain extra humans than ever before.
Advantages Technology In Tourism Industry
The technology in the tourism industry
is an important one and has successfully delivered away far-flung locations
very close. The velocity of time has improved its criteria, sooner or later
experience may be very not unusual place those days, the journey is snug and
fast.
Things that must be feasible in 60
minutes, they might now be capable of being executed in a second, to renowned
themselves for travel technology regularly by giving the best tools gives us
tools for a remarkable trip.
How do you think that the top Tours
& Travels mobile App Development company in USA is helping to make a better
tourism industry?
Today, innovation has improved in
great bounds and leaps. We can't envision the sector without technological
advancements, for example, LEDs, computer systems and machines, etc.
Even though, there are some negative
aspects and benefits of the strategy. Most importantly, technology performs a
vital process with inside the widespread public because it makes lifestyles
much less time-ingesting and much less smooth to stay.
The technology could make smooth
routes work currently, humans use innovation to make plans for his or her
journey, which makes it gradually nice and simple.
They can inquire approximately the
locations at their personal pace, search for the first-class motels and
charges, and reserve an area from their mobile applications.
Overall the IT application, software,
mobile apps, and other technologies have helped in making the tourism industry
fast and progressive!
Disadvantages of Technology Development in
Travel and Tourism
The flood of improvement and
industrialization has infected our environment. Let’s take a case wherein the
exhaust of machines and motors have an effect on air fine and harm the ozone
layer.
Furthermore, technology moreover
brings about monetary problems in households considering the maximum of the
technology is high priced just like computers. Those who can't have the funds
to buy this form of innovation will stay in worrying lives.
As I could see it, the importance of
innovation with inside the motion and the tour enterprise is to get facts via
research, to assist increment the organization’s incomes, to get facts from its
customers and different vital organizations, offers extraordinary speed,
achieving the visitors who've bodily remoted from the sender and growth
availability and receptiveness in an organization.
And the terrible element approximately
innovation is that it may reason war and stress may be applied effectively,
Often unwell lack of confidence and may truly give up enterprise profitability.
Future
Trends in Tourism Industry
In the digital age, travel and tourism
wars on the technologies. Check out these technology trends affecting travel
and tourism in the coming years.
Voice Search, Enhanced Customer
Service Through AI, Wearable Devices for Convenience, Augmented and Virtual
Reality Marketing, Internet of Things (IoT) Personalization, Cryptocurrency
Payments.
All these technologies would make the
future of the travel and tourism industry! Are we prepared or not to adopt this
future after the pandemic times are over?
This again is another debating
question that must get answers loud and clear!
HOW ROBOTS RUIN A HOSPITSLITY
EXPERIENCE
Do you want to be welcomed to a hotel
by robots?
With the growth in robotic
innovations, robots are finding their way into the hospitality industry. In
2015, the Henn-na Hotel in Japan was the first and only hotel that is almost
entirely operated by robots. In March 2017, the Henn-na Hotel celebrated
opening of its second location in Tokyo and plans to expand domestically as
well as internationally within the next five years by addition of 100 more
properties. In June 2015, the Ghent Marriott Hotel in Belgium introduced its
new concierge staff member "Mario", a humanoid robot.
"Mario" can speak 19 languages, answers guest's questions, and
entertains with dance moves. Marriott International has also incorporated room
service delivery robots in multiple locations of its other brands. Hilton
McLean Hotel in Virginia adopted "Connie" powered by IBM's human
mimicking Watson computer (Hilton and IBM Pilot). Implementation of robots
takes away so much from the guest's "experience" due to the lack of
human interaction and the robot's inability to understand emotions.
Some hotels believe robots would
enhance efficiency, security, and performance; however, implementation of
robots would be the most unwise decision a hotel can make as it would kill what
hospitality is about, decrease efficiency, and security.
Robotic Technology Advantages
Robots Enhance Efficiency and Security:
Henn-na Hotel has implemented robots
in ways that increase efficiency and security. Replacement of staff with robots
has cut costs by ¾ and cost efficiency has enhanced as a result. Instead of a
bellhop an electric porter will carry luggage and leads the way to the guest's
room while showing a movie on its screen that entertains the guest. Robots
deliver room service and give a call once they are at the door that increases
time efficiency. Self check-in kiosks are equipped with facial authentication enabling
keyless entry that increases security. Henn-na hotel has also implemented a
high tech system that would monitor how hot or cold the guest is to change the
room temperature accordingly. Working at a hotel, I have encountered times when
the bellman is not available and the guest is left to carry his/her own luggage
to the room. The electrical porter leads the way to the guest's room that
resolves the issue of confusion and makes the service smoother. Guest's are not
always willing to talk to room service to place an order due to language
barriers; so, the delivery robot enables them to order digitally and get a
phone call when the order is at the door. The temperature monitor is also an
excellent service that positively affects guest's experience. All of the
features mentioned above in regards to what robots bring to hotels are evident
of an increase in service efficiency.
Room security is enhanced since
keycards are no longer in use the entrance to the guest's room will be
impossible without the facial recognition. Working at a hotel, we are
constantly monitoring our systems to correctly input the check-in/check-out
dates into the keycards to prevent unauthorized entry to any of the rooms. The
facial recognition makes room entry personalized and secured. With the face
recognition feature, intruders would no longer have a chance to enter a room
with stolen keycards. The increased security provides guests with the peace of
mind to leave behind their valuable items at the hotel rooms.
Robots Enhance Performance:
Robots enhance hotel's performance by
reducing the long wait time in lines, collection of interesting customer
behavioral patterns, less likelihood of making errors, and AI improvement
opportunities that are on the rise.
Faster operation by robots compared to
humans will reduce the wait time in lines for check-in/check-out.
Robots can collect data about the
customer's behavioral patterns. Hotels can benefit hugely by making alterations
to the operations to match their customer's behavioral patterns.
Robots are less prone to errors than
humans.
The AI improvements enable hotels to
honor preference-based requests of repeat guests such as rooms with specific
views, extra towels, and etc. The recognition of special requests is an example
of great service.
The enhanced performance by
implementation of robots translates to great service that is a contributing
factor to the guest's experience.
Refute
The opposing views claim that
implementation of robots enhances efficiency, security, and performance. One cannot
deny that implementation of robots enhances cost efficiency by cutting on labor
costs. Even though it seems like hotels save money by replacing staff with
robots it raises two implications.
The money saved on labor will
negatively affect the guest's experience because robots do not have emotions to
demonstrate hospitable behavior. Ultimately, the dissatisfaction turns into
lower revenues in the long run as guests would not come back.
Implementation of robots comes with
high initial purchasing costs, high maintenance costs, and short life span. The
costs hotels are saving on labor are reinvested in robots and at times they
have to spend more than what they are saving. For example, the room service
delivery robot costs about $73,088 and has a life span of 8 years.
At the same time, service efficiency
is increased by addition of great features such as electric porter, robot room
service delivery, and the high-tech air conditioning. On one hand, security is
improved through implementation of face recognition instead of keycards that
prevents unauthorized entries with stolen keycards. On the other hand,
implementation of robots severely impacts security, as robots cannot comprehend
emotions, body language, and are not capable to detect suspicious behaviors to
report to 911. There are many tradeoffs to be considered before deciding to
implement or not implement robots in the hotel industry.
Nevertheless, all the advantages that
robots can bring to the hospitality industry are outweighed by the lack of
human interaction that negatively affects guest's "experience",
overall satisfaction, and likelihood of returning. Performing
check-in/checkout, robotic room service delivery, and electric porter features
are all undervalued and merely considered as service components due to robots
inability to demonstrate the expected hospitable behavior. Hospitality and
service go hand in hand and absent of one would ruin the guest's hospitality
experience. As a result, it comes down to the true meaning of hospitality that
can only be demonstrated through human interaction in which emotions exist.
Robots do not have emotions, cannot comprehend human interactions, and their
performance is limited to what they are programmed. Replacement of robots with
staff would cause feeling of loneliness due to the lack of human-interaction.
Therefore, replacement of robots with staff is the poorest decision a hotel can
make as it ruins the guest "experience" and overall satisfaction of
the stay.
Hotel Robots: An Overview of Different
Robots Used in Hotels
What are
Robots?
Why are Hotel
Robots Becoming More Popular?
There are
several reasons for this trend. From a financial point of view, hospitality technology is
becoming cheaper to implement. This signifies that even smaller properties
such as boutique hotels can leverage the associated advantages. However, we also
need to keep in mind the fact that the requirements of the guests themselves
are beginning to change. Thanks to wireless connectivity and the nearly
ubiquitous presence of smartphones, customers have come to expect
second-to-none levels of service during their stay. This obviously involves the
presence of technology to a certain degree. Hotel robots are able to offer such
a competitive advantage, so it only stands to reason that managers are
choosing to take advantage of such opportunities.
Some Examples of
Robots Used in Hotels
1. Robots
Intended to Greet Guests
2. Robots
Dealing with Housekeeping
Floor-cleaning
hotel robots are also quite popular, as they can enter rooms once the guests
have departed in order to ensure a clean environment for new arrivals. While
this concept has existed for some time within the domestic sector, hotels are
now beginning to realise its advantages.
3. Hotel Robot Which
Delivers RoomService
Some
robots have likewise been designed to provide bespoke room service options to
guests. These tiny marvels will be supplied with food from the hotel kitchen
before delivering it to a specific room. Not only does this ensure that all
meals are provided fresh, but guests are no longer required to leave their
premises in order to enjoy a delectable selection of foods.
4. Hotel Robots Are The
Waiters At This Restaurant
Hotel
robots can even double as waiters. Some are affixed to a set of tracks while
others can move freely around a restaurant. Both are capable of taking orders
as well as delivering food to guests. Such methods can help hotel management to
reduce labour costs while still ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction.
5. Hotel Robots Who Do
The Cooking
Other
robots can cook meals for guests. Not only can such mechanisms be programmed to
create highly complex dishes, but their levels of accuracy can accommodate
specific tastes such as gluten-free and low-calorie dishes. Furthermore, these
methods can be useful in the event that bulk meals need to be prepared in a
timely fashion (such as when catering to the needs of a large in-house
convention).
A Quick Look at Two
Hotels Currently Employing this Type of Hospitality Technology
As
we can see, there are numerous advantages associated with modern hotel robots.
Let’s now take a look at two properties which have already begun to leverage
these benefits. There is no doubt that these examples are only the beginnings
of a growing trend throughout the entire hospitality sector.
Robots Take Over Luggage
Duties at Sheraton Los Angeles
The
Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel Hotel is learning to embrace a smart and
automated edge. Management has now placed robots in strategic positions to
cater to the needs of their guests. Some everyday tasks include greeting new
arrivals, luggage handling, leading guests to specific destinations within the
hotel, and offering room service. During peak hotel seasons, the presence of
these robots will prove to be an invaluable asset.
Alibaba’s Robot Hotel
Alibaba’s
FlyZoo Hotel has been dubbed the “hotel of the future” thanks to the presence
of robots. Centred around a bespoke mobile application, common issues such as
checking in and access via facial recognition have been dramatically
streamlined. These methods are primarily accomplished through the use of
artificial intelligence. Voice-activated room service bots are likewise
complemented with the presence of autonomous smart machines which deliver room
service to guests when required.
What are the Advantages
of Hotel Robots?
One
of the main advantages involves a second-to-none level of in-house automation;
freeing up staff members to perform other guest-related tasks. Additionally, hotel
robots can perform around-the-clock functions that might be impossible for
employees to achieve. Many requirements can be completed with a higher level of
precision when compared to human counterparts. Finally, the presence of robots
provides a hotel with a genuinely cutting-edge appeal.
What are the Disadvantages of
Hotel Robots?
Robotic
Technology Disadvantages
Robots Kill What Hospitality Is About:
Words hospitality and service are used
interchangeably and thought of as complimentary or interlinked by mistake
(Golubovskaya et al.). There is a fine line between hospitality and service.
Hospitality is about looking out and making an effort to understand others
rather than looking in. The ability to make people feel welcomed, valued,
expected, and included is hospitality. Service is what you do for someone such
as serving a meal; however, hospitality is how your behavior makes the guest
feel after you served the meal. In order for hotel staff to be considered
hospitable they need to demonstrate caring for the guest's happiness and
quality of experience (Golubovskaya et al.). A combination of hospitality and
service impacts the guest's experience; however, a great service is never
recognizable without the hospitality aspect as that is what brings emotional
connection, valued by humans, to the experience. A facial expression as simple
as a smile can make a difference in the guest's experience and satisfaction
level (Otterbring, 284). Robots can efficiently perform the service portion by
checking guest in/out, answering questions, and delivering room service but
they can never interact hospitably with the guests due to their lack of
emotion.
A welcoming mindset is essential and
demonstrative of what is expected of a hospitable behavior. The welcoming mindset
elements are openness (willingness to deal with challenges and come up with an
efficient alternative in a limited time), curiosity (interaction with the guest
to build a relationship and make relative recommendations), being
non-judgmental, humility (demonstrate the extent a guest is being valued),
respect, presence, and dialogue (developing a conversation to understand the
guest's needs and emotions). In hospitality, everything evolves around how well
emotions are interpreted and responded to. Robots fall short on demonstrating
the welcoming mindset, as they are only highly sophisticated computer programs
yet unable to make emotional connections on human level.
Implementation of robots at hotels
would not only kill what hospitality is about but also diminish service
efficiency and security. This is an undesired outcome for both the guests and
hotels that decide to implement robots in their operations.
Robots Decrease Service Efficiency and
Security:
How do you feel when the hotel's ATM
machine does not work and you are late to your tour bus?
We have all experienced malfunctions
with electronic devices, ATMs, vending machines and etc. Usually, the issue
gets resolved by asking a specialist for assistance. In fully robotic operated
hotels, guests do not have access to any staff member. A malfunction in any of
the robots will turn into a frustration and hassle for guests that ultimately
affect their "experience". The inconvenience guests have to
experience due to robots malfunction as well as the unavailability of staff for
assistance would negatively affect service efficiency.
Guests should be able to order room
service based on their preferences, however, cannot make special orders with
robots due to lack of comprehension. No matter how high-tech a robot is, its
intelligence is still bounded with limited programming; however, humans are
capable to intelligently understand one another requests and respond
accordingly. Limitations in programming describes the fact that robots operate
based on what they are programmed and nothing more; that exhibits why robots
fall short in service efficiency.
Reiterating on the fact that
hospitality is the ability to understand other's emotions and respond
accordingly; hotel staff are responsible to constantly monitor guest's
emotions, body language, and behaviors. The hotel staff report suspicious
behaviors and activities to prevent violence, crimes, and terrorist attacks.
During emergencies, the hotel staff are the initial point of contact for the
guests. Also, when emergencies arise, since hotel staff are trained they will
direct people to safety and seek medical attention if necessary. Robots do not
have the ability to comprehend suspicious activities and cannot be a source of
help to provide direction during emergencies. For example, when an emergency
occurs a hotel staff calls 911 to report and meanwhile assists to make the
guests calm; however, in a fully robotic operated hotel there is no staff to
report emergencies that leaves guests responsible for their own safety.
Considering the horrifying Las Vegas attack, the guests inside the Mandalay Bay
were directed with safety procedures by the hotel staffs and the police. At
times of emergencies people need to be able to communicate with a human to find
out about the situation and get emotional support. A robot cannot satisfy that
need because it does not have the human-level comprehension. A fully robotic
operated hotel decreases security and allows more room for violence, crime, and
terrorist attacks.
A
handful of potential drawbacks should also be mentioned. Of course, some tasks
(such as addressing a question that has not been pre-programmed by staff) will
need to be addressed by a human. Another pitfall is that many guests still wish
to enjoy the human touch during their stay. A handful of patrons may not
appreciate the somewhat “cold” nature of even the most advanced hotel robots.
To put it simply, the majority of robots are incapable of providing a truly
personal touch.
Why Contactless Payments
Are Becoming Vital Within The Hotel Industry
The
article entitled “Contactless Payments Are
Becoming More Important Within Hospitality” provides an in-depth
overview of why wireless payment methods are playing an increasingly important
role in terms of hospitality technology. Contactless payments offer guests with
a streamlined means to confirm reservations, to pay for services, and to
expedite the entire check-in process. Not only do these forms of payment boast
a decidedly user-friendly appeal, but their secure nature ensures that guest
information remains safe at all times.
What Are The Benefits of
Mobile Check-In App for Hotels
In
the article “Mobile Check-In App for
Hotels: What Are The Benefits?”, we take a brief look at why
this type of hotel technology has become commonplace within such a competitive
industry. Some of the advantages which are discussed include (but are not
limited to) an enhanced customer experience, quicker check-in times, the
ability to increase brand loyalty, and the option to add other lucrative offers
within a bespoke mobile application. All of these traits will help to ensure
that the property in question remains one step ahead of the competition.
More Hotel Marketing
Trends
The
article “Hotel Marketing Trends:
Upcoming Innovations You Must Know” illustrates a plethora of
unique advancements in technology that are set to transform the entire sector.
These represent some of the many hotel trends which have become focused on how
technological innovations are set to change the whole guest experience. Examples
of hotel technology highlighted within this article include service automation,
facial recognition systems, robots, and the increasing presence of artificial
intelligence. These are some of the reasons why hotel management is keen to
capitalise upon such unique opportunities.
Hotel
robots are transforming the hospitality industry. As these smart machines
continue to evolve, there is no doubt that they will have an impact on
businesses processes end-user experiences. This is why it is prudent for hotel
management to understand the benefits and consider implementing robots within
their organisations.
Conclusion
As remote working and freelancing
continue to gain popularity and acceptance, there’s also an ever-increasing
demand on hotels to deliver comfortable and safe experiences for digital nomads
who are willing to travel across the world. Millennials and the Gen Z
population prefer a high-level contactless experience from hoteliers, especially
since contactless hospitality can still have a personal touch.
According to Etihad Airways’
vice-president of Guest Experience and Delivery, Linda Celestino, there are
many things that can be replaced by automation in this digital age. However,
one of the few things that cannot be replaced is how another person makes you
feel. For Linda, the personal touch is what creates a connection, warms the
heart, and nurtures loyalty.
While guests want hotels to offer
automated services for them to feel safe and secure, they also crave
personalized hospitality.
As you design your self-service hotel
experience, make every effort to understand your ideal guests. There’s no ROI
in implementing costly technologies that won’t improve the guest experience. By
serving personalized, contactless experiences, you will have more guests eager
to return. Your lobby and other spaces should be warm, inviting, and welcoming.
Use of robots is the worst decision a
hotel can make as it takes away emotion and human interaction both of which are
essential to creation of a memorable hospitality experience. What brings guests
back to a hotel is not the solely the service but rather the
"experience" they had at a hotel. The "experience" is how
the guest felt during their stay based on the behavior he/she encountered of
the staff. Implementation of robots simply cannot create that
"experience" for the guests as they lack emotions and are unable to
interact on a human-level. Robots can be interesting for guests the first time;
but as guests try to interact with the robot and face the lack of comprehension
it changes people's perception of robots.
So from now onwards I’m going to show
some guest experience in this new modern technology how it works and there
reviews.
Comments
Post a Comment