Information Technology has played an important role in the development of the hotel industry and hospitality industry overall.
Information Technology is even more important for the hotel industry after the damage done by the Covid Pandemic.
In this post, we have covered the ways information technology has been helping the hotel industry. We have also mentioned how information technology is going to give a major push to the growth of the hotel industry.
Information Technology in the hotel industry:
Information technology is everywhere in the hotel industry. And, there is a scope of a lot more.
Technology is transforming lives and businesses.
Why should the hotel industry miss out on the opportunities? The covid pandemic has given a massive blow to the growth of the hotel industry. IT can help it bounce back quickly.
Here are some of the activities in the hotel industry that have been improved tremendously by information technology.
Property Management Systems
Gone are the days when we needed to write each data and save them in files.
Also, gone are the days when we used to manually generate reports, used to fill multiple excel files and then all departments used to tally their figures.
Property management systems have now removed these duplications and integrated things seamlessly.
Think of the hotel industry without the check-in software, billing systems, other information systems and hotel management software. It would have been a nightmare both for the hotel staff and customers with these.
Property management systems help automate a lot of tasks including but not limited to billing, check in- check out, inventory, staff leaves, employee onboarding etc.
Online Booking
You are just a tap of a button away from booking a hotel room.
Think of the heavy lifting that must be going in the background.
Thanks to information technology for you. It makes processes so simple that you start it take them for granted and don’t even realise the processes.
Amadeus, Galileo and other reservation systems make it easy for us to book hotel rooms from the comfort of our room.
It also makes life easy for the hotel staff as it is all integrated and happens in real-time to provide the best customer experience.
In-room technology- Smart Hotel Rooms
Keyless entries are common now. Just scan your barcode given at the time of booking.
Also, a lot of budget hotels have ensured hassle-free check-in and self-check-in processes.
This has been possible due to technological intervention.
You can find rooms in top hotels loaded with technology for a better customer experience.
Lights, cooling, television, and services are all at your fingertips.
You can continue using Siri / Alexa and Google Assistant to work for you even in smart hotel rooms.
That’s what technology brings to the table for the hotel industry. Simplifying process and enhancing customer delight and convenience.
Mobile Websites
There are over 15 billion mobile devices in the world at the moment (Data source- Statista). This number is set to increase to over 18 Billion by 2025.
We are all on mobile these days and want all the services made available to our smartphones.
Without the help of technology, the hotel industry would be missing a huge market. Thus, mobile websites have been a revolution.
Also, the mobile websites of the hotels have also helped them in getting direct bookings and maintaining customer loyalty through push notifications and emails.
Artificial Intelligence in the hotel industry
The future of the hotel industry would see a lot more of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
A lot of hotels have already adopted artificial intelligence in hotels and services. Some of the examples of the same are:
- Chatbots
- Robot Butlers
- Automated check-in
- Smart Rooms
- Better customer understanding and branding
And a lot more.
Data Analytics
This is related to Artificial intelligence.
A lot of organisations use data analytics in the hotel industry. Some of the examples are:
- Offering personalised offers in your mailbox and through messages. This involves the use of big data and analysing of collected data. The data can now be collected and stored for many years and helps hotels understand customer demand better. This opens up opportunities to upsell and offer a more personalised experience.
- Connecting guests to IoT (Internet of Things) and using predictive analysis for radical personalisation.
And the list goes on and on. We don’t even know to what scale the hotels now observe each and every data that we offer them before, during and after our stay.
Blockchain in hospitality
Blockchain has radicalised the hotel industry. Token payments, UPI payments etc. would not have been possible without Blockchain.
Blockchain in the hospitality industry is used for multiple things that include but are not limited to:
- Customer loyalty programmes
- Data privacy
- Secure payments
And much more.
Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality
No more disappointment due to bad weather. No more traffic woes. Just convenience-based travel. Augmentation can make your experience richer and better.
Augmented reality is the future of the hospitality industry.
A lot of organisations are enhancing the experience of hotel stay using augmented reality and virtual reality.
Remember Pokemon game. With Pokeman no more a revolution, you can expect similar fun while travelling. Get real-time updates, best places, meeting people and more with Augmented reality.
Conclusion
Here you go, some of the useful information about information technology in the hotel industry.
The hotel industry has embraced technology and it needs to incorporate more of the recent innovation to be robust and immune to Covid pandemic like hiccups.
IT in the hotel industry can improve customer satisfaction, can decrease costs and lead to a more engaged and happier workforce. The opportunities are limitless!!
