NH Hotels Sep 03, 2023
The hospitality industry is dynamic and, every year, trends keep changing. While travel demand experienced a significant rebound from its pandemic lows, hoteliers are now facing brand new challenges such as new ways of interacting with technology and their guests. Guests are now demanding more personalized options and superior customer experience; so, remaining ahead of the curve with the latest technological trends is essential for success these days. In this article we will explore some new technology in the hotel industry and what trends will shape the hospitality industry in the near future.
Cutting edge hotel technologies can help provide unparalleled hospitality and services for guests, making them feel at home. We can expect that the spotlight in new technologies in hotels’ trends will be on:
for personalized guest experiences and task automation. Machine Learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that focuses on enabling computer systems to learn and improve from data. It involves creating models that can analyze substantial amounts of data to make predictions. It allows hotels and restaurants to analyze guests’ behavior, so we can create tailored experiences for each guest, like food & drink recommendations, or personalized experiences and activities.
for creating (or becoming) smart hotels and restaurants. IoT works in hotels by integrating various smart devices, sensors, and systems to gather real-time data and automate processes. IoT-enabled devices like smart thermostats, lighting systems, and occupancy sensors can work together to optimize energy usage in guest rooms. Smart hotels allow guests to control several aspects of their rooms, like temperature, lighting or T.V. and entertainment devices by using just their phones. They will be able to personalize their room ambiance, which is very convenient and comfortable. IoT also allows seamless communication with the hotel or restaurant staff: they would be able to order room service or laundry from their phones.
to develop more efficient paying and ordering systems and encourage customer engagement. Mobile technologies, the use of smartphones and other devices have become a must these days. They are the most effective way to engage with guests and customers and be able to deliver the most personalized experiences. Mobile apps are useful for restaurants and hotels to offer their guests relevant information, like menus, exclusive offers and promotions and different reservation options. These mobile apps also facilitate payment processes and the tracking of rewards and loyalty points. By leveraging mobile technology and apps, hotels can revolutionize the guest experience, deliver personalized services, improve operational efficiency, and gain valuable data insights, thereby positioning themselves as innovative and customer-centric establishments in the hospitality industry.
Integrating new technologies in hotels and hotel rooms brings several benefits from the guest experience point of view. These automated systems and technologies tend to save a lot of time and effort, increasing guests’ satisfaction.
Through the customers’ data analysis, these technology-driven transformations in hotels allow to anticipate guests’ specific needs and preferences, like what are their favorite amenities or gather some dinner recommendations, creating a tailor-made experience just for them. Personalization brings a sense of exclusivity and enhances guest loyalty.
Another factor that improves guests’ satisfaction when using new technologies in hotels and hotel rooms is easy communication. Voice assistants, room tablets or mobile apps are direct communication channels between guests and the hotel’s staff; making it easier to make requests or ask any questions.
One of the main benefits to which transformative tech implementations contribute is guests’ safety. IoT sensors, surveillance systems or other access control systems foster a secure environment for guests. Also, other features like alerts, digital room locks, or secure paying methods are some other ways that these new technologies ensure safety for hotels’ guests.
During the latest years, green and sustainable travel has become increasingly important for travelers and guests. This is why efficiency and optimization, by means of energy management, occupancy sensors, lighting automation help reduce our environmental impact and are so important for customers lately. Efficient processes, like having all documents digitalized, are also a way to minimize paper waste and enhance sustainability.
The use of cutting-edge technologies in hotel rooms has turned guest experience upside down. From the moment guests enter their rooms, they are surrounded by cutting-edge devices and features that provide great comfort and convenience.
Smart rooms provide instant access to information through in-room tablets and smart TVs; smart thermostats and lighting systems allow room personalization for guests. Key-less entry systems offer seamless access to rooms through mobile devices. Optimizing energy consumption by means of smart rooms and new technologies in hotel rooms also increases sustainable traveling.
Overall, using these high-tech developments in the hotel industry elevates guest experience to a whole new level of comfort and sophistication.
As for events, we should try to be ahead of our time and deliver events and meetings that will be remembered. Technology can help us with that: meetings are better with the latest technology. Whether we are talking about illumination, music, or new experiences for attendees, we should be making use of the latest technology to adapt ourselves to the needs of our clients and guests. For example: using Social Media for events: It is a wonderful way to know your audience, maximize the reach of your event, and then, analyze and understand its performance.
At NH Hotel Group, our belief centers around crafting inspirational and unforgettable occasions aimed at propelling you towards unparalleled success. Hence, our hotels are outfitted with cutting-edge technology to facilitate the realization of prosperous events and meetings:
You can manage your group booking easily with our Group Website, organize High Performance Meetings with SMART Room System™ for Skype for Business. Elevate your meetings with seamless audio and high-definition video, connecting in-person and remote participants effectively. You can also plan your event in 3D, by using our event diagrammer: 3D Meeting Planner Virtual Planner®.
You can also make use of automatic entry logging through interactive badges that also serve to register attendees without needing to go through a hospitality desk; you will be able to mark allergy-afflicted guests on tables to inform the staff; and incorporate to your events and meetings apps designed to engage with meeting attendees before, during, and after the event.
At NH Hotel Group, we are committed to elevating guests’ experiences by introducing the latest technological advancements. Over the last few years, we have implemented some upgrades that are revolutionizing our hotels. We offer our guests unprecedented efficiency, convenience, and a personalized service. Some of our initiatives regarding new technologies in our hotels are:
It gives guests full control of their stays, they can conveniently proceed with online check-in, choose their room and online check-out. This has allowed a reduction on paper usage and empowered guests with a great flexibility on processes. FASTPASS will continue to develop in the coming years and will be able to incorporate new technologies into our hotels, like biometrics, facial recognition, and digital keys to make the user experience even more comfortable.
In the pursuit of innovation and making guest services superior, we have introduced Smart Tablets at our front desks. It significantly improves how guests obtain and view their reservation data, the hotel’s contact details and their stay invoices, with no need for paper.
Overall, we have improved customer experience, we have achieved paper-free processes, we have elevated the quality of our CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and NH Discovery processes, as well as digitized our customers’ data storage (GDPR) and greatly improved the efficiency of these processes.
By the end of the first half of 2022, the implementation of this project resulted in substantial environmental benefits, including reduced wood consumption, water conservation, energy savings, and a decrease in CO2 emissions.
For the following years, NH Hotel Group will continue to support this project and is already piloting new products, like Wireless Tablets.
We have experienced how the evolution in audiovisual consumption is already a reality. In response to the growing preference for digital media and streaming contents among the population, NH Hotel Group has established the incorporation of Google Chromecast as a standard feature in several of its brands.
Guests can cast their favorite digital content from their phones, tablets, or PCs to the TVs in their rooms. This way, they can enjoy their preferred entertainment options during their stay.
As part of its digitalization and sustainability strategy, NH Hotel Group is dedicated to Mobile Guest Service. This is a Progressive Web Application (PWA) that allows digitizing the info, services and functionalities that guests require during their hotel stay.
The platform provides essential features such as hotel information, useful content like city guides and online press, service reservations for spa treatments, restaurant bookings and excursions. It also allows us to make requests for room service, cleaning, or other VIP services in hotels. Overall, it opens a new communication channel or means of interaction between the hotel and the customer.
Some other improvements that have been made lately within the field of new technology in hotels and hotel rooms in NH Hotel Group are:
The hospitality industry is continuously evolving. Contactless technology implementations in the hotel sector are becoming a new norm, as well as the user experience demand from guests. In the next years, there will be a lot more ‘must-have’ innovations that will boost the hospitality space’s value over the next few years, like our Click & Meet, event diagramming or our Smart Rooms.
