Standing out from the competition is tough for all businesses in any industry. In the increasingly competitive hospitality industry, it’s becoming more and more difficult to sell unique hotel experiences let alone identify yourself as the leading property of your market. We’ll let you in on a little secret of how to stand out from the competition...that’s right, you guessed it. Data and technology not only allow your hotel to run its operations more efficiently and improve revenue management, but they also facilitate wider online distribution channels, provide better, customized guest experiences and improve overall communications internally and externally. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of all of these benefits?
I know, I know, we sound like we’re obsessed with data. That’s because we are! The value of data is simply immeasurable because it evolves your existing data into actionable insights and unlocks future performance information based on predictive analysis. As seen in this article, data drives change for hotel groups of all sizes and builds accurate customer profiles for improved experiences for guests, which then increase customer satisfaction and retention. Look for quality data, diverse data experts, and tools to allow for proper communication when building a company data culture. Data becomes more valuable as more data points are collected. In hotels, data is everywhere as it’s collected throughout the entire operational day of business. Just look and see how much data is generated here. Now that you know just how much data there is, dive deeper in our article and learn what to do with the treasured data points
Technology also really helps with improving guest satisfaction. Shown in this article, the Dubai International Airport improved its operations by using smart technology to monitor passenger numbers and movements, allowing the airport to build a huge collection of data points. Shorter wait times and less crowds lead to much happier travelers after long-haul flights. The right technology also allows hotels to cater their promotional efforts to specific customers with the right customization, individualization, and personalization features, as seen here.
However, all good things come with a price, and there is a fine line of how much technology is too much technology. The key to keeping your guests happy with the right amount of technology is explained here. Without overwhelming hotel guests, hotels should implement external communication tools of their guests’ choice and internal ones that improve hotel staff operations. As more tech-powered concierge systems become available, hotels should be sure to benefit from the advantages the technology offers, but without making the guest feel like they’re only interacting with robots.
We’ve mentioned that Google is a big player when it comes to hospitality competition. With the many available online distribution channels and Google entering the booking race, competition is becoming even fiercer. Google Maps has been used to navigate cities and determine locations, but is now becoming a tool for users to locate hotels and book from there, as seen here. Without having to leave the app, users are offered the convenience of an all-in-one booking experience. It’s becoming more apparent than ever that hotels need to step up their games to stay ahead of the competition, and data and technology are the only way how.
