Many existing legacy technology installments in hospitality are closed systems they are reluctant to open up to third-party integrations, applications and solutions, depriving the property and its guests from some very innovative and much-needed applications and services.

In the near to mid-term, any full-service 3-4-5-star hotel will need over 100 plus APIs (application programming interface) with third-party tech applications and solutions to be able to function and meet the basic needs and wants of today's tech-savvy travelers. These include mobile and contactless guest experience, mobile locks, issue resolution apps, guest messaging, virtual concierge, IoT devices and utility management, smart room technology, entertainment hubs, CRM programs, etc.

Until recently, this type of connectivity has been close to impossible or super expensive to achieve for properties with legacy technology installments of PMS,RMS, CRS, CRM and other components of the tech stack, which are hostile to any third-party interfaces by default.

Luckily for our industry, the future is already here in the form of two types of third-party technology integration platforms:

  • Cloud PMS with Open API like Opera Cloud PMS, StayNTouch, Protel, CloudBeds, Mews, etc. and their integration platforms, and
  • Independent integration hubs, like Impala, Hapi, APS, NoniusHub, etc., which are focusing on serving properties with existing legacy tech stack.

The question is, can the new integration hubs save our legacy tech-prone industry and elevate it to meet the demands of today's tech-savvy travelers?

Dai Williams
Dai Williams
Chief Growth Officer, SiteMinder

We've witnessed a rapid evolution in consumer behaviour in the last 20 months. A boom in online commerce, driven by our elevated reliance on tech in day-to-day life, has created an expectation that hotels are as tech-enabled as the other businesses we're dealing with daily. What this means is that hoteliers now not only need to excel at selling their rooms, as they always have – they're being pushed by their guests to operate at a higher standard than ever before, too.

When equipping hoteliers with the technology they need to continue meeting the needs of their guests, SiteMinder has long believed in simplicity, open access and choice as guiding principles. And, in the realm of the specialist, best-of-breed applications now needed more than ever, breaking down the industry's notorious integration barriers has been of particular importance.

Without question, open APIs and the seamless transfer of hotel data between any system underpin the future of our industry. However, to truly support all hoteliers in gaining access to a connected, sophisticated setup, and the rich guest insights it brings, a framework which allows for connectivity that's both affordable and open to a wide range of tech providers is ideal. Many platforms claim to be open, but do their integrations and partnerships support those claims? And, how can an integration hub claim to be an industry saviour if they charge high fees which can act as a cost barrier to the smaller businesses that need them most?

Beyond integrations, what is as critical is collectively fostering an environment that's encouraging and sensitive to the realities of trying new technology for the first time. As a hotelier trials an app that allows them to create a targeted pre-arrival upsell, for example, it's important they can give the solution a go, without needing to commit to it long-term.

In enabling this, we can ensure that as an industry we are not only focusing on bettering our products and how they work together, but on getting these online commerce solutions into the hands of more hoteliers – where they really matter.

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