For a long time hotels provided to guests exciting experience of services and accommodations that they didn't have at home. But nowadays most travelers have adopted different technological advances appeared in recent years. Moreover, technology-savvy guests will not be surprised with in-room technological tools, on the contrary, they could be disappointed if they don't find any of those items or applications they got used to. In his article, Scott Watts, Corporate Director of Technology in PCH Hotels and Resorts, appeals to hoteliers and asks they to “give guests the in-room technology they demand”. He stresses that in most cases average traveler today has at home high definition flat panel or LCD TV, special packages of different TV channels and on-demand movies, gaming consoles, Internet access, they also use MP3 players, digital cameras, VoIP applications (Skype, Vonage). The author supposes that one of solutions that can make modern hotels guests become excited is "triple-play" that refers to convergence of voice, video, and data over a single network. Using this technology different guests' portals could be presented on TV or phone display or Internet default home page and enables travelers to customize different features during their stay (order room service, buy tickets, make restaurant reservations, etc.). It is very convenient for guests but at the same time “triple-play” could help hoteliers to increase their revenues. The author gives us an example of possibility to attract more customers by sending discount promotions to the guests' TV or phone displays in case if there are gaps in SPA center appointments. As future trends the author describes PVR (personal video recorder) capabilities and usage of "triple-play" foundation for PMS, CRM applications. The last one will enables to provide really unique guest experience: the system can memorize special guests' ID numbers and personal customizations associated with them, so that it can set temperature levels, language preferences, etc., when return guest check-in for the next time.
I find the author's opinion is very true about technology and its adoption by travelers. Nowadays hoteliers should provide appropriate service and conditions to travelers to use all the technological tools they got used to. For most guests technology is no more a luxury, it's everyday life, it's convenience. Converged networks became one of the crucial discussion topics for the hospitality industry in recent time. It is very interesting that author mentioned using of phones for these systems. For some perspective they could seem to be obsolete as almost all the travelers have cell phones or smart phones. But modern new decisions for in-room phone usage were found. Now they could be involved in interactive part of guest service and provide an opportunity to control different amenities (lights, TV, draperies). Also guests can use phone displays to offer different services like make an appointment in restaurant, SPA or golf center. One of the recent modern technologies is RFID capabilities built in the cell phone. They provide an opportunity for quick check-in / check-out and make it possible to use guests' cell phone or smart phone as a room key. So, technological development is going on and I think new amazing opportunities, solutions and their implementations in lodging industry are going to be found.
References:
Richardson N.M. (2008). Hotels Get Phone Savvy. Hospitality technology. May 2008. Retrieved from http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=C8ABDDF2178B43168CF456E8BD45E785
Watts S. (2008). Give Guests the In-Room Tech They Demand. Hospitality technology. June 2008. Retrieved from http://www.htmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=MultiPublishing&mod=PublishingTitles&mid=3E19674330734FF1BBDA3D67B50C82F1&tier=4&id=3952307BDBA74D25863583EEC361DFF9
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4 comments:
I read this article too last week. It is very enjoyable when reading this article because it describes lots of amazing in-room technologies. With the increasing of in room technologies, guests' requirement of technologies increases too. One of the author's opinion also impressed me: because at home technologies are on rise, for example, broadband Internet access, one or more high-definition gaming consoles and an entire home theater, guests are expecting the hotel experience similar to their home experience, or at least they might compare them to each other, which makes it more difficult to satisfy guests with technologies in a hotel room. In this case, to increase the guests' satisfaction, it is very wiser to afford guests the technologies they demand.
This article is very interesting. It is a good idea to reduce the cost of procurement & installation of different technologies' plugs and devices in a room and put them together. It is also better for the room decoration and prevent the guests confusing.
I also like the idea that save the customer's interests and preferences. It is good for energy management, too.
In addition as author mentioned it increases the hotel revenue.
seems perfect !
I think this is a very important article for the hospitality industry. Technology used to be something exciting and reserved for the “SWANKY” but as technology improved it became more readily available. Its extreme availability has inevitably saturated all industries and most income levels. As you have stated, putting any technology in a guestroom just isn’t enough. In room technologies no longer exude “specialty “. Instead guests are left with the “been there, done that” feeling and this is something hotels will need to change. When guests arrive at a hotel, they expect an experience and technologies used to be responsible for this. I think it would be a great decision for all hotels to improve their research on how they can improve the guest experience. I like this article because it is in sync with another article I have read. It was about the strategically driven objectives of hotels adopting technology. Research suggested that hotels adopted technology to more so to benefit their business oppose to their guests; experience. This article is the opposite in that it suggest the guest first. I agree with this article because satisfying the guest will inevitable improve the business.
For the Marriott Project, our groups focusing on In-room entertainment relates to this article in many ways. Technology, being a key competitive advantage among the hospitality companies, want to give the guests a “home away from home” experience. As technology within households increases, the demand for these amenities greatly increases. These heavily IT related investments are all striving for the same goal of satisfying the customer by retaining guest information, and making their next stay more comforted (by reports from previous stay) by marketing to their needs. Agreeing with Ekaterina, for most guests, technology is no more a luxury, instead an essential convenience. The opportunities for new innovative technology will continue to grow, all focused on one concept of maintaining a convenience for the consumer.
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