When a company franchises more than 6,200 hotels around the world, that size and global reach provides a unique position to make the most of mobile's advantages. While size and coverage present Choice Hotels with advantages, the company must also be both nimble and farsighted to maintain a leadership position. That means making technology a company priority and focusing first on the needs of those franchisees. READ MORE
HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
January FOCUS: Mobile Technology
Mobile Technology: The Biggest Challenges
This month's feature articles...
It seems that every year since the launch of the first iPhone back in 2007 marketers, technologists, futurists and erstwhile prognosticators have been calling the year that follows, “The Year of Mobile,” or variations thereof. While the mantra may have worn thin, the meaning behind those words is no less relevant as we head into 2013. READ MORE
For a hotel, the “end game” of practical, applied technology is a 360° view of guests' needs, preferences, and behavior. The goal is to be in sync with guests, anticipating their desires, responding with personalized service, and forging bigger, better relationships. When both guests and staff are empowered with data-rich technology, a hotel can promote the brand, build guest loyalty, and increase revenue. The good news: the technology is ready to go. The first step? The will to innovate. Isn't it time to wake up to the possibilities? READ MORE
Largely a result of the proliferation of smartphones, many appraisals and anecdotes of a guest's experiences at a hotel are now being published online in real-time - that is, as events are occurring or soon thereafter. To properly coordinate management efforts towards this new pedigree of reviews requires a new level of tact and alacrity for measurable success. READ MORE
Technology is intertwined into every fiber of life. In the last decade alone, we have seen incredible advances within the digital world. From reinventing consumer engagement to changing the way we communicate, these advancements have gifted the world with an increase in efficiency, convenience and thrill. More recently, technology has left its mark on the hotel industry, creating a race to the top for hotels all over the globe. Four Seasons Los Angeles' ongoing dedication to excellence has led to the creation and implementation of several innovative and groundbreaking technologies, allowing this hotel to maintain its position as a leader in hotel technology. READ MORE
Mobile is an important travel planning and hotel distribution channel; a channel that hoteliers must embrace to be successful in 2013. One of the most notable developments this year is that the terms “mobile marketing” and “mobile technology” really evolved to include not just mobile phones. Tablet devices such as the iPad, Samsung Galaxy and Google Nexus quickly became a significant part of the travel planning and booking process. To make matters even more complicated, while mobile phone and tablet devices are considered “mobile” devices, they should be treated as separate distribution channels with their own respective marketing initiatives. READ MORE
I'm frequently asked to weigh in on choosing the optimal technology solution for various situations. It's not just about the platform or tools; the request is often to find the best overall solution, or combination of solutions, to support a specific business goal or meet a specific client need. How can you and your team determine your options and have confidence that a good decision was made? Six basic keys can help you evaluate and select the best technology solution to meet the specific needs of your company. READ MORE
Sit in any conference or meeting today and it is easy to see that tablets, smart phones and ultra portables have invaded the workplace. Enterprises are unable to keep up with the light-speed march of new devices, new operating systems and form factors; leaving the door open for consumers to drive the need for using personally owned equipment with corporate information systems. Striking a balance between security and usability falls on the Information Technology infrastructure of your organization. READ MORE
- Mobile Technology
- Hospitality is on the Move - How Mobile Apps are Empowering Guests and Boosting Hotels' Bottom Lines
As consumers are now spending more time on their mobile phones than ever before, travelers are expressing a growing preference to engage in business transactions from their own mobile devices. This has given rise to a whole new world of marketing opportunities, consisting of terms such as smartphone, mobile tagging, mobile sites, geo-location, and social media marketing. Today, approximately one half of local searches are performed on mobile devices, and it is estimated that by 2014, mobile Internet access will overtake desktop Internet usage. READ MORE
- Mobile Technology
- Hotel Security Vendors Embrace Mobile Check-in For Customer Satisfaction, Efficiency
Today's increasingly mobile-friendly consumers are expressing a need for hospitality that centers on connection, convenience and comfort, and as such they are demanding more self-service options that incorporate mobile technologies into their hotel stays. It is often faster and easier to engage in automated self-service than to wait in a long queue to interact with hotel staff at the front desk. Hospitality technology is evolving quickly to meet these changing guest needs and expectations through mobile and online technologies. READ MORE
Mobility is only going to continue to grow and the number of devices guests bring into our hotels is only going to grow as well. These devices will continue to depend on reliable and ubiquitous connectivity. Guest will expect that their devices will be able to connect inside your hotel without much hassle or user intervention. Guest have already started making decision on where they stay based on the connectivity they will have don't let this be the reason guests will not stay at your hotel. READ MORE
The recent rise in the BYOD trend, presents both an opportunity and a threat to today's hotel industry. By incorporating technology, hotels can provide extended customer service to guests before, during and after their stay with the simple use of an app. Service delivery is vital for all hotels and, when implemented and maintained correctly, mobile apps can certainly complement this. However, it can be daunting for hoteliers to stray from the traditional way of operating. But, if they don't, their competitors sure will... READ MORE
It's been said enough that “mobile” is a ripe landscape for travel marketers. Statistics abound detailing who, what, why, where, when, and how consumers are leveraging devices to plan, buy, experience, and share their travels. I don't think we need to revisit those statistics now, but what we do need to explore is how these new interfaces and resulting behaviors are opening up a new channel for digital marketing. This channel is a twist on traditional digital marketing (if such a statement can be made), which leverages the constructs of mobile websites and device-native applications for the delivery of targeted display advertising. READ MORE
Text messaging is now a mass-market phenomenon in the U.S. market. According to the CTIA wireless industry trade association, there are annually 2.3 trillion text messages sent. When you do the math, the average user sends or receives 20 messages per day, including those users that don't text at all. The average adult user of text is close to 42 text messages per day. Younger guests, in the 18 to 29 age demographic, text at a rate of over 87 per day. Many in the upcoming generation prefer to text over talk. READ MORE
Gaining a sustained competitive advantage in the hospitality marketplace almost always revolves around a strong customer relationship management (CRM) program. Obtaining customer loyalty, once based on having the right product at the right price, has evolved into creating strategies geared toward customer engagement through participation incentives. Social networking, digital media, mobile commerce, and Geo-fencing applications have contributed to guest empowerment and/or entitlement. To attract and interest guests, hotels and restaurants are turning to gamification as a primary means for establishing long-term brand affiliation. READ MORE
Today the majority of guests bring multiple devices - laptop, a powerful smartphone with expanded Internet browsing capabilities, tablet computers, gaming devices etc. - and all of these devices are hungry for Wi-Fi. The electronics manufacturing industry has found that Wi-Fi is a great technology that keeps customers happy: devices use less battery power when they're on Wi-Fi compared to the mobile network, users generally don't have to eat up their cellular minutes when surfing the Internet on Wi-Fi and devices seem to run faster. In fact, many devices are designed specifically to perform best over Wi-Fi, and some applications only work over Wi-Fi. The end result: hotel guests with lots of Wi-Fi-enabled devices, all of which are primed to gobble up loads of bandwidth. READ MORE
Recent Features ...
December 2012
The Hotel Concierge: Principles and Best Practices
November 2012
Hotel Sales & Marketing: The Biggest Challenges
October 2012
Hotel Conference Center Trends for 2013
September 2012
Best Practices on Maximizing Revenue Management
August 2012