Mobile App

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 2, 2023 by INTELITY

Casino Apps: The Next Big Thing for Casino-Hotels Is Here

5 reasons your property should implement a branded mobile casino app

Hospitality technology dates back to 1894 when the Netherland Hotel in New York City introduced the first in-room telephones for its guests. Needless to say, we’ve come a long way since then. Smartphones and other hotel mobile tech, such as smart-room tablets, have changed the way the hospitality industry communicates with and serves its guests. But how can these technologies benefit casino-hotels? The use of a branded mobile casino app can actually help keep guests — and their dollars — on your property. The following are five reasons to implement a branded mobile casino app at your casino-hotel.

Streamline Check-In

No one wants to see a long check-in line in a casino lobby, no matter which side of the desk they’re on. Mobile check-in options are ideal for “stay-and-play” guests, allowing them to get checked in to their hotel room ahead of their arrival. It’s also a boon for casino-hotels’ staff as they’re able to focus on other tasks, improving the overall customer experience. Perhaps most importantly, though, it quickly connects your guests to the casino floor. Cut down on front-desk friction and enable customers to go straight to their rooms, so they can get out on the casino floor and play.

Offer Highly Targeted Marketing Opportunities

All smartphones possess geolocation services. And while most people use these for GPS functionality or updating social media, did you know you can adapt them for your property to send out targeted promotions and special offers? Help your guests keep track of on-property events, sales, and activities they might be interested in by using hotel mobile tech to deploy targeted marketing messaging when guests are most likely to be receptive. This tech is useful for those time-sensitive promotions and events. Incorporate these marketing notifications to deploy directly from your branded mobile casino app to your guest’s pocket.

Attract Younger Generations

Younger demographics are finally finding their place in the gaming ecosystem thanks to the increased popularity in iGaming and sports wagering. With younger demographics interest on the rise thanks to these mobile-based games, having a branded mobile app for your property is a great way to meet them where they’re at.

Provide In-Room Customizations

In relation to the above, younger demographics, such as Millennials and Gen Zers, tend to avoid spending time talking on the phone. Hotel mobile tech, like a branded mobile app, allows them to engage with your property’s staff without ever having to pick up the phone. According to a 2023 survey, 75% say talking on the phone is too time-consuming, and 64% avoid phone calls because they don’t want to interact directly with a person.

Keeping that trend in mind, if this type of guest needs to request additional items or wants to place an in-room dining order, picking up the phone to call the front desk might not be their first inclination. Providing guests with a branded mobile app allows them to request missing items, control the lighting and temperature system in their room, and place room service orders — all without having to make a phone call, which also saves your staff time in the process. Using a branded mobile app, guests can also monitor the status of their order just like they would on their favorite food delivery service app.

Promote Cardless Interactions

No one wants to carry around a debit or credit card on a casino floor if they can avoid it. Instead of insisting that customers carry their cards on them, consider adopting a cardless system that works with your branded mobile app. Stations Casino’s Cardless Connect system is a perfect example. Guests sign up for a “boarding pass” through the app, and as long as they’ve got internet access, they can play at their favorite gaming tables and machines without having to worry about chips, cards, or losing more money than they intended.

To learn more about creating a branded mobile app for your casino-hotel or other examples of mobile technology for hotels, request a demo.

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.

April 7, 2020 by INTELITY

Recouping Losses from a Drop in Occupancy

Short-term and long-term strategies to future-proof properties and recoup hotel losses once travel resumes and the pandemic is contained

The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the travel sector into a cloud of uncertainty. As the result of worldwide travel slowing to a near standstill, US occupancy rates have declined over 67% compared with the same time period last year, with average daily rates (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) seeing similarly drastic drops.

However, there is some silver lining. The hotel industry is cyclical and has shown its ability to come back from every major downturn it’s experienced in the past. Two relatively recent events, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the 2009 financial recession, severely impacted hotel ADR and RevPAR in a similar way to the current coronavirus outbreak. In both cases, though, these average performance metrics for hotels quickly rebounded and exceeded their pre-event levels as economies recovered and mass traveling resumed.

The strength of the hotel industry lies in coming together in the face of hardships, and this current situation is no exception. Here are some steps hoteliers can take — both today and in the future — to position themselves to recoup losses once travel and hospitality resume on a global scale:

Do Now

1. Stay top of mind by leveraging digital marketing channels.
People around the world are currently working from home and planning future aspirational travels. While working remotely, they are more likely to engage with digital advertising channels like email and social media. Hoteliers can keep their brands relevant through targeted messaging on these channels.

2. Email future-stay discounts to loyalty members.
Engaging with and showing appreciation to loyal guests through personalized discounts and offers can strengthen relationships with these valuable customers, further ensuring they remain repeat customers when they begin traveling again.

3. Offer direct booking perks and gift cards.
Gift cards and perks that can be redeemed for future stays provide ancillary revenue in the immediate while locking in future occupancy for the travel bounce-back. Restaurants, service providers, and other establishments are using similar methods to help lessen the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on their businesses.

4. Consider ‘staycation’ messaging and marketing promotions.
It is very likely that once daily life begins to return to normal, many people will be eager to get out of their homes, but may still be cautious about traveling on planes or to far-flung destinations. By targeting a local audience with staycation messaging, hoteliers can address short-term occupancy rates once social distancing measures are scaled back.

Future-Proofing Through Technology

From telemedicine to self-driving cars to remote work software, the coronavirus outbreak will undoubtedly lead to an increase in technology adoption across numerous industries. The same will hold true for hospitality technology; the outbreak is forcing hoteliers to re-think the role of technology in providing an optimal guest experience while ensuring the public health safety of staff and guests. In order to bounce back from the current occupancy drop and be best positioned for long-term success, hoteliers should consider investing in technology tools that:

1. Limit unnecessary guest-staff interactions.
While relationships with guests are at the core of nearly all hotels, future guests may want to avoid unnecessary face-to-face interactions, especially in the time immediately following a return to normalcy. Investing in technology such as mobile check-in and digital communication tools allows hoteliers to adapt to this new normal.

2. Capture more revenue from every booking.
Technology that drives additional revenue from each guest can help hoteliers accelerate the bounce-back from the coronavirus outbreak. For example, offering in-room dining through a mobile app or tablet can increase the average dining check size by up to 30% per order, and tools like digital storefronts unlock ancillary revenue streams by allowing guests to purchase the linens, pillows, and even wall art used throughout a property.

3. Maximize cost-saving opportunities.
In addition to increasing revenue, hospitality technology can also help properties save costs, primarily by automating many traditionally manual processes. By providing self-service tools to guests and capturing critical guest behavioral data, hoteliers can use technology to spend less and spend smarter.

These are challenging times for the hospitality industry, but past resilience has shown that hotels will bounce back from the current public health crisis. Implementing immediate and long-term strategies will become necessary as travelers change their habits in the face of changing norms. To learn more about how INTELITY’s solutions are built to maximize hotel ROI, schedule a demo with the INTELITY team today.

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