Hotels Must Embrace new Mobile Technology

AccomNews Wednesday, November 2, 2011

0 4 minutes read

This year’s HITEC was held in Austin Texas and was my 23rd year in succession that I have attended this event.

In my opinion HITEC is the biggest and the best hotel technology conference and exhibition in the world and if you want to get a handle on where technology is headed this is the event to attend

The top three key trends I observed at HITEC were:

1. Rise and rise of multiple applications for either tablet computing and smart phones

2. New guest-facing in room technology

3. Cloud Computing

Nearly every exhibitor at the show, especially those who’ve been in the industry a long time, seemed to agree that lodging automation is heading in two distinct but positive directions. One is the focus on guest-facing technology that entertains, informs or simplifies the customer experience. Road warriors everywhere will rejoice once all hotels understand what they want: a speedy, mistake-proof arrival process (either aided by technology or not), reliable and fast Internet service (free is nice but guests will pay if it’s top-notch service) and a guestroom media package that lets guests enjoy their entertainment the way they want and probably have at home (a dizzying array of TV channels, access to multiple forms of on-demand programming and a way guests can plug their own media into the guestroom electronics package.)

Certainly, 2011 is proving to be the year of iPad2 with sales projected to be greater than 50 million units alone and by 2012 tablet shipments are expected to exceed 80 million.

The key question is how the hospitality industry is going to embrace this new consumer driven technology both in and out of the guestroom.

Some of the applications that have been released or will be soon include:

1. Mobile check in anywhere – from lobby to guestroom.

2. Manager notification –VIP arrivals along with brief data on their profile and history with the property

3. Ability for staff to access high level statistics on the fly – today’s occupancy, guests still to arrive, housekeeping progress etc.

4. Hotel and area guides in rooms to replace all printed information

5. Order room service from tablet in guestroom that is fully integrated with hotel POS system and also to PMS or enter mini bar items

6. Ability to control all functionality in guestroom via the iPad such as lighting, air conditioning, TV, drapes etc.

7. Dynamic re-arrangement of housekeeping priorities and direct access to PMS to speed up check in for guests who may arrive early.

8. Access to engineering maintenance software where staff can enter new maintenance jobs on the tablet or review service history on existing equipment.

9. Package tracking – where items left behind by guests can be photographed and recorded and entered into the lost and found system

This is just a sample of applications that can be utilised provided the hotel has a wi-fi system installed ideally throughout the hotel as many hotels are now doing.

The other side of mobile technology getting a lot of buzz at HITEC involved mobile marketing.

Max Starkov, chief strategist for Hospitality eBusiness Strategies, told the audience that 20% to 25% of travel companies plan to add mobile booking capabilities in 2011 and 24% plan to create iPhone apps. He warned the hoteliers that mobile Internet is not just wireless access to conventional websites.

“Your mobile site can’t merely duplicate a traditional website,” he said. “The mobile application must download fast, have fewer pages and be more driven by text than visuals.”

Whether developing a smartphone app or a mobile version of a website, or both, hotel technologists and marketers need to build-in several critical features, Matt Vice, director of mobile solutions for TravelClick, told conference attendees.

Echoing other speakers, Vice emphasised a mobile strategy “isn’t about creating an abbreviated version of a traditional website because mobile users have shorter attention spans,” he said. “Above all, it must be fast and intuitive. Customers must be able to book and retrieve and change reservations. It should include customer profiles and a click-to-call button.”

Cloud computing: Many of the vendors at HITEC displayed technologies, both old and new, that could be adapted to the concept of cloud computing, which simply is the hosting of computer applications (typically CRS or PMS, but others also) offsite, often at a vendor facility or a hotel chain headquarters, rather than in a hotel’s basement or computer room. This so-called software-as-a-service is sold and maintained on a per-transaction basis, eliminating much of the upfront capital costs associated with acquiring technology. Properties also save on cooling and power costs, maintenance and security and IT staffing expenses.

Nick Price CIO/CTO of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has said Mandarin will only consider future IT solutions that can be deployed using cloud computing. One key reason is the chain’s global reach. As Mandarin develops and opens properties in emerging markets, particularly Asia, Price says it’s difficult to deploy on-property technology hardware in a timely manner. “It may take six weeks to get delivery of PMS hardware at some of these locations,” he said. “We can’t wait that long, so cloud technology solves the problem, as well as the issue of finding necessary on-site tech support.”

Other hotel chains are also beginning to look seriously at cloud based applications and it is going to be interesting to see how many of the mainstream PMS vendors adapt to this technology because I also believe that the advantages the technology brings outweighs the disadvantages.

In summary the key factor that is going to determine how quickly hotels embrace this new mobile technology whether it be either in or out of the guestroom (ideally both) is the willingness of hotels to invest in the wi-fi infrastructure. Also of key importance is the need to increase the bandwidth so guests experience on property with their tablet or mobile device is not affected by slow internet access.

Ted Horner
E Horner & Associates P/L