3 Tech Solutions for a New Era of Hospitality

Hospitality, like so many other industries, is looking for innovative solutions to cope with the turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions and lockdowns have made the hotel industry suffer – an estimated 870,000 jobs in American hotels were lost over the last year, with an occupancy decline of 32%. Furthermore, 59% of owners from an American Hotel & Lodging Association survey said that they were in danger of foreclosing their hotel this year.

Experts are predicting that it will be at least three years until air travel returns to pre-pandemic numbers, so hotels will need to focus on sustainable technologies in order to stay open. It is now more important than ever to understand the changing behaviors of consumers, so that the hospitality industry can recover. Organizations need to start rethinking the customer experience and engage with their audience in a different way to rebuild the trust which may have been lost over the last year.

Contact tracing is an area which hotels are beginning to focus on – in Singapore, customers are  using the SafeEntry smartphone app to scan a QR code before entering a restaurant, hotel, or another venue. However, there have been little developments in technology for health concerns – yet, advances in this sphere will be key to provide guests with the necessary assurance.

App-based services providing telehealth, virtual queuing, and a virtual front desk are three options which should be at the forefront of hotels’ minds moving forward.

Telehealth Solutions 

One solution which has been tested effectively is a mobile phone app which allows the periodic logging of guest and crew vital signs and the response to health questionnaires. If a guest starts showing symptoms from any infection, the hotel app can have a built in communications stack with a seamless link to various telehealth providers. There have been prior instances of hotels partnering with health insurance providers, for example, for guests to receive basic consultations, but they haven’t included vital sign checks via an integrated app.

Using the smartphone front-facing camera, the app can capture vital signs that can then be seamlessly shared with medical staff during a video call. All medical data is stored in the hotel’s app for HIPAA compliance, and the transfer of all health information is end-to-end encrypted. The software development kit (SDK) can be integrated right into the hotel app and, on the server side, this can be hosted in the cloud or on the hotel’s own server.

Virtual Queuing 

Virtual queuing has been offered to some extent in the hospitality industry already, but solutions have often been based on time-slot reservation, or for buying tickets. True virtual queuing takes unexpected delays or outcomes which increase the line speed into account, and automatically adjusts this information in real time.

In the case of hotels, virtual queuing allows guests to keep track of their place for anything which requires a “wait in line” method. For example, at the bar or casino, you can be notified when it is time to receive a drink or chips to play with. In a similar vein to the telehealth app, the SDK can be implemented into the hotel’s mobile app, and the company providing the service can manage the servers and security updates as required by the hotel. 

Virtual Front Desk

By utilizing the same communications stack embedded in the hotel app, a guest could have a video call with the front desk to get support from the comfort of their room or anywhere other than the lobby. This is particularly useful in a post Covid-19 world, as there will still be customers fearful of unnecessary public interactions. 

Vouch SG is an example of this kind of “digital concierge” currently in use in Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore, where users can make requests or book hotel facilities from their mobile device. This kind of technology is effective for basic requests, but it doesn’t account for more complex assistance. Within the framework of a virtual front desk, there is also scope for a butler service, where you could get a text message from a personal room steward when you are registered in the room. Then if you need anything, you can message them directly. 

Rather than inhibit the role of hotel employees, innovation should help them to develop in areas which are better-suited to humans. For example, in terms of managing a queue for smooth service in a bar, an automated system is going to be more effective. Therefore, employees can focus on more urgent situations such as lost luggage or any abnormal requests from guests. The training required for employees is not complicated for these technologies, due to the app carrying the majority of the burden, and so employees’ individual talents can be developed with the aid of technology to help drive the digital transformation which the hotel industry needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicholas Kyriakides, Co-Founder and COO of both netTALK CONNECT, a global digital communications provider, and netTALK MARITIME, a communications company that specializes in communications, location services & telehealth technologies for cruise lines.