HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW January FOCUS: Mobile Technology
The Age of Mobile is upon us. Nine in 10 Americans and 70 percent of people worldwide use mobile phones to text, email, exchange pictures or video, and interact via social networks more often than they talk with each other. 50 billion apps will be downloaded in 2013 and major hotel corporations are creating their own apps which employees utilize to track sales, monitor systems, or check-out customers without being tied to their stations. Equally significant is the rapidly emerging trend that permits consumers to make purchases or transfer funds through their mobile device. In addition, hotel guests are now routinely using their devices to select rooms, unlock hotel doors, make restaurant and golf course reservations, book a massage, order from room service, and track the location of family and friends using GPS technology. Furthermore, hotels are still facing the perennial issue regarding wi-fi ? to charge or not to charge for high-speed internet access. It is no longer a question whether the hospitality industry will fully embrace this revolution but rather when, how and to what extent. The January Hotel Business Review will investigate what some hotels are doing to maximize their opportunities in this mobile space, and will report on the solutions that are proving to be most beneficial for both companies and their guests.
This month's feature articles...
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
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
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
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
As hotels' mobile offerings continue to expand beyond simple search functions, the support for a mobile app goes far beyond the IT and reservation teams - it involves the entire staff and a guest experience that goes beyond the property. This article will look at those brick-and-mortar requirements and opportunities for hoteliers to build a mobile strategy from the ground up. READ MORE
This article addresses general and hotel specific business continuity management program basics including senior management buy-in, program initiation, risk assessment, Business Impact Analysis (BIA), prevention, mitigation and recovery strategies as supported in a business continuity plan. The article also differentiates between a private sector business continuity program and public sector Continuity of Operations (COOP) program. Additionally, this article discusses other critical business continuity management program components such as awareness, training, testing, ongoing program management and the importance of employee and family preparedness. READ MORE
Mobile measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) - “mobile metrics” - are the basis for hoteliers to take decisions for adjusting and proving mobile strategy. Mobile phones are expected to surpass PCs for Internet access in about 2 years' time from now. Corporate offices of hotel chains and revenue managers and GMs on hotel level must be aware of benchmarks for conversion rates, traffic and devices being used by guests while competing with indirect 3rd party distribution channels for the fastest growing “channel” that is mobile. Selling opportunities provided via mobile devices must be carefully analyzed. Last-minute deals require thorough evaluation so that pricing strategies are not jeopardized. READ MORE
A fundamental shift is underway in how we consume digital information. The web is transforming into an application-based interface delivering content and documents served up from the cloud. This trend has the potential to dramatically enhance guest's experiences while increasing hotel efficiency. READ MORE
The New Year is upon us and your guests are in a heightened state of personal health awareness. Each year the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) publishes its annual survey of fitness trends. Maintaining awareness of the growing health and wellness concerns of your guests will help you continue to shape your fitness center over time. The hospitality based fitness trends for 2013 in this article are certainly here to stay for a while. The following are the top trends in fitness this year that apply to the Hotel industry and how you can best keep pace with them. READ MORE
With the U.S. adoption of EMV secure-chip payments processing standards on the horizon, hotel owners/operators must begin planning for significant upgrades to their organization's payment acceptance systems. Future-proofing investments in payment software or hardware to include the ability to process technologies such as EMV will keep hoteliers on the cutting edge of payments and security. Acknowledging these major changes to the payments processing landscape by adopting this technology early will save time, headaches and the possibility for major penalties down the road. READ MORE
It's no surprise that in a hospitality setting, the use of technology in the coming years will be more cutting edge, especially in mega resorts and boutique hotels aiming to cater to both discerning and hip guests. As we say goodbye to 2012 and usher in a new year, exciting changes are taking place within hotels, many which are already becoming apparent. So how will the incorporation of new and changing technology impact structural, operational, or interior design of hotels? READ MORE
Benchmarking involves measuring your current practices and comparing them against your competition in order to identify, understand, and adapt the practices that are effectively being used by your competitors. Benchmarking represents a powerful mechanism for encouraging building owners to improve hotel water performance. READ MORE
As hotel spas have grown from the “nail salons” of the eighties to the “Medi-Spa” of today, they face new risks and exposures. Today's hotel must examine a wide variety of potential spa risks—from tanning beds and the smallest slip and fall to catastrophic medical malpractice or Legionella bacteria claims. It's essential to understand your risks, ensure you have adequate insurance coverage for each one and then implement a risk management program that will establish best practices to reduce the frequency and severity of losses. A safe environment will ensure your spa's relaxing luxurious experience will keep guests coming back for more. READ MORE
The growing number of travelers that need special accommodations or access is changing the face of the hospitality industry forever. Currently there are more than 54 million Americans with disabilities. Additionally, somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 everyday of the year and will do so for the next 19 years! How many of these baby boomers have - or will have in the future - different abilities that require special accommodations? Is your brand being proactive and making the adjustments necessary to meet the changing needs of the multigenerational travelers? How will you stay relevant? READ MORE
Consumers gather information from all sorts of places to make buying decisions. In order to improve results, hotels must consider the variety of modes of communication to engage customers and layout a strategy that helps drive content across the multiple platforms. Successful hotel marketing strategies will look at marketing as a holistic undertaking that includes multiple layers. Messaging efforts need to have an emphasis on improved results with the sole purpose of driving traffic and conversions. READ MORE
What are the major drivers of change confronting the hotel industry? To delve deeper into these issues and more, I recently spoke with Frederic Deschamps, vice president of global revenue optimization at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, about the issues that currently keep him up at night. His concerns are not much different from executives in other industries; like many others, he stays awake thinking about pricing and the impact of social media, mobile technology and big data. READ MORE
With the exception of a few urban markets here within the United States, the wreckage of the real estate recession certainly encompassed the development of new hotels and destination resort properties. Contrast this, however, with the current development climate south of our borders. Although it is true that we hear perhaps more about the superheated hotel market in Brazil in advance of the Olympic games to be held there in 2016, our immediate neighbor to the South, Mexico, is experiencing an expansion in tourism that may usher in a new period of growth, and this, notwithstanding the continuing negative reporting about Mexico's drug conflicts as reported through our media. Talk to a Mexican businessman, however, and you'll hear that the hospitality business is alive and well in Mexico. READ MORE
