Mobile dining and food delivery apps are a staple for nearly all smartphone users. Here are a few ways hoteliers can bank on this same technology while streamlining their operations
Today’s travelers carry with them more than just luggage—they bring along the craving for personalization that smartphones have ingrained in our lifestyles. It’s one of the largest ways smartphones have changed our daily lives. And one of the biggest culprits of this “instant gratification” mindset has been mobile dining and food delivery apps. Ordering a three-course steak dinner to your front door from your favorite restaurant four miles away is now at your literal fingertips.
However, mobile food ordering apps are not just an at-home convenience. Today’s hotel guests crave this same luxury during their hotel stay when it comes to ordering room service. When it comes down to it, mobile in-room dining is a must when looking to provide a positive guest experience, but guest experience aside, mobile dining also affords you the opportunity to drive non-room revenue through forced modifiers and streamline your operations — making them a real win-win-win.
But first, what does mobile dining’s footprint look like at a hotel? A branded hotel mobile app can offer guests an array of conveniences — from mobile check-in to mobile key and booking spa appointments and requesting service items. But a large portion of a branded mobile app’s functionality includes creating a positive mobile dining experience. A branded hotel mobile app lets guests effortlessly browse up-to-the-minute accurate menus, customize orders, and place them directly from their smartphones or in-room tablet. An intuitive interface provides guests with a hassle-free way to satisfy their cravings without the need to place a phone call down to the front desk or visit the physical onsite restaurant.
Enhanced Efficiency
By deploying a hotel-branded app with mobile food ordering capabilities, hoteliers can save their staff time. A mobile food ordering app streamlines the entire in-room dining process. Orders are automatically sent to the kitchen, reducing the margin for error and eliminating the need for an employee to man the room-service phone line — allowing staff to focus on more immediate and time-sensitive tasks. Additionally, many mobile dining platforms integrate with the hotel’s existing systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry while reducing operational inefficiencies.
Streamlined Operations
Another way staff benefit from a hotel-branded app with mobile dining capabilities is they can easily manage orders, track inventory and food items, and monitor performance. This efficiency extends to the kitchen staff, who receive orders in an organized manner, reducing chaos and improving accuracy — and the guest experience.
Happy Guests, Happy Staff
Just like a mobile food ordering app, mobile dining in a hotel’s app can offer real-time tracking and updates, keeping guests informed about the status of their orders. This feature reduces guest anxiety and ensures that they know exactly when to expect their meal, which in turn, eliminates front desk calls.
Sustainable Savings
In addition to providing guests with a minute-by-minute accurate picture of available food items, digital dining eliminates the need for printed menus — saving paper, printing costs, and staff time by eliminating the need to regularly replace in-room paper menus. Additionally, mobile dining reduces food waste by improving order accuracy.
Interested in learning more about mobile food ordering and how you can deploy a branded mobile app that includes mobile dining at your property? Request a demo today.
