Discover how high-tech hotels featuring the latest in digital offerings are changing the hospitality industry
As we enter 2023, today’s travelers are more dependent on technology than ever before. They book flights, order rideshare services, and board airplanes all through their mobile phones. So, why should their hotel stay be any different? An influx of high-tech hotels are popping up around the world — offering travelers a more luxurious, seamless, and personalized experience by tapping into the latest in technology.
Earlier this year, the Langham Hospitality Group launched new brand Ying’nFlo, made up of upper midscale, high-tech hotels targeting millennial and Gen Z travelers. They heavily incorporated technology into the guest experience by offering mobile apps that allow guests to check in, control in-room amenities like TV and lighting, and charge in-hotel purchases from vending machines and restaurants to their room.
Marriott’s Moxy brand also targets millennial and Gen Z travelers, and takes technology a step further by featuring AR immersive experiences at its Asia Pacific hotels.
And at Dream Hollywood in Los Angeles, a service robot named Alfred is programmed to deliver bottles of water, toothbrushes, and extra linens to guests’ rooms upon request.
So, how has technology changed the hospitality industry? Here are a few hotel technology trends we’ll see more of in 2023.
Branded Mobile Apps
There have been many hotel technology trends in recent years, including an emphasis on hotel-branded mobile apps. Like Ying’nFlo, mobile apps allow guests to interact with a property in multiple ways, on their own time. Apps let guests bypass lobby lines by checking in and checking out directly on the app, and once to their room, a mobile key allows them to access their guestroom through the app. Customers looking to order room service no longer need to peruse a paper menu or spend time on hold with reception. Instead, they can search updated menus from the palm of their hand and place orders directly through their mobile device.
Smart-Room Tablets
High-tech hotels have also adopted the use of in-room tablets — which are ideal for guests who don’t want to download a hotel-branded mobile app. These smart-room tablets allow customers to review onsite dining menus, place in-room dining orders, adjust in-room temperature controls, browse hotel offerings, book spa appointments, browse hotel compendiums, and more. Gone are the days when the bedside table was cluttered with devices like alarm clocks, clock radios, and bulky telephones. Hotels are replacing these outdated technologies with one smart-room tablet that integrates phone, alarm, streaming music, and more.
Guest Messaging
Many guests, especially millennial and Gen Z travelers, prefer texting over placing phone calls. Adopting guest messaging will let guests text message the front desk from their cell phone to request additional towels or a drink poolside, allowing staff to respond in a timely manner and again cutting down on lines at the front desk.
Service Robots
Like the Dream Hollywood hotel, service robots are being adopted in hotels around the world and can have a wide range of uses, especially for contactless services. From delivering room-service orders and fulfilling toiletry requests to greeting guests in the lobby upon arrival, robots are no longer just a figment of the future.
Looking to deploy some of the latest hotel technology trends at your property? Request a demo.
