How to Boost Ancillary Revenue and Guest Satisfaction
Hoteliers worldwide are embracing a significant return of leisure travel through the end of the year while anticipating a massive spike during Thanksgiving and winter holiday periods. Many are turning to technology to drive revenue while providing a personalized experience to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. The trend towards technological innovation began before COVID-19 but is increasing in acceptance, as hoteliers and customers understand the critical role of technology in managing their stay.
There’s little question that hoteliers are reviewing, updating, and embracing traditional customer-facing services thanks to the more widespread use of technology. This includes mobile check-in, contactless payment, biometrics, and voice control. These trends began before COVID-19 but have been accelerated based on the pandemic, its impact on the economy, as well as staffing issues and guest expectations. Other factors are driving this acceptance. Virtually all travelers now use facial and fingerprint recognition on smartphones and laptops and expect the same level of service and convenience in accessing their hotel rooms and taking advantage of the on-site amenities.
The hotel and resort industry needs to maximize operational efficiency and capture additional revenue as the industry continues to rebound from the pandemic. Increasingly, the key to winning and keeping customers is personalization, from the time they book their trip to their departure. Many hoteliers can now offer their guests personalized, easy-to-access services and amenities through a customized software.
Meeting Customer Demands
Customers today are more demanding than ever and at a time when they have more options. With many public spaces requiring capacity control, software platforms ensure that these spaces are compliant and guests receive the appropriate personalized services required. Guests increasingly want to order everything in advance of their arrival, not just the ability to book their room. This begs the question of why customers should have to wait until arrival on property to book amenities and experiences, such as guest cabanas, daybeds, spa treatments, food and beverage services, access to a fitness center, and even parking. Software provides hotel guests an easy way to reserve such amenities at the time of booking, ensuring they receive these services and not miss out upon arrival.
Importantly this process is seamless for the guest as in most instances the software is white labeled and integrated directly into the hotel and resort website. This allows for customization and flexibility. Since the software can be integrated into the hotelier's credit card processing, POS and PMS systems, guests can pay the hotel/resort through room charge and/or by credit card. And the hotel acquires important guest information and preferences to execute precise remarketing for future visits.
Benefits to Hoteliers
Improving the guest experience alone would be enough for most hoteliers to justify the expense of integrating such a software system. But there are real benefits to the operators as well.
To start, hoteliers capture ancillary revenues pre-arrival. For many, this has been a lost revenue opportunity that is now easily captured. In addition, this allows the hoteliers to improve inventory management, maximize efficiency, and streamline internal operations easily and quickly.
What’s more is that many of these software programs are compliant with all major hotel and resort brands for security and integration. It allows for integration for other commonly used technology vendors, such as Micro Simphony, Elavon, and FreedomPay, to name a few. This let's hotels and resorts use this platform for end-to-end real-time inventory management while tracking transactions from start to finish.
In summary, it is exciting to see the role that technology plays in supporting the hotel and resort industry as it rebounds from the economic impact of COVID-19.
About the Author
Shawn Tarter is CEO & Founder of RealTime Reservation, a Long Island, N.Y.- based organization that provides real-time inventory management reservation software to the hospitality/travel industry. Following his personal experience as a hotel guest, Shawn was eager to provide hotels with ways to improve the customer experience while delivering services that support client satisfaction and loyalty. In 2015, Shawn founded Ipalapa Corporation, which was rebranded in 2019 to RealTime Reservation. The company has experienced significant sales and revenue growth in the three short years since its rebrand, despite operating during a global pandemic. Today, the company employs over forty professionals across development, R&D, client services, administration, sales, and marketing and boasts more than 450 clients.