Hotel luxury is a moving target. Of course, the visibility of design trends makes decade-over-decade changes in décor and furnishing relatively easy to call attention to as the engine of this continuous evolution. But let us not forget the underlying ‘invisibility’ that powerful technologies play in reinforcing the five-star hotel experience.
The hospitality industry has suffered major labor shortages, as of earlier this year, over 2 million hospitality jobs were open and job reports show little change since.
In Frederik Backman’s New York Times best-selling book, “A Man Called Ove”, the first chapter is aptly titled, “A man called Ove buys a computer that is not a computer.” In those first few pages, readers are introduced to fifty-nine-year-old Ove, a decidedly grumpy and impatient man who ventures into a tech store on a mission to buy a computer. He mistakenly asks the young sales associate for an ‘O-Pad’. The exchange only becomes more strained as Ove repeatedly asks the associate if the tablet is a good computer, and the associate explains that while it’s a good piece of technology, it depends on what type of computer he wants. As you can imagine, Ove’s frustration soon peaks when the associate attempts to explain that a keyboard was sold separately and then tries to direct him to a MacBook (which Ove endearingly calls a ‘McBook’) instead.
If I were asked to compile a list of the most prominent figures currently influencing the trajectory of the independent lodging industry, Andrew Benioff, the Founder and Chairman of the Independent Lodging Congress would undoubtedly be included. As a tenured hospitality professional, I’ve been given the opportunity to connect with countless thought leaders in the space – many of whom exhibit a seemingly unquenchable appetite for innovation and growth – and Benioff is no exception.
Ask ten people what traveling the US looks like to them, and you’ll no doubt get ten different answers. It’s hiking in Yosemite, route 66 in a Cadillac, sundrenched Florida, pizza in NYC, and much, much more. It’s the boundless options that make the US one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
Suppose I asked you to conjure up an image of a ‘tech hub.’ In that case, I imagine your mind might place you in the streets of Silicon Valley, rife with sprawling university-like tech campuses and unicorn start-ups causing a stir amongst technologists, investors, and consumers. Perhaps, your mind may jump to other global leaders in tech, such as London, UK, Beijing, New York City, or even Tel Aviv – but would Canada make that list? It certainly should.
The hospitality industry has been engulfed in whispers of a technological overhaul for years. We were told that the sea of legacy platforms that essentially ruled the hospitality landscape would finally be abandoned for modern alternatives. But with each passing year, promises of widespread digital innovation were quietly broken, as countless hospitality brands held on to their original, legacy systems long past their expiration date.
Do you ever wonder how Netflix or Amazon find the perfect content or products for you when you log on? These industry leaders have cracked the code to keep customers coming back through data-driven personalization—using unique customer insights to recommend the ideal products or shows that are perfect for them.
They say the only guarantees in life are death and taxes, but if you work in the hospitality technology space, at least one other certainty exists - the annual meeting of the minds that is HITEC®. For over 50 years, the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) has become an industry staple, giving attendees a unique opportunity to witness new product launches and innovations while listening to expert panels, partaking in exclusive education sessions, and, of course, networking with industry peers. Hailed as the industry’s premier technology event, HITEC attracts attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors from around the globe. This year, the renowned conference is heading north to set up shop in Canada’s most glamorous hotspot - Toronto. And yes, that is where Drake and The Weekend are from!
Moving into 2023, the hospitality industry continues to advance in guest-facing as well as back-office technology, allowing hotel owners and management groups the ability to increase revenue, lower labor costs, and streamline accounting functions, all while realigning resources to improve the guest experience. Some trends have been around for a while and continue to advance, such as cloud-based platforms, while there are others in the hospitality industry taking steps toward smart hotels and artificial intelligence. Over the course of 2023, you will see the industry shift to a level of progressiveness that we’ve never seen before by using more automation and contactless options as we build the bridge between the digital and physical worlds.
The exchange of goods and services is a critical cog in the wheel of how our world works. As we skim through the pages of history books, we are met with countless, comparatively archaic examples of what we know now to be retail commerce. But even just a few decades ago, many of the digitally-empowered conveniences that define our retail experiences today might have seemed, at that time, far-fetched.
As foreign nationals arrive in the U.S. on temporary Visas to help fill labor gaps, hotel operators can leverage mobile communication tools to remove the language barrier and assist with onboarding, training, scheduling, engaging, and recognizing employees.
It’s been more than a dozen years since the City Center opened in Las Vegas, with its Aria Resort as its cornerstone property. Since that time, properties have added towers and expanded their footprints, but no one has ventured to effectively start from scratch with another landmark development, until the Genting Group’s opening of their latest Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV).
Held in person for the first time since June 2019, the hotel industry’s premier show on technology took place in Dallas during the final week of September, running concurrent to the Lodging Conference over in Phoenix.
As anyone in the hospitality industry is undoubtedly aware, it is finally that time of year again. The Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) is just around the corner, marking the long-awaited return of in-person events and tradeshows. This year, HITEC will take place in Dallas, Texas, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center from September 27-30th.
Although telecommunications costs account for a small percentage of expenses, data during 2015 through 2019 revealed a significant upward trend in telecom related expenditures. To achieve more efficient hotel operations and survive the changing landscape, hotel owners and operators are finding new ways to control telecommunications expenses.
Spring break is here and whether due to the need to get a break from cold winter temperatures, or the excitement to travel again following recent vaccinations, or both, it seems there is an increased interest to travel. Amadeus, a global leader in travel technology, with its unique ability to track forward-looking occupancy in major markets around the world, is seeing a positive trend in U.S. hotel bookings during the month of March.
Technology is everywhere in a modern hotel, and in 2021 and beyond, it is not only about in-room Wi-Fi or booking a hotel room online. The reality is that the list of guest-facing technology is quite long. Plus, now hotel companies are leaning on technologies to limit personal contact in support of social distancing. This leads us to ask: are our guests satisfied with these new technologies? Does technology satisfaction carry over to the overall satisfaction of the hotel stay? More importantly, would guests rebook with the same hotel company in the future?
Traveling to Las Vegas at the start of the year to see what tomorrow looks like, has been something I've always looked forward to through the years. CES was that for me, opening my eyes to what the future holds. I would be one of some 200,000 walking around the stalls taking delight in inspecting and testing the various gadgets, appliances or the latest in technology of most things that touch our lives. This year, all these could only be enjoyed vicariously and virtually as a consequence of COVID. I admit I miss the hustle and bustle of the show, the glitz, and glamour of the stands, but not the endless walking while battling jetlag. But if there is anything this pandemic has taught us, it has forced us to embrace change and make the most of what our new way of life has to offer. So for five days, I was a WFH desk jockey, and all my walking was done through my keyboard.
The need for viral safety has made technology inescapable for hotels. With all the new protocols for self check-in, mobile room keys, physical distancing, contact tracing, prearrival virus screenings (staff and guests), contactless transactions and rigorously itemized cleaning checklists, and with less revenue to go around due to the lack of groups, the only way to stay profitable is through continued automation.