Transforming guest experiences: the role of digital identity in hospitality
The hospitality industry is evolving with the adoption of digital identity management systems. Traditional identity verification methods, often time-consuming and insecure, are giving way to more efficient and secure digital identity verification. By implementing decentralized systems and biometric face authentication, hotels can improve the guest experience through expedited check-in processes, personalized services, and enhanced privacy.
Identity in Hospitality is not what it used to be. For some people, identity is simply a passport, maybe a driver's license. For others, identity can also include a loyalty card or an access card. To many, it is about a username and password to access some website or even an email address. The truth is: identity is all of that. Those are simply examples of particular facets of our identity in Hospitality.
Managing guest identity presents a significant burden for hoteliers in the hospitality industry. Firstly, hoteliers must establish verification processes and systems to confirm the identity of guests, which can involve requesting identification documents, such as passports or driver's licenses, and cross-referencing them with reservation details. Secondly, guest verification adds complexity and friction to the check-in process, leading to longer waiting times, guest dissatisfaction and ultimately lower revenue per available room. We all know staff should focus on high-value human-touch guest interactions that add to the hotel top line instead of typing numbers behind a desk. In a digital world, why would staff even need a desk anyway?
The Hotel Yearbook Technology 2023
The 2024 edition of "The Hotel Yearbook (HYB) Technology," curated by EHL's Ian Millar, offers a comprehensive outlook on the emerging technology trends and innovations poised to shape the global hotel industry. It amalgamates insights from a multitude of industry thought leaders, spotlighting key foresight in several tech-oriented fields. This includes anticipated evolutions in the future tech stack, which will drive operational efficiencies, the 'human stack' that explores the intersection of human resources and technology, and the application of Generative AI in creating novel customer experiences. Overall, this HYB edition serves as an essential guide for understanding how technology and innovation will redefine the industry landscape.