Here are seven ways technology can help your brand get the upper hand.
The hospitality sector is extremely competitive, and the rise of the Airbnb model’s popularity has created even more competition. One of the most important ways that hotels can differentiate themselves from other brands and Airbnbs is by adopting the latest tech trends. Tech solutions offer many benefits, helping hotels streamline their processes, automate tasks, gain valuable insights, reduce costs, and improve the customer experience exponentially.
To set your brand apart – and demonstrate that you’re a better option than Airbnbs – your hotel should:
- Invest in technology and training. Hotels must invest in the most innovative technologies to enhance the guest experience. One major disadvantage of Airbnbs is that they lack the brand standards around safety and cleanliness that hotels work so hard to maintain. Your brand should adopt UVC technology, a highly effective way to disinfect surfaces and reduce the spread of germs and bacteria. However, it’s equally important to ensure that staff are trained and educated on how to use the technology properly. Once hotels have integrated UVC technology into their housekeeping processes, it’s important to communicate this to guests. By informing guests that their room was cleaned with UVC technology, hotels can show their commitment to cleanliness and guest safety. This can be done through in-room messaging, on the hotel’s website, and through social media.
- Leverage data. Hotels should use tech tools to collect data, use those insights to track the effectiveness of their operations (including housekeeping), and identify areas for improvement. This can help hotels optimize their processes and ensure that all rooms are being cleaned to the same high standards. As one-off properties, Airbnbs don’t have set standards, technology, or programs, so they’re not all reliably clean. Hotels generate significant data, including auditing information, supplier safety certifications, reservation data, marketing metrics, etc. Brands can use the reporting functions within their hotel software to view and manage data, distill it into actionable insights, and make more informed business decisions.