INDUSTRY WATCH
THE KEY LIES IN USING
SMART TECHNOLOGY, SUCH
AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
(AI), TO UNLOCK VAST
AMOUNTS OF DATA.
investment in data gathering
technologies. Interconnected IoT
devices are now becoming embedded
throughout hotels and can provide
digital access to amenities, such as
room keys, entertainment and room
lighting. Tink Labs, for example, created
Handy, a mobile-based IoT tool for
hotels to create and deliver curated
content and experiences for guests.
This includes information about local
activities, the option to order room
service and a helpdesk to assist with the
local language.
2. Understanding the value of data
Beyond the bells and whistles, the
real value of an IoT strategy is in the
data that it generates to enhance the
customer experience. However, data
from IoT devices and sensors is only
effective if it can be harnessed and
applied. This requires a sophisticated
data platform to aggregate the
immense volume of data that often
exists in disparate formats and turn it
into valuable insight that will inform
decisions for both guest experiences
and operations.
Data modernisation paves the way for
hotels to drive analytics automation at
scale, which can create big advances in
customer experience and open up new
revenue opportunities. For example,
advanced analytics such as Evolutionary
AI can help hotels decide which offers
are most relevant both before arrival and
throughout a stay.
3. Making life easier with cloud
Like many other industries, most
hospitality businesses are currently
in the process of migrating many of
their critical applications to the cloud
– a key starting point to their Digital
Transformation strategies. Despite being
slower in other areas of technology
adoption, the UK hotel industry currently
leads the way in cloud PMS (property
management system) adoption – which
enables hotels to manage bookings,
customer records, rates, marketing data
and operations – with as much as 90%
of all hotels consisting of a PMS system
and 32% having a cloud PMS.
Having the customer database in the
cloud helps companies to ensure a
uniform experience for guests across
the business by giving complete control
of all daily tasks in one place, whether
that is managing reservations and
check-ins or even financial forecasting
and revenue management.
4. Creating a decentralised and
traceable place for data
The distribution of hotel rooms on
Blockchain to eliminate intermediaries
and provide rooms directly to guests is
another recent trend in the UK and one
that is certainly worth considering for
larger hotel chains. Its core benefit to
the hospitality industry is in providing
a decentralised and traceable place for
data, as well as improved cybersecurity,
which is vital for customers when dealing
with financial information.
Rohit Gupta, VP Europe – Products and
Resources at Cognizant
TUI, for example, moved 100 million
hotel rooms to its private Blockchain.
One of its projects, BedSwap,
allows hotel owners to monitor and
record hotel inventories and room
availability live, so TUI knows exactly
where and how many hotel rooms
are available for accommodation.
5. Enhancing the human
touch with AI
While AI can never fully replace
the human touch, there are many
opportunities for hotels to automate
customer engagement in ways that
enhance their experience.
Take, for instance, common
frustrations such as calling the front
desk to report a problem with a
room or requesting assistance and
being put on hold, or worse, getting
no response at all.
Instead, an integrated AI-enabled
messaging platform that uses
asynchronous communication can
engage immediately and interact with
guests on a personal level. Because it
is integrated with other systems, it can
access the necessary information to
resolve common requests. Automation
can also drive operational efficiency,
reduce costs and boost employee
morale by reducing time spent on
repetitive and mundane tasks. This
frees up time for staff to focus on
personalising and enhancing the guest
experience and solving complex issues
more effectively.
Recognising new priority areas to
maintain growth
While adhering strictly to data privacy
regulations and COVID rules, the UK’s
hospitality sector must continue to
develop digital capabilities to meet
the expectations of digital natives,
gather data to find out what guests
want, discover patterns within guest
journeys and free up employee time
from admin tasks to focus on ones that
improve job satisfaction.
Only then can they boost the customer
experience and deliver memorable stays
for all guests. •
76 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com