Hotel operations, booking management and overall guest satisfaction has been greatly influenced by technological advancements in recent years. While larger hotels have slowly adopted newer technologies, sadly this adoption hasn’t infiltrated down to many small independent and boutique hotels. At the International Tourism Fair in Spain earlier this year it was alleged that the majority of independent hotels admitted that they are totally unprepared and in some cases unaware of the importance of technology and how they should be connecting with their future guest. “Almost 75% of the hotel industry comprises small and independent hotels who aren’t technology-savvy and have for a long time avoided adopting automation tools like a cloud PMS. The ‘technology first’ belief is still limited to the larger hotels, mostly 3 star and above category, who are greatly benefiting from it”, Aeijaz Sodawala, CEO eZee Technosys.
Cloud technology is reshaping the future of the hospitality industry and many independents do not realize the power that cloud technology offers. While resistance to technology adoption can put many small hotels at a business risk, independent hotels have the opportunity to take advantage of ‘new’ technology and create a strategy to remain relevant in today’s high tech market.
- Saves Money: A huge consideration for any hotel, but in particular, for independents, is cost. Independents naturally have smaller budgets and many hotels struggle with the decision to invest in new technology for their hotel. However, with cloud computing hoteliers big and small can invest in powerful tools without having to bear the huge cost of infrastructure. In the world of cloud-computing, financing ‘that’ capital investment is someone else’s problem. Hotels can move PMS expenses from CapEx to OpEx and lower costs associated with running this enterprise software – Any saved capital can then be invested elsewhere in the business.Cloud-based solutions are also scalable and multi-functional and can be tailored to suit the hotel’s bespoke needs and budgets.
- Increases Revenue: Cloud based PMS solutions are designed to enable hotels to gather and analyse guest information that can be used to create loyalty-generating offers and increase guest wallet share. In addition, cloud based PMS delivers real-time operating metrics that is easily accessible on any devices, anytime, anywhere allowing hoteliers to accurately forecast demand and scale guest services accordingly.Managers can view guest profiles, history and reservations, as well as room availability and operational reports seamlessly. The ease of connectivity between online systems has created endless possibilities that can both increase revenue and enhance the guest experience.
- Improves Efficiency: Hotels can gain great operational advantage by using cloud based mobile service solutions. They can; improve productivity and across department communication, automate process such as email communications, enable housekeepers to view and update room status from their mobile device as they work and front desk staff can receive real-time information about which rooms are ready for guests.As Cloud PMS solutions are optimized for mobile devices, they also free staff from the bounds of the front desk so that they can attend to guests and operational issues more efficiently and therefore positively impacting both productivity and guest service.
- Improves Service: According to the 2016 Cognizant Travel Survey, travellers want greater automation in hotels; 58% want to use their mobile device to receive bills, 54% check-in, 57% checkout, 51% pay for hotel services and 50% to open their hotel room door. Nowadays, many guests manage most aspects of their lives and travel from their tablets and smart phones and as a result expect such self-service capabilities when it comes to check-ins, upgrade offers, payment etc. Using newer mobile technologies allow hotels to connect with their guests through their preferred method of communication resulting in a better customer experience and increased guest satisfaction.
If ever there was a time, the time is now for independent hotels to invest in the right tools that can simplify their processes and automate most operations, boosting their efficiency, increase guest satisfaction and improve the overall bottom line. “Technology and increased automation are becoming invaluable to hotels looking to deliver outstanding customer service, something that independent hotels and smaller brands are in a unique position to provide… With the right technology, smaller brands are poised to respond to guests’ needs quicker and more efficiently, resulting in a better experience and a more loyal customer,” James Gagnon, Director of Communications at B Hotels and Resorts.
Read more about Hotel PMS Solutions in the StayNTouch blog.
