Smart-room tablets and branded mobile apps elevate the guest experience, making guests feel right at home during their holiday travel
The holidays are here and that means busy schedules, festive decorations, and an influx of travelers at your property. While this might sound overwhelming at first, the holiday travel rush provides you and your staff with an opportunity to create an experience that your guests will never forget — and will likely tell others about.
Aside from hanging holiday garland and decorating your lobby’s Christmas tree, hotel technology can help create a festive and seamless experience for guests that will keep them returning to your property every holiday season.
Here are a few ways you can use hotel technology to create a welcoming environment for your guests:
Consider the Details
There’s no place like home for the holidays, and while guests staying at your property might not be celebrating in the comfort of their own homes, that doesn’t mean that they can’t experience some of the same comforts in their hotel rooms. By utilizing a smart-room tablet that integrates with smart-room controls, guests can adjust the in-room lighting and temperature controls all while lounging on their bed, creating an in-room atmosphere that makes them feel right at home. Also, by providing guests with a casting option, like Google Chromecast, on your in-room smart TVs, guests can cast their favorite holiday movie to their in-room TV for a little extra holiday cheer.
Easily Promote Festive Activities
Your hotel can provide a space for some of the same traditions that your guests are used to doing during the holiday season, while simultaneously driving non-room revenue. One past example came from the Boston Harbor Hotel, which, a few years ago, ran a festive pop-up whiskey bar to drive non-room revenue. Push notifications were sent out to guests via bedside, smart-room tablets with a message that read, “Tell your friends you are going to be late to dinner,” along with the bar’s hours. Within an hour, the hotel recorded a revenue intake of more than $700. Smart-room tablets are an easy way to share onsite holiday events, promotions and activities when guests are most likely to interact with them.
Prepare Early
By using a branded mobile app, hotel staffers can check in with guests before they arrive at your property to fill any needs or answer any potential questions. Help guests take care of last-minute holiday shopping needs or assist them with dinner plans by connecting them with your concierge who can make a reservation on their behalf. By anticipating your guests’ potential needs beforehand, their entire stay will be a seamless experience.
Know Your Local Events
The holidays often inspire a barrage of special local events and activities. Stay in touch with what is going on around your hotel and assign a staff member to research all local happenings. Then, share those events with your guests through smart-room tablets or your branded mobile app. Remember, during the holiday season many shops, attractions and restaurants have special holiday hours. Keeping up with these current activities will elevate your hotel’s reputation as a go-to source for local information.
Want to learn more about how hotel tech like brand mobile apps and smart-room tablets can make guests feel at home during the holidays? Request a demo today.
