Guest Experience

September 8, 2023 by INTELITY

Benefits of a Tablet: How Smart-Room Tablets Increase Hotel Retail Revenue

There are many benefits of a tablet placed bedside in hotel rooms, including driving non-room revenue through guests’ retail purchases

If you haven’t made a digital retail store readily available to your hotel’s guests, you’re quite literally leaving money on the table. Don’t underestimate the possibilities of retail shopping to generate incremental non-room revenue for your property. Following the pandemic, it has become almost impossible to imagine a world without online shopping. According to Statista, 80% of all Americans shop online on a regular basis. And last year alone, e-commerce accounted for about $1.03 trillion in sales in the U.S. Additionally, it’s projected to hit $6.3 trillion globally by the end of 2023.

So, how can you as a hotelier utilize the benefits of a tablet to your advantage to drive non-room revenue? The following are a few ideas.

Shop the Gift Shop — From The Guest Room

Smart-room tablets that are positioned bedside are an easy way for guests who don’t want to download a property’s mobile app to still enjoy all the same conveniences hotel mobile apps have to offer, such as ordering in-room dining digitally, booking spa appointments, reviewing the latest hotel compendiums, and learning about current onsite activities, promotions, and amenities. But that’s not all. With smart-room tablets, guests can shop all of the items from your property’s gift shop from the comfort of their hotel room bed. Whether it’s hotel-branded T-shirts and yoga mats, lifestyle items that reflect your property’s vibe, or goods made by local artisans, all of your gift shop’s offerings can be easily browsed and purchased via a smart-room tablet, providing a familiar shopping experience for online consumers. Additionally, while in the comfort of their own hotel rooms, guests may be more inclined to make a purchase digitally that they might otherwise have forgone, or not even known about.

For big-ticket shoppers, a digital storefront on smart-room tablets also can be used to purchase the art pieces on display at your property or in-room furnishings, such as the pillows and bedding used in your guest rooms.

Browse Spa Offerings While Lounging in Their Rooms

Similar to a digital gift shop storefront, hoteliers can increase hotel revenue by making the products from their spa available for purchase through smart-room tablets. See a guest who recently completed a 90-minute massage at your spa? Send them a follow-up email asking their opinion of the service and provide links to the products the masseuse used during the massage that connects directly to your digital storefront. Similar to the gift shop, a spa’s storefront can offer high-end cosmetics, locally-made lotions and candles, and even towels and robes.

Increase Hotel Revenue By Increasing Productivity

On the operations side, a digital storefront is a straightforward way for staff to add and manage inventory, set availability, hide or reveal items as necessary, and use promotions and guest messaging to create awareness. Charges can be automatically added to the guest’s folio so no additional form of payment is required. Additionally, front desk staff won’t be tied up with guests waiting in line to purchase a hotel-branded hat and, instead, can tend to more urgent needs — reducing wait times and creating a happier staff and guest experience.

Want to learn more about the benefits of a tablet in an in-room setting? Curious how to increase revenue in hotels using smart-room tablets? Request a demo today.

August 22, 2023 by INTELITY

From Boutiques to Big Brands: How to Make Smart Choices When Investing in Hospitality Technology

3 key factors to keep in mind when making your next hotel tech investment

According to Unifocus, 81% of hoteliers in 2022 reported implementing and/or planning at least one major tech project. Whether you’re responsible for managing a single boutique hotel or a large chain of branded properties, it’s impossible to ignore the increasing upsides of investing in hotel tech. From seamless mobile check-in offerings to digital access to services, amenities and hotel staff, it’s easy to see why guests find increased value from tech-enabled interactions. Meeting expectations in this area is often rewarded with higher guest satisfaction and repeat business.

While the advantages of offering a digital-first hospitality experience are clear, it can be difficult to navigate the sea of options on the market. Here are a few strategies you can apply when looking to make smart choices that optimize the return on your tech investment.

Look for Ease of Use

If you’re deciding which hotel tech options to upgrade next, consider the importance of selecting a known platform that will make implementation a breeze. In a recent survey, 1 in 4 small independent hotels cited complexity as the biggest challenge for adopting new technology, and 1 in 3 indicated ease of use as the priority when choosing what tech to purchase. Regardless of the hotel or chain size, investing in any upgrades only to have them fall flat during implementation can be frustrating. Make sure when you select a hotel tech platform that it offers around-the-clock customer support in case something does go wrong. This can also ensure the implementation process will be a smooth one.

Embrace Mobile Technology

Cost is also a key factor in making coveted technology upgrades, but there’s good news for hotels of all sizes. According to Scotland-based hospitality firm Criton, guests’ mobile devices are “recognized as an essential tool for delivering and improving their travel experience.” More than 60% of respondents report using a hotel’s app, and 74% of guests said they would use this option if their favorite hotel offered it.

A branded hotel mobile app is a great way to personalize the guest experience. Using a branded mobile app, guests can check-in ahead of arrival, and, with keyless entry integration, head straight to their rooms to securely unlock their hotel room door using their phone as the key. Branded mobile apps also streamline the in-room dining process — allowing guests to view up-to-date menus and place orders all from the mobile app, just like they would DoorDash or Uber Eats. Also, guests can book spa appointments, browse hotel compendiums and request additional toiletries all with just a few taps of their smartphone.

A branded mobile app can provide a lower entry-point financially, while engaging guests and increasing loyalty. With a branded app solution, you’re also reaching guests long after they’re gone, increasing the opportunities for a repeat stay.

Hold Out for a Multi-Point Platform

While it may be tempting to select the most popular one-point solutions and try to fit them all together, you could be setting your property up for a tech stack nightmare. To ensure tech investments are worth their space in the budget, start with a platform that offers comprehensive solutions and exceptional support. Complexity doesn’t have to be an issue, and ease of use should be the expectation. Both components will lead to greater adoption and ultimately, value.

Want to learn more about how to deploy hotel tech at your property? Request a demo today.

July 11, 2023 by INTELITY

Hotel Technology 101: How Hotels Are Using Technology to Gain a Competitive Advantage

A few examples of how hotels are using technology to gain a competitive advantage

The hospitality industry can be inherently competitive — especially with the recent increase in summer travel. This means it’s imperative to woo consumers by leaning into what they want and finding ways to make those things happen seamlessly. Hotels that invest in delivering on consumer expectations will see an increase in brand loyalty, which leads to an increase in revenue.

When a guest stays at a hotel, they’re looking for a place where they feel comfortable and have access to the conveniences they’re accustomed to in their daily lives, and hotels are in a race to perfect this.

Hotel technology has become a key component in giving one hotel an edge over another, especially with the increasing popularity of a digital-first approach among travelers. By implementing the right tech, hotels can impress guests, streamline operations, and drive non-room revenue. It’s critical for hoteliers to stay current with technological advancements, so they can keep pace with expectations.

Mobile devices are the easiest and best way to reach guests, especially as the average hotel guest checks in with at least three mobile devices. Today’s travelers depend on them to provide information and easy access to essential features in their lives. Using mobile technology allows hoteliers to meet their guests where they’re already engaged.

Here are five examples of how hotels are using technology to gain a competitive advantage:

1. Branded Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are an ideal way to engage with guests before, during, and after their stay, especially when integrated with an existing loyalty program. Mobile app technology can also be beneficial in gaining insight into guest satisfaction and guest preferences, which can be used to improve the quality or types of services offered.

An app can track the most common types of guest requests, dining metrics and which menu items are the most popular, and how often they’re using the app to communicate with hotel staff. Management teams can use this information as a framework for making better business decisions and taking guest service to the next level.

2. Mobile Check-In

Mobile check-in is highly sought after by today’s self-service driven travelers. Giving your guests the ability to bypass the front desk not only enhances the guest experience, but it also frees up staff’s time, allowing them to provide more personalized guest service. Offering mobile check-in also incentivizes guests to download your property’s mobile app, which creates a further opportunity for upselling, pre-arrival communication, and to generally craft exceptional experiences.

3. Mobile Key

Implementing mobile key to your hotel technology provides guests with the convenience of reducing time at the front desk and prevents guests from ever losing or forgetting their room key. Mobile key also saves hotels money on plastic keycard costs and increases efficiency as staff doesn’t have to spend time programming keycards or replacing lost room keys.

4. Smart-Room Tablets

Smart-room tablets provide guests with easy access to hotel information and the ability to place service requests, order room service, control the in-room environment, book spa appointments, shop the hotel’s gift shop, and communicate directly with hotel staff. These digital compendiums can also be used to create upselling opportunities and promote upgrades and other special offers targeted to a guest’s preferences.

5. Voice-Controlled Rooms

Another example of how hotels are using technology to gain a competitive advantage is by embracing voice control. Guests can use this hotel technology to turn on lights, control the TV, adjust the thermostat, and more. Voice technology can also be used to submit guest requests, make reservations, and provide guests with information about the local area. While voice technology may not be as necessary as some of the mobile technologies available, it plays a large role in enhancing the guest experience.

Staying ahead of the competition by deploying the latest hotel technology in the hospitality industry is important to maintaining a competitive edge. Successfully implementing the right technologies is an easy way to distinguish yourself from your competitors and cater to today’s tech-savvy travelers. Hotel technology can change how guests experience a their stay and lead to repeat guests, positive reviews, and word-of-mouth referrals.

To learn more about how you can use hotel technology to gain a competitive advantage at your property, request a demo today.

March 21, 2023 by Benjamin Keller

Game Changer: Bringing the Casino Floor to the Guest Room Using Smart-Room Tablets

Smart-room tablets are one way to ensure your guests’ dollars stay on your property

A casino operator’s dream is to see every seat at the slot machines filled. So, what if you could seamlessly engage your guests with your casino’s gaming offerings while they’re relaxing in their guest rooms?

It’s all possible using one of the most popular casino resort technologies: smart-room tablets. These game-changers allow guests to use in-room tablets for all the more familiar uses — such as requesting services, making reservations, ordering room service, and communicating directly with staff, but casino resorts have the added advantage of a fresh, new way to promote gaming and special events directly to guests while they are most captive: relaxing in their rooms.

Gambling from the Comfort of Their Room

Casino operators can easily use smart-room tablets to send special offers, targeted promotions, and casino floor updates in real-time when guests are most engaged. Depending on where a property is located, some guests can even use in-room technology to gamble right from their room as some casino hotels now offer sports and other types of betting through in-room tablets or mobile apps.

One way they do this is by adding popular gaming apps to the in-room tablets as well as information and tips on how to play some of the more popular casino floor games. At some casino resorts, guests can also use tablets to get real-time keno and bingo results in their room, as well as to see who won daily drawings and receive real-time jackpot notifications. Using in-room technology in this manner means guests don’t have to worry about missing out on the excitement of the casino floor while they relax in their rooms. Who knows — they might even order up a few snacks or a bottle of wine while they enjoy these in-room gaming offerings.

Attract All Demographics

Today’s core casino customers are generally between 55 and 75 years old and this group is becoming increasingly comfortable using digital devices, including in-room tablets and mobile apps, which makes adding gaming to digital devices a logical, and smart, next step. Also, once they arrive in their room and find the in-room tablet integrated with the property’s loyalty program, they are apt to take advantage of customized and targeted promotions and other offers that encourage them to visit the casino floor.

Despite the core casino demographic typically being older generations, younger demographics are beginning to find their place in the gaming ecosystem thanks to the increased popularity in iGaming and sports wagering. With younger demographic interest on the rise thanks to these mobile-based games, in-room tablets provide the perfect conduit to promote your mobile gaming offerings, while meeting them where they’re at: on a smart device.

Ultimately, casino guests are eager to spend their time gaming — not standing in lines — so a streamlined mobile check-in process means more time they can spend on the casino floor, or using the custom-branded in-room tablet for gaming while they are in their room.

Looking to increase the reach of your casino floor to your guest room using smart-room tablets? Request a demo today.

January 26, 2021 by INTELITY

PM Network Magazine: Do Not Disturb

This article was originally published in PM Network’s January/February 2021 issue.

The road to recovery for the hotel sector is a long one. Travel screeched to a halt in the early months of the pandemic, with the average occupancy rate of hotels in mainland China falling to 7 percent in early February, according to STR. The data and analytics firm also reported that rates dipped below 30 percent in Europe in March. Rates were under 15 percent for luxury hotels in the U.S. during early May, typically a busy tourism period, according to McKinsey & Co.

Still, the sector has been abuzz with projects—from health and safety upgrades to the completion of new builds that had already been launched. Marriott alone opened more than 160 properties in 2020, and Hilton opened 60 hotels during the second quarter of the year. The bulk of these projects began two to five years before the pandemic hit, and many sponsors calculate that opening them to a lukewarm reception is still better than keeping them closed and enduring costly delays.

“I’m very optimistic that once these vaccines get distributed, people’s perceptions around travel are going to change toward the positive,” Zachary Sears, a senior economist at Tourism Economics, told CNBC.

No Reservations

As hotels continue to welcome guests, projects to improve health and safety protocols have become essential. In April, Hilton debuted CleanStay, a program to upgrade its sanitation. Marriott rolled out electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectants. Choice Hotels established training for its franchisees and introduced on-demand housekeeping, prepackaged breakfast, hand-sanitizing stations and furniture arrangements that promote social distancing.

Technology, particularly that which can reduce the need for hotel staff and guests to interact, is proving valuable in widespread safety efforts. Demand has surged for products such as Intelity’s contactless guest services platform, which makes it possible for guests to use their mobile phones to message staff, order room service and unlock their rooms.

“Many hotels have known that they would eventually need a mobile app, but thought they could put it off for a few more years,” says Ira Dworkin, CTO for Intelity, Los Angeles, California, USA. “Now they’re asking us, ‘How soon can we get it running?’”

Project metrics—from number of users to revenue generated by in-room dining—are easy to track. For example, The George, a boutique hotel in Montclair, New Jersey, USA, that uses the Intelity platform, saw mobile check-in requests increase fivefold in 2020.

“With everything that we’ve seen and heard, it’s obvious technology that enables contactless service is skyrocketing among travelers during the COVID era,” Dworkin says.

March 18, 2020 by INTELITY

3 Digital Guest Communication Strategies to Implement when Practicing Social Distancing

There’s no way around it – the hotel industry, and the travel sector in general, are facing unprecedented times. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has effectively halted both business and leisure travel, dramatically reducing occupancy rates around the world.

At INTELITY, we understand the vital role that hospitality technology plays in increasing guest satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, this same technology can be used to open up multiple communication channels between guests and staff at a time when social distancing is becoming the new normal. Effective digital guest communication is especially important in light of current events — not only will it allow properties to best ensure the safety of guests and staff while providing timely updates regarding an ever-changing situation, but it also provides opportunities for hoteliers to mitigate the long-term effects of the outbreak on the bottom line.

Strategy 1: Pre-Arrival Communications

Hotels that are still operating during the outbreak should implement clear communication plans for inbound guests. By sending a pre-arrival email to guests, hotels can ensure guest safety by clearly communicating the actionable steps being taken in public spaces and guest rooms to minimize the potential of viral transmission, including detailed cleaning protocols, hand sanitizer locations, staff health guidelines, and dining service changes.

Additionally, the pre-arrival email can be used to communicate any updates to cancellation/rescheduling policies. Guests’ travel plans are no doubt being severely impacted, and proactively messaging these policies can help assuage guest concerns while also reducing inbound call volume.

Finally, properties that offer mobile check-in can use the pre-arrival email as an opportunity to link to their guest mobile app. Mobile check-in technology allows guests to skip the front desk upon arrival and go straight to their rooms using a mobile key, which takes on even greater importance in the context of social distancing.

Strategy 2: Leveraging In-Room Tablets

In-room tablets provide another digital communication touchpoint between guests and staff. Guests can use tablets to submit service requests, order in-room dining, access property information, consume entertainment content, and much more. By allowing guests to communicate their needs through a tablet rather than a face-to-face interaction, potential transmission touchpoints can be reduced without a loss in service quality or timeliness.

In-room tablets can also be used to push personalized offers and promotions to guests. Given that guests may feel uncomfortable or unable to dine in on-property restaurants, offering a “virtual” happy hour or similar offer may still allow the property to capture lost revenue in a safe, guest-centered way.

Of course, tablets can also be a channel for sharing critical information around safety precautions, local updates, and more. The ability to manage tablet displays through a centralized content management system ensures that guests can receive relevant updates in real time.

Strategy 3: SMS Messaging

Increasingly, hoteliers are implementing SMS messaging into their guest messaging strategies. Similarly to tablets, SMS messaging can be used as a frictionless way for guests to request services, dining, and more, using a platform they are already familiar with. SMS messaging platforms are often scalable and can be either deployed to an entire database or be individualized to the guest, adding an extra layer of personalization to the interaction without putting guests or staff at risk. It also provides for timely two-way communication, which is critical in a fast-developing health situation.

By opening up a widely-used two-way communication channel, SMS messaging further empowers guests to do their part in ensuring public health safety. Guests who aren’t feeling well or who may otherwise require health assistance can communicate as such without needing to leave their rooms or potentially infecting guest room phones, minimizing transmission opportunities.

The hospitality industry has already been shifting to a more digitally-connected experience, and the coronavirus outbreak will likely accelerate the adoption pace for hoteliers looking to implement more robust multi-channel communication strategies. To learn more how to implement digital guest communication tools and best practices, schedule a demo with the INTELITY team today.

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