HT-NEXT Insights From LG Electronics USA

How can hotels best leverage technology right now to meet the challenges of the pandemic and economic downturn?

Technology will play a pivotal part in dealing with the "new normal" created by the pandemic.  Coronavirus guidance and rules vary by state, county and municipality.  Digital signage display technology operating with a common application and messaging platform can simplify the process of making guests aware of the local rules and hotel-specific instructions.  Strategically placed digital signage displays with the right messaging will minimize guest confusion and make them feel safe.  Having a guestroom entertainment system on the in-room televisions can also bring the same messaging directly to the guest.  Having a centralization applications platform enables the brand to rapidly deploy video and signage messaging using an automated cloud-based approach to increase both guest and employee awareness.

How should hoteliers start thinking beyond the pandemic as they chart their tech roadmaps for the coming years?

With the exodus of the Hospitality workforce during the pandemic, hoteliers may see a shortage of available workers when business comes back to 2019 levels.  Hoteliers should start thinking of how certain jobs with repetitive tasks can be done with the use of inexpensive robotics.  By freeing up the existing staff to be focused on the guest-facing services, technology can be utilized to do the tasks most people don't want to do and in many cases can do far more effectively. We at LG firmly believe that the pandemic is accelerating the introduction of robotics into the hospitality industry and within the coming year we'll see real production examples of robots operating within hotels.