The Modern Hotelier: The Coupling of Mobility and Connectivity

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With Google processing 40,000 search queries every second and more than 204 million emails being sent every minute, it’s clear that the coupling of mobility and connectivity is no longer a luxury – it has become an imperative part of how we operate as a society.

How can hoteliers maximize their reach while staying relevant during this rapidly evolving digital age? The key is adapting a holistic understanding of what smart technology is available and how it can help hoteliers to manage and respond in real-time across various devices, both internally and externally.

Seamless cross device capabilities
Modern-day hotel managers require seamless integration. Information consumption has changed completely over the past decade, and now, hotel managers expect their everyday habits to become integrated into their work lives. Being able to quickly check a mobile device for the latest data update or to push an additional pricing change while sitting in a meeting has become the new normal for revenue managers. Similarly, the integration of cross-device capabilities has become paramount to decision-making, especially as the millennial workforce continues to rise within the hospitality industry.

In general, our society is becoming increasingly digitally native and nomadic. Digital is becoming an intuitive part of our everyday and is allowing us to leave behind traditional work lives. We no longer need to be in the office every day, and therefore, we need technology that can accommodate our evolving work styles, schedules and needs. With the availability and adoption of cross-platform technology, hoteliers can make strategic revenue decisions and empower their workforce in the most efficient way possible.

Intelligent and intuitive design matters in technology
The layering of different applications has propelled us into an advanced stage of personalization and engagement, while the coupling of design and functionality has empowered hotelier’s decision making. Being able to run a business from your phone has revealed how imperative design is to functionality and has reimagined for the way we interact with our technology.

Essentially, technology must be designed to think, learn and morph with each user’s unique clickstream in order to provide customized experiences and ultimately, be successful. Using an intelligent and intuitively designed platform gives hotel managers a true advantage by reducing the amount of time required between absorbing information and acting upon it. This competitive advantage eliminates the one size fits all mentality as the technology responds to them individually.

Instant communication where it matters
Messaging applications such as Snapchat, and Whatsapp are communication channels that are frequently overlooked in the process of implementing technology; however, they are key networks that hoteliers need to be familiar with in order to offer truly personalized customer interactions.

Externally, hotels can use messaging apps to connect to their guests in new and innovative ways. For example, Marriott has narrowed in on what makes sense for their implementation of a messaging chatbot. Their latest chatbot is a proactive solution, addressing an anticipated need as part of the brand’s recent merger. Overall, Marriott is using this app to eliminate confusion, address concern and streamline communications efficiently and effectively.

Meanwhile, for internal corporate use, instant communication applications allow teams to communicate within their own realm. Smart managers use this technology to communicate with their employees globally, regionally, or even across shifts through real-time alerts or a single click of a button.

As technology evolves, it makes sense for messaging apps to migrate into fully encompassing platforms. The office of the future is virtual, creating the perfect breeding grounds for one-stop-shop software that offers various solutions. Today’s hotelier isn’t clumsily jumping in and out of a series of separate, unintegrated apps. Instead, they are seamlessly transitioning between functions with a simple click or swipe.

Overall, adopting a mobile mindset is the key to breaking the traditional chain of commands and implementing new procedures. Taking advantage of the innovations in technology will ultimately help hoteliers make better decisions faster— giving them the advantage they need to be ahead of the curve, not behind it.

This content is created collaboratively in partnership with our sponsor LodgIQ