Amidst constant new tech developments, find out what hoteliers can do to make sure the tech they have and the tech they want are compatible.

For many hoteliers, it can feel like every time they think they are up-to-date on the latest and best hotel tech, something newer and better comes along. And too often, as those new features or devices are added to a property, issues arise because their new tech and existing tech don’t communicate properly. If any aspect of a new system or third party application doesn’t integrate seamlessly with your tech stack, the back-end can become fragmented creating a myriad of frustrating technical issues for staff and guests. This in turn can create a reluctance to adopt new tech altogether—especially if a hotel is still dealing with inter-tech issues based on their last implementation.

Avoid Tech Convolution

To illustrate how a lack of systems interconnectivity plays out practically, let’s say a guest tries to check in to his room on a hotel’s app, but that app isn’t connected or connected properly to the property management system. The hotel’s app will be unable to access the guest’s reservation information, requiring the guest to check in at the front desk. Once checked in, the guest heads to his room and decides to order food via mobile dining. But the app doesn’t communicate accurately with the hotel’s point of sales  and the mobile app, causing it to send duplicate food orders to the restaurant. This mix-up confuses the dining staff and causes the guest’s order to be delayed. Instead of improving operation efficiency and providing a good guest experience, the app does just the opposite.

This nightmare scenario has the potential to negatively impact every aspect of the guest’s stay. If mobile service requests aren’t aligned with the hotel’s ticketing system, requests can easily fall through the cracks and guest requests can go unanswered. The lack of inter-tech communication could cause room-key malfunction, payment issues, and other tech failures that can frustrate both the guest and staff.

As consumers demand a more personalized guest experience and hotels adopt more advanced technology, hoteliers will be required to make deeper tech integrations in order to deliver best-in-class guest experience and optimize back of the house operations.

Here’s a little cheat sheet for how to do that:

Before Implementation, Get Your Ducks in a Row

• Before you adopt additional third party applications, make sure you have the network power to support them. Too often properties bite off more than they can chew by trying to implement tech their network setup simply can’t handle. It may not be the app solution that is ineffective, but rather a weak WiFi network that prevents the full use of a new tech application. So before you try to get your new tech up and running, find out if you have suitable bandwidth to handle system traffic and suitable WiFi to handle guests’ needs. You may need to invest in the next generation of network technology, or simply fix a specific problem. If you ensure you have the proper IT infrastructure in place beforehand, the implementation process will go far more smoothly.
• It’s not uncommon for an IT team to get left out of the conversation when it comes to signing new tech deals. To avoid future integration pain points, double check with your IT team to make sure the new tech you’re investing in will be able to work well with your established systems. Including the IT team in tech discussions before purchasing a solution may help prevent future integration roadblocks.
• Find a vendor who’s tech plays well with others. Just like no piece of tech is an island, no vendor should be either. When scoping out a new vendor, here are a few questions to ask: Do they integrate with all of the critical systems your property uses on a regular basis? Are their integrations certified or otherwise validated with other vendors? Your tech stack journey starts here. Each new feature or device you consider from here on out should build off the others. You won’t be sorry for choosing a vendor who prioritizes being a team player. For a more comprehensive list of questions to ask potential vendors, check out our connected vendor one-sheet.

After Implementation, Resist the Temptation to Settle

• Don’t let the guest information you collect be stagnant—invest in integrations that will provide deep customer insights. Being able to integrate customer data from various vendors enables hotels to gain clearer insights into each guest and be able to provide a personalized hotel experience during and after their hotel stay. More often than not, customer data is siloed in a hotel’s various technologies and systems preventing a full view of each customer and a lost opportunity to promote services tailored to a particular customer.
• And finally, don’t forget to tell your guests what they have access to. Too often hotels assume their customers already know that they have an app when in reality guests have no clue. Not only do you need to market your hotel app to your guests but you also need to highlight the app’s features and how to use them. You can promote your hotel app before your guest even reaches the hotel via confirmation emails. You can also link to your app through a welcome email, that can direct your guest straight to the check-in page, home page, or even to an in-app tutorial video.

The real reason integrations are the unsung hero of hotel success is because once you make sure your vendor integrates well with others, and your connected systems are in place, you can get the most out of your hotel’s tech, enhance the guest experience and streamline your back-of-the- house operations.

Interested in upgrading your property’s tech integration? Request a demo today.

Request a Demo

There are two big reasons guests don’t adopt a hotel’s app, and we have two ideas on how to change that.

Tech is integral to just about every part of our lives, yet hoteliers still run into guests who are reluctant to use their app. Surely guests want access to all the services and amenities a hotel has to offer right at their fingertips. So what gets in their way? What roadblocks prevent guests from adopting a hotel’s app and utilizing its tools?

There are two main reasons hotel guests don’t use hotel apps – poor usability and lack of multiple functionality.

1. The Burden of Tedious Steps  

Today’s consumers are accustomed to using apps on their mobile devices that offer a one click experience. Hotel guests expect the same ease of use in a hotel’s mobile key and mobile app. Yet, hotel mobile apps frequently require multiple steps to set up or are confusing to navigate. If guests feel an app will take more time to figure out than they perceive the features are worth, they’ll give up before even hitting “download.” Even Apple is making it easier to use hotel apps, specifically mobile room keys (per their iOS 15 update announcement).

2. The Woes of a Single-Use App

In the Age of Apps, it’s far too easy to end up with multiple apps on your mobile device that waste space and data. Which is why users are often resistant to single use apps. They don’t want to download an app that they will only use once.  Users are accustomed to apps with multiple features and uses.

Both complex usability and single use apps can put a significant damper on hotel app adoption. So what can be done to improve app usage?

Two Ways to Break those Barriers

1. Use Deep Links to Improve Usability

If you are unfamiliar with deep links, they are links that can take a user directly to a certain page within an app. Instead of users landing on a homepage after signing into a mobile app, a hotel can use deep links to direct them to a specific page that touts services the hotel is trying to promote or to content targeted to what people are seeking, such as a check in page. For instance, a hotel can send a welcome email to a guest before they arrive that includes a direct link to the app’s check in page. When a hotel’s app is linked directly through an email, it saves the guest from having to open the app, sign in, and then find the check-in button. And if a guest hasn’t downloaded the hotel’s app yet, a deferred deep link can be used, which allows the guest to take a quick detour to download the app, then pops them right back on the intended in-app page.

And bonus! Deep links are just as, if not more, secure than analog routes of checking in because any link sent to guests goes directly to their email address, preemptively verifying who they are.

2. Offer More Functionality

Hotels can keep guests happy by offering a multifunctional mobile app that enables them to easily do things such as request room service, adjust their room temperature, or book an in-hotel event via the app. Guests may be more inclined to use a mobile app if they are shown how its features can be used to get a more personalized hotel stay.

This is another reason why deep links are one of hotel tech’s hidden gems. They can be used to take guests directly to in-app promotions, messagings, room-key and more.  Deep links are the perfect avenue to show guests what your app has to offer with one simple click. This saves them from wasted time navigating and gives hoteliers endless opportunities to intentionally direct app traffic.

The gist of all this? The best thing hoteliers can do for hotel app adoption is to get their guests where they need to be quickly and effortlessly.

To learn more about tools to boost hotel app adoption, request a demo today.

Request a Demo

What matters to guests has changed drastically over the last year. Here are three things hoteliers should focus on to drive guest loyalty in the new normal.

The last year produced necessary adaptations in the hospitality industry. With no warning, hotels and casinos had to shift operations and guest service to meet new needs. As venues and properties reopen and ramp back up, many are wondering: should these changes stick?

While masks and hand sanitizer might not be as crucial in the coming months, some of the adjustments from the past year have evolved the way guests view travel, and what they expect out of lodging. There are a few big, long-term changes in how consumers are approaching their travel planning. While many of these changes were initially enacted by necessity, they’ve offered convenience and an overall better experience. Which means guests are not looking for them to go away anytime soon. In fact, hoteliers should be taking this time to increase their convenience and efficiency in the ways guests have become accustomed to.

It’s important for hoteliers to look at current traveler trends and figure out what consumers are expecting hotels to continue investing in. To help with that, here are three things guests aren’t compromising on in the new normal, along with opportunities for hoteliers to build guest loyalty now and in the future.

1. Flexibility

With booking especially, flexibility is huge. According to the Washington Post, travelers are still gravitating towards added travel insurance as they book future trips. If last year taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected–and always have a backup plan. Most people now have first-hand experience with hotels or event centers who either were or were NOT flexible during the pandemic. The lived experience of the last year has produced guests who are looking to book with properties they know will be understanding when it comes to last-minute changes and cancellations. And while Airlines and hotels initially shifted policies due to the necessity because of COVID, moving forward, many airlines are making these changes permanent. If hotels want to build trust and loyalty in the coming days, following suit by keeping flexibility at the forefront is crucial.

Flexibility in booking and reservations is key–but it matters in other places as well. Guests want their entire experience to be low-stress. They are looking for a build-your-own experience where they can opt into and opt out of the services and activities they want—so every experience is tailored to them. The more freedom to make decisions and change their mind, the more likely they will be to return and recommend the experience to others.

2. Self-service

What better way could there be for guests to tailor an experience to their needs and embrace flexibility than with self-service options? Guests are so over lines and multi-step processes. They want to get on to the point of their stay, whether it be family time, business, or just some much needed R&R

That’s why self-service is critical to basically every industry right now. Consumers got so used to taking care of themselves and handling everything through self-service during the past year. In the new normal, self-service is the preferred way of handling issues. Does this mean in-person assistance is totally out the window? Absolutely not. Guests will always want a person available to solve the more complex questions or problems they might have. But for the simple stuff, it’s second nature to handle it themselves. So let them!

3. Digital experiences

The most effective self-service strategies rely on what travelers already have available to them 24/7: their smartphones. In December 2020, Expedia reported that 77% of travelers said properties must have key technology amenities if they are to book a stay there. This far into the year, that number might be even higher.

Digital is key to the best guest experience. From a quick check-in, to a mobile room key you can’t misplace, to ordering food and booking a spa reservation. When everything can be done with a few taps, their focus gets to remain entirely on their stay. Digital tech really brings together the flexibility and self-service travelers are looking for because it gives all the control back to the guest. No lines, no waiting around. Just what they want, on their terms.

Help Them Help You

The best part about the above three strategies is that they ultimately benefit hoteliers and their staff. A flexible environment breeds understanding. If you are flexible with your guests, it contributes to more understanding from them during service recovery or technical difficulties. And the more self-service and digital options you provide, the less tedious tasks your staff have to focus on–freeing them up for the more important operations. Building guest loyalty is all about going above and beyond guest expectations to offer satisfying, sophisticated experiences they’re truly looking for—the kind that will have them coming back again and again.

Curious about what tech is available to give your guests a more holistic experience? Request a demo today.

Request a Demo

As the hospitality industry continues to embrace mobile tech, digital ID verification is here to protect against fraud and help free up front desk staff.

Everyone knows mobile tech and contactless options are in. While mobile check-in and mobile key have held the limelight for the past year (rightly so) the trend toward digital has brought with it new security concerns. The next big thing in hospitality tech might not be as glamorous as room keys on guests’ phones, but its role in the mobile check-in process will prove crucial in keeping hoteliers and their guests protected from fraud in the ever-growing digital landscape.

Hoteliers abroad and those who travel globally are likely already aware that many countries require international guests to turn over a physical copy of their passports to be photocopied. But as mobile check-in has increased exponentially, bringing passports to the front desk after check-in on a mobile device disrupts the ease, convenience, and COVID safety that made mobile check-in so popular.

That’s where digital ID verification comes in.

And for guests traveling within their own country, showing ID with their credit card is common practice. Again, this requires physical verification which takes time and face-to-face attention. The process of verifying your guests protects them and you from fraud, but the necessity doesn’t make it any less tedious.

Digital ID verification can help here, too.

How ID Verification Actually Works

Here’s the breakdown: ID verification requires guests to add a photo ID and take a selfie that the hotel can have on file to ensure it matches the ID. It imitates the experience of a front desk person taking a guest’s ID and checking that the photo is of the person they see in front of them. In this case, the digital verification uses AI to make sure the two photos match.

The reason ID verification tech is an up-and-coming part of the mobile check-in conversation is because it mimics the physical experience of having a photo ID be copied, while cutting out steps for both guests and staff. Hotels have a legal obligation to keep paperwork of their guests on file, and by integrating ID verification into the mobile check-in process, all the needed documentation and verification is automatically entered into the hotel’s records. Plus, it’s even more secure than paper copies.

Why ID Verification Is Important 

Without it, anyone with the right confirmation number or email address could access someone else’s reservation and check-in as them or create a reservation under someone else’s name—this gap in security opens up a world of opportunities for exploitation. But with the added encryption and additional authentication of digital ID verification, guests are largely protected from malicious attempts at identity theft and hotels have a strong defense in place to shield from fraud.

The great benefit to adding this feature to the mobile check-in process is this: the very fact that it exists in a given hotel is a deterrent to potential scammers. If people know they have to verify their identity, it naturally discourages those considering fraud/theft. Beyond that, the property has the ID and photo on file so they can double check it later if something does happen. For example, let’s say someone disputes a credit card charge from their stay and claims someone else made the charge. In this case, the hotel can check the ID and the real-time selfie the person submitted at the same time they added their credit card to the reservation. If the photo matches, the hotel has proof of the purchase. On a more serious note, if there is a criminal incident, the hotel has a photo and an ID on the reservation they can then share with the police. It’s an ideal safeguard: something you hope to never use, but definitely want in your back pocket just in case something happens.

ID Verification—The Digital First Defense

Last year, when the entire industry hopped on mobile, we were ready. As digital tech has expanded, INTELITY has been investing in security measures to match. Among those measures, ID verification. As tech developments continue to expand and integrate into the check-in and check-out process, digital ID verification is being adopted more widely. Now, more than ever hoteliers need to step up their digital security and the place to start is by protecting yourself and your guests from identity theft and fraud.

Curious about what’s available and what’s coming in digital ID verification tech? Request a Demo today.

Request a Demo