The Future of Hospitality: How Technology is Revolutionizing The Guest Experience

WARMINSTER, PA, June 28, 2023 –

The Hospitality Landscape

The hospitality industry has undergone a significant amount of change over the years with a wide range of technology solutions having come into play. For example, the 1990s and early 2000s saw hotels starting to incorporate technology into their rooms, meaning visitors were enabled to enjoy televisions, mini-fridges, Wi-Fi and more in the comfort of their own rooms.

Then, going into the 2010s and with the rise of smartphones, even more advanced forms of hospitality technology emerged. Even now, hospitality patrons are continually becoming more self-sufficient, with technologies such as mobile applications, smart devices and chatbots becoming increasingly commonplace.

Recent Challenges

The hospitality industry faces a number of ongoing challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the sheer amount of competition in the hospitality space. In order to remain in line with or beat the competition, those in hospitality are continually looking for new ways to make their operations more efficient and to improve customer experience.

However, given that rising costs are also a significant concern, hospitality businesses must ensure that any systems or technologies implemented are cost-effective, truly advantageous, and ultimately, a good investment for the future.

In turn, labor shortages are also being faced across a number of industries, hospitality included. Staff shortages and high turnover of employees are causing a chain reaction of problems that negatively impact the hospitality bottom line.

The Rise of Technology

The good news in light of these challenges is that technology usage in hospitality has undergone a significant transformation. Technology has allowed hospitality businesses to streamline their operations, increase efficiency and ultimately, maintain their competitive edge. As this blog post will explore, there are a number of technology trends that can be seen across hospitality.

Emerging Technology Trends in Hospitality

Smart Technology

Smart technologies are now widely used by the hospitality industry. In the hotel industry for example, smart technology can be used to improve energy efficiency by automatically adjusting room temperatures according to the weather and time of day. This also makes rooms more hospitable for guests. Other examples include smart/digital light controls and keyless entry systems via mobile applications. In terms of the latter, keyless entry systems are leveraged for security purposes as they eliminate the need for physical keys which can be easily lost and/or stolen.

Artificial Intelligence & Business Intelligence

Hospitality firms can utilize artificial intelligence for a number of tasks, with examples including personalization, hospitality management (eg: maintenance), or revenue management. Personalized marketing is a key way that the hospitality industry can use artificial intelligence as it allows hospitality management to analyze guest data (eg: behaviors, preferences) to provide tailored offers and information. Similarly, AI and business intelligence processes also allow hotel management to more accurately predict trends and anticipate guest needs. Nowadays, customers (especially the younger generation) are more willing to provide their personal data in exchange for a more personalized experience, giving hospitality businesses all the more reason to make use of this valuable technology.

Chatbots

Similarly, chatbots are another common innovation in artificial intelligence being used in hospitality. Chatbots are a great way to alleviate the strain of ongoing staff shortages. Being available 24/7 to answer guest queries and provide essential information, chatbots are a great way to improve guest and customer experiences.

Service Robots

Service robots can also help hospitality firms to combat labour shortages and in some cases, can even fully take over traditionally human tasks. For instance, service robots can be used for welcoming guests in the front of the hotel or in the lobby. Likewise, such robots can be used to communicate critical information to guests and can perform a range of other concierge services. Robots are also increasingly used for cleaning purposes. For instance, a robot may roam around restaurants to allow customers to easily and conveniently place dirty food dishes and trash onto.

Mobile Applications

With the growing omnipresence of smartphones, mobile applications have fast become a valuable element of many businesses omnichannel strategies. In the hospitality industry, several organizations have started to use mobile apps for mobile check-in and ordering purposes. Whether checking into a hotel or letting a restaurant know that you have arrived to pick up your food, the use of mobile apps in hospitality can be extremely useful for streamlining operations and improving efficiency.

For instance, guests can use a mobile app to check into their hotel in advance, allowing staff time to ensure everything is prepared in order to speed up the arrival and check-in process. In turn, apps with mobile ordering systems allow restaurant customers to place orders from their tables, eliminating the need for customers to go to the counter to order. This makes the whole process a lot more convenient and efficient for both the patron and the business. Diners placing their own orders arguably saves restaurant staff time, allowing them to serve more customers, thereby boosting revenue. Similar benefits can be seen in hotels. For instance, enabling guests to book services and amenities and to make room service orders via an app also eliminates the need for them to contact or visit the front desk. This convenience and simplicity likely improves customer satisfaction.

Mobile apps can also incorporate the aforementioned chatbots, providing users with an easy and reliable way to contact the business at any time, from virtually anywhere. Apps can be packed full of useful data and information for visitors who are looking for excursions, entertainment and restaurants in the nearby area. Apps are also an excellent way to leverage other trends such as customer loyalty programs which can help to boost sales by offering tailored offerings and services (for example – a free drink on your birthday).

Pay at Table

Keeping with mobile, mobile point of sale (mPOS) has also emerged as a major trend across hospitality, whether in restaurant chains, standalone cafés or in hotel eateries. Nowadays, consumers expect ever greater levels of convenience and enabling customers to pay for orders at their table is a key way that hospitality is achieving this.

Hospitality businesses can now choose from a wide range of mobile payment devices which allow payments to be taken anywhere on the premises. Through these devices, hospitality customers can insert their card or make contactless payments. Plus, some devices offer an even broader set of features including mobile ordering and can therefore also be used to take orders at tables. This is again extremely convenient for customers, saving them from getting up from their table and going to the counter to order.

Augmented Reality

Related to the rise of smartphones and the use of mobile applications, augmented reality has been used by some hospitality firms. Visitors or guests can use their smartphones to scan a code or an image to find out more information. In a hotel for example, management may choose to provide an interactive map of the surrounding area which allows guests to use their smartphones to find out further information about specific services, restaurants or tourist attractions.

Self Check-In

Self check-in is arguably one of the most widespread trends to have impacted not only hospitality but retail, healthcare, tourism, and other industries too. Implementing the latest technology in self-service kiosks can bring those in the hospitality business a multitude of benefits.

For instance, utilizing self-service kiosks can help with ongoing issues relating to labor shortages. In hotels, staff who would usually be required at reception to greet and check guests in can be redeployed for other critical tasks, such as responding to maintenance issues or guest requests elsewhere in the hotel. Likewise, in restaurants or fast food outlets, employees who typically serve customers can be utilized for other value-adding tasks, such as cleaning or fulfilling orders in the kitchen.

In turn, self-service kiosks can also help reduce wait times, resulting in happier customers. Empowering customers and guests respectively to checkout or check-in themselves can also result in fewer errors, with kiosks also having the added benefit of being able to cater to visitors of differing nationalities/languages.

Havis Solutions for Hospitality

Havis Self-Service Solutions

As an industry leader in technology mounting and mobility solutions, Havis is uniquely placed to help hospitality organizations improve customer experience with innovative self-service options.

Havis offers a wide range of self-service kiosk solutions for hospitality that enable hospitality management to revamp their operations and empower visitors and customers. Havis can help hospitality businesses create comprehensive and seamless self-service solutions – from sleek, minimalistic podiums to complete, fully customized kiosks. By simplifying the ordering or check-in process, Havis excels as a top player in providing both off-the-shelf and personalized hospitality technology solutions which enhance customer experience, boost revenue, and reduce costs.

Havis Mobile Point of Sale Solutions

Havis’s proprietary Mobile Protect line of protective mobile cases is ideal for use in the hospitality industry. These protective cases are expertly designed to protect mobile payment and computing devices from accidental drops, bumps and scratches. Available for many of the market’s newest and most popular mPOS devices, Havis’s Mobile Protect cases provide an enhanced grip experience and improved usability, installing in seconds without the use of tools. 

Plus, with a range of optional drop-in or slide-in charging solutions, Havis can also help hospitality firms to ensure their mobile payment devices are always charged and ready to use. Havis chargers also offer a reliable location to store devices when not in use, ensuring staff know where they can find the device(s) when needed. This ultimately helps to streamline operations.

Other Havis Mounting Solutions

As an expert in end-to-end technology mounting and mobility solutions for the hospitality industry and beyond, Havis can provide the ideal solutions to ensure your business remains competitive. With an expert design and engineering team and decades of hospitality industry experience, Havis offers cutting-edge solutions, which include payment terminal stands, display stands, pole mounting systems, rugged mounts, keyboards/keyboard mounts and more. As noted above, Havis is also a leading provider of custom solutions meaning that whatever your requirements, Havis can design custom mounting solutions for hospitality, whether for use in a hotel, a restaurant, a fast food outlet or another location entirely.

Adaptation in Hospitality is Critical

The usage of technology in hospitality is undoubtedly going to continue to change as more advanced solutions become available in the future. Hospitality businesses that implement the latest technology and take advantage of the many benefits these solutions can provide are more likely to retain their competitive edge. The industry leaders will be those who continue to adapt and make use of new tech solutions.

However, it is vital for hospitality management to remember that the rise of useful hospitality technology does not mean that the human element should disappear completely. Hospitality management must create the ideal mix of traditional processes and the emerging trends discussed, leveraging both in a cohesive, beneficial way to improve customer/guest experience overall.