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Unquestionably, the arrival of modern technology has been revolutionary. Since its advent, our way of thinking and living has changed abruptly. From our homes to commercial sites to city management, everything is witnessing how modern technology is reshaping our future, and the hotel industry is no exception.
Interestingly, the hotel industry is one of the leading industries that has successfully integrated smart technology within itself. From business operations to guest accommodations to advertising services, everything has become streamlined and exquisite. Hotels need to keep themselves ready in case of any emergency. For example, if a staff member or visitor has a heart attack they may need a defibrillator to restart their heart. In these cases, hotel managers will need to be prepared and find out how to choose defibrillators for hotels. These are just a few ways technology is improving our day-to-day lives.
Here are some ways in which technology is reshaping the hospitality industry.
Smart power management
With the ever-increasing human population, energy resources are being depleted rapidly. Some studies have shown that by around 2050, the world will plunge into major power shortage issues. So, unless new and smart energy alternatives such as solar energy are sought, meeting the energy requirements via conventional energy resources would be challenging.
To counter the emerging energy crisis, technology has introduced smart means of not only saving energy, but also introducing many alternatives. The hospitality industry has widely integrated smart business technologies within its framework to meet the energy demands of consumers. For instance, smart thermostats and occupancy sensors are widely in place to facilitate guest experience during their stay. Likewise, smart power management systems are set up that aids hotel management in optimizing their energy usage.
Housekeeping tools
During busy seasons, managing housekeeping can be difficult, and delays can create an unfavorable experience for guests. So many vacation rental businesses are now deploying management software programs that allow management to make their operations and services simplified and flawless. This software helps hotel staff to perform housekeeping-related tasks more effectively and effortlessly. Requesting cleaning and management services is a mere click away, and managers can complete their workload from a single app or dashboard. This helps to ensure visitors are well looked after and enjoy a comfortable stay.
Smart lighting
Smart lights allow hotel management to better manage energy costs in their rental property. At the same time, it also helps automate power consumption while adapting to instantaneous fluctuations in tenancy. Just as you can optimize the performance of HVAC units based on usage, you can now also optimize smart lighting systems. This includes desired lighting times, tracing tenancy patterns, and reducing the overall energy consumption.
Prognostic maintenance
Scheduling maintenance in the hospitality industry is one of the most crucial aspects that decide the quality of services offered to guests. No one wants to stay in a hotel with limited or broken services. A faulty air-conditioning system, inadequate lighting, or delayed room service can spoil anyone’s stay at a hotel. Therefore, hotel management must have a sound maintenance system to ensure guests feel at home.
Thankfully, technology indicates numerous ways hotel owners can ensure their customers stay satisfied. One such way of doing so is prognostic maintenance. Just as you can monitor and optimize your power consumption via smart power management systems, prognostic maintenance enables you to timely configure maintenance schedules.
Prognostic maintenance enables hotel management to collect and utilize sensor data to determine any maintenance required within the hotel premises. Whether it be fixing faulty cables, HVAC units, lighting, or alarms, you can fix it before it turns into a bigger problem. As a hotel owner, you might even save a lot of money. After all, replacement costs are far higher than repairing costs.
Moreover, the Internet of Things technology has been a breakthrough. It has enabled many hotel managers to timely execute maintenance schedules or predict the need for one. You can easily figure out potential maintenance issues, avoid system breakdowns, and reduce costs by collecting data through online administration platforms. You can collect data on HVAC units, their runtimes, performance, or critical alerts for maintenance.
Smart parking
Where technology has allowed hotel management the luxury to take control of their services and equipment, it also offers many perks to guests. A common issue many people face while staying in a hotel is finding a suitable place to park their vehicle. With so many guests to accommodate, hotels might not have enough space to accommodate their vehicles in the parking lot. Consequently, it can lead to unsatisfied customers and a dent in the hotel’s reputation.
However, technology has introduced a way for hotel guests to park their vehicles safely and conveniently – smart parking systems. Smart parking systems combine technology and human invention, allowing users to spend minimal resources such as fuel and space while ensuring convenient parking. It uses infrared sensors that effectively identify empty and occupied parking lots and sends the collected data to the users and the online management platform. Ultimately, users can access the information via a web application.
Remote check-in
Hotel check-ins were one of the most troublesome phases people had to go through in the past. There were reports where users complained to hotel management regarding the slow reservation process and hotel check-ins. Sometimes, people had to wait for hours to confirm their reservations because of slow administrative processes or incorrect room allocation due to human errors. But today, all such problems have vanished, thanks to technology.
With the introduction of smart business technology, many hotels have shifted towards promoting remote check-ins and online room reservations. Today, customers can conveniently navigate the hotel’s website and reserve rooms as per their desires. Some hotels also offer the luxury of remote check-ins via a mobile app. This allows guests to manage their lodging needs while saving time and money.
Apart from meeting the staffing requirements, the technology also assists hotel management in speeding up their operations. They can provide users with a more customized experience while timely offering all basic and modern amenities. Even at check-out time, guests don’t have to go through unnecessary paperwork. Instead, you can enjoy a self-check-out experience while focusing on other important matters.
Conclusion
Enhancing the guest experience is a promise that every hotel makes. But to fulfill this promise, the hospitality industry must integrate smart technology to ensure its guests are welcome and satisfied. You can ensure your guests feel at home by introducing remote check-ins, a smart power management system, smart parking, and predictive maintenance.
