Technology Integration in Hotels and Resorts: The Guest Experience

Written by Sidney Rogers

Technology Integration in Hotels and Resorts: The Guest Experience

In hospitality, your number one drive comes from the experience of the guests that stay with you. Whether their experience is positive or negative, your guests will engage with other potential guests and discuss their experience. The more positive and enjoyable their stay, the more likely they will be to recommend your accommodations.

People are used to controlling their environment with technology. They rely on it for their comfort, entertainment, work, and travel.  From the moment a person decides they will be staying with you, they will be using technology to interact with you.

High-Speed Internet and Wifi Availability

Everyone has multiple devices that require wifi. High-speed internet is essential for your guests’ comfort these days. When your guest arrives, they need the convenience of a wireless internet system.  It has become a necessity to offer guests wireless high-speed internet as well as other technologies they would find within their own homes.

This system must be able to connect to their devices with ease. Most guests will wish to check their social media and converse with family and friends immediately upon arrival. Many guests will require high-speed internet for their business interactions.

Television and Entertainment

Televisions in guest rooms are possibly one of the oldest forms of technology that has been available in hotel and resort settings. However, this technology has changed dramatically in recent years.

Many guests have come to expect the latest smart TVs that will interact with the devices they have brought with them. These televisions bring a sense of home to the guest with familiarity.

The television paired with the best programming such as Directv is an essential mix to help your guests relax with programming they have become accustomed to, as well as offering programming they may not have seen.

Interactive Guest Rooms

It used to be that regulating the room temperature or turning on lights required the guest to get up and manually turn a dial or flip a switch. Today’s guest rooms are becoming more interactive, and a guest may only have to voice their wishes out loud to adjust the climate or turn off the television.

The interactive guest rooms found in resorts and hotels offer guests a multitude of new experiences. These may include

  • Robots that cater to your guests’ needs.
  • Smart mirrors that your guest is able to interact with to receive weather updates, see the latest news and sports.
  • Room voice control options for your guest create an environment most comfortable to them by adjusting light brightness and room temperature. These interactive voice devices are also capable of helping your guest order room service and takeout.
  • Side by side smart TVs with bedside earphones, so guests staying in the same room are able to watch and listen to different television shows.
  • VR and AR technologies are being integrated into the hospitality industry; from in room gaming to virtually seeing their room before they book their stay, virtual reality is making an impact.

Some hotels and resorts are also using augmented reality to interact with their guests’ phones and smart devices. There are hopes for future augmentations where the guest rooms could transform, or mirror, various themes such as a forest, without a headset or other type of lens.

These are only a few of the innovative ways those in the hospitality industry are integrating technology to prioritize the guest experience.