As technology continues to advance on daily basis, it is imperative that hotels remain on the forefront of this evolution to meet the ever-changing needs of both their guests and staff members. In today’s world, guests want to be more self-sufficient with the ability to check-in and out from their mobile device, receive their bill via email, and request extra towels or room service via text message while staying at a hotel. While this applies to guests, hotel staff have also become more tech-savvy and expect a property management system that allows them to perform their job with ease, while leveraging the hardware they are more familiar with such as touch-enabled tablets and mobile devices. For hotels to remain competitive and continually attain positive guest ratings, the urgency to implement a mobile-friendly, cloud-based property management software solution has never been greater.
Is the Hospitality Industry Slow to Adopt Technology?
While this can vary across the hospitality industry, the general consensus is that the hospitality industry can be slow to adopt new technology, with many factors coming into play. One of the main reasons often comes down to cost and justifying an investment in new technology. With the rapid pace of technological advancements, many hotels are wondering if it is worthwhile to continually spend money of new technology and mobility, when it may in fact change or upgrade the following year. This generally leads to a ‘wait and see’ approach, which can often have major consequences that ends up resulting in a hotel quickly falling behind the industry standard. Another reason is that some hotels are performing well as is, and don’t see the need to spend the extra money for a new property management system. While this may be the case now, as trends shift towards mobility, both from a guest and employee perspective, hotels may fall out of favor with guests who are looking for a more modern experience and may also have a hard time attracting new staff members. There is also the fear of the unknown, which can cripple a hotel if they remain set in their ways and don’t keep up with evolving industry trends. Although the hospitality industry has been slow to implement new technology in the past, with the cost savings and efficiency gains that updated technology can provide, more and more hotels are getting onboard and starting to make the investment in upgrading their technology solutions.
How Can My Property Start Implementing New Technology?
Before you go out and purchase new virtual reality googles for each of your hotel rooms, there is a more effective and impactful change you can make to your hotel when it comes to technology. The change that is likely to have the biggest impact is implementing a more modern property management system, which can benefit your hotel in all areas. To meet the needs of the modern guest, a robust, all-in-one, cloud PMS software is essential to the success of any hotel today. From the hotel’s perspective, staff will be more inclined to use a solution that operates in a web browser, is user-friendly, and more familiar to them. Not only will this help to increase employee morale, but hotel staff will be able to perform their jobs quicker, boosting productivity and increasing guest satisfaction as well with a reduction in wait times at the front desk. The added capability of checking guests in and out from a mobile device allows for front-desk staff to offer a more personalized touch, instead of the traditional ‘behind the desk’ approach, which is more welcoming for guests. With the ability to send direct requests to housekeepers via a message alert, the needs of your guests can be addressed quicker. In addition, housekeeping staff will be able to take pictures of any issues they come across in a room, empowering them to seamlessly create maintenance tickets with pictures attached to be resolved quickly. Learn more about hotel front desk software that will improve your hotel’s day-to-day operations. These are just some of the benefits of a complete property management system, not to mention the direct integration with OTAs, the ability to change and manage rates with ease, with all information tying back to one system for easy reporting on financials and overall hotel performance. In fact, hoteliers have seen a major difference in revenue flow thanks to smarter reporting capabailities that lead to better financial decsisions. By simply implementing a PMS that can handle the complexities of the hospitality industry today, your hotel can remain competitive, improve staff productivity, and most importantly, increase guest satisfaction. Watch the Chorum Mobile Manager explainer video for more insight into how mobile management can help your property.
Technology and The Future of the Hospitality Industry
There is no question that technology is changing the way hotels operate, as well as how guests interact with hotels. As the landscape shifts, guests want a more personalized and convenient experience that fits in with their more mobile lifestyle. While there are still important aspects of the standard guest experience at a hotel, such as great customer service and helpful staff, technology is simply enabling hotel staff to focus more on these personal interactions instead of dealing with outdated software. With the ability to handle simple tasks from a tablet, leveraging a cloud-based property management system, front-desk staff is able to proactively assist guests and improve the overall guest experience. As technology continues to evolve, such as enhanced “smart room” capabilities, a customized reservation process, and instant communication via text message, a complete property management software will act as the backbone or hub of your hotel moving forward. All of these existing technological enhancements, as well as any upcoming in the future, will all directly integrate with your PMS system. While some new advancements may warrant a ‘wait and see’ approach, implementing a property management software solution is something that hotels can’t afford not to embrace.
Interested in learning more about how Jonas Chorum can help improve operational efficiency, increase mobile capabilities, and enhance guest satisfaction? Find out why hundreds of leading hotels put their trust in Jonas Chorum and request a demo today to see our product in action!
