Simple ways to elevate the holiday season traveler’s guest experience using hotel technology
It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year — and that means holiday season travelers will soon descend upon your property. According to a recent article from Business Insider, Expedia has reported searches for holiday travel are up 25% for Thanksgiving and 35% for Christmas through New Year versus 2021, indicating that the time to start prepping to elevate your guests’ experience is now.
While the holidays are often dubbed the “most wonderful time of the year,” conversely they can also be one of the most stressful times, especially for guests who traveled cross-country and faced busy airports and flight delays. So, how can you elevate their experience once they step onto your property? Here are a few ways that also streamline back-of-house operations.
Enhance the Check-in/Check-Out Process
After waiting in long airport security lines and battling flight delays, the last thing weary holiday travelers want is to wait in a long queue in your hotel lobby. A customizable mobile app for your property allows for contactless hotel check-in. Guests can skip the front desk by using their reservation information to head straight to their room, cutting down on your front desk staff’s workload in the process. Once arriving to their room, customers can use their mobile device as a room key, giving them control over their stay and cutting down on the amount of plastic key cards front desk staff have to reprogram or replace. At the end of the stay, the check-out process on a mobile app is just as simple as it was at check-in, allowing holiday season travelers to be on their way home without delay.
Streamline In-Room Dining
In-room smart tablets can take the guest’s dining experience at your property a step further by allowing them to peruse the most current, up-to-date menu offerings from the comfort of their room. With just a tap, guests can go ahead and place their in-room dining order directly on the smart room tablet without having to make a phone call. This also eliminates the amount of phone calls the back-of-house team receives, allowing them to more quickly process orders. In-room smart tablets are also a convenient way for guests to easily adjust in-room temperature controls or browse property compendiums.
Create a Digital Gift Shop
During the holidays, consumers are in a spending mindset, so why not increase your property’s revenue by creating a digital storefront that’s featured on your mobile app or in-room tablet? From branded towels and T-shirts to local artisanal goods that represent your hotel’s locale, guests can shop from the comfort of their rooms. Their orders can be easily managed and tracked through your staff-facing operations hub. In-room tablets and mobile apps are also the perfect way to drive additional revenue by offering guests ways to enhance their stay, such as spa treatments and local excursions.
To learn more about how hotel tech can help improve the guest experience for your holiday season travelers, request a demo today.
