Main Trends in Smart Hospitality you Need to Know About

The hospitality industry is seeing an enormous shift towards automation. Many hotels are already using AI robots to personalize the experience for their guests, which makes their stay more enjoyable and more convenient, providing them with personalized service. Artificial intelligence is improving customer service in many different ways starting from a simplified way to order room service and ending far beyond providing hotel guests with vegetarian and vegan options in the restaurant.

Smart hotel technology trends are quite extensive and include innovations in hotel rooms, property management system, vacation rentals, hospitality jobs, and even revenue management. For instance, many hotels are now offering virtual reality or augmented reality technology to their guests, which allows them to see what places they can visit in a city, using graphical or informational overlays for the widest view of the city. Other trends in hospitality have been influenced by wider global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced businesses to focus on hygiene, cleanliness, and safety. One more trend is the focus on local markets, which is helpful for the development of the travel industry, especially in small countries. The hospitality industry trends we have now are oriented and aimed at providing the best possible guest experience and ensuring that hotel business owners are supported as well.

As the world becomes increasingly connected, the hospitality industry is benefiting from advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. From smart hotels to intelligent travel planning, IoT is helping to create a more efficient and seamless travel experience for guests. So, here we want to tell you about some of the key hospitality trends, which will be beneficial and useful for you.

1. Smart Hotels

It may sound obvious but the major trend of using IoT in travel and hospitality businesses is the transformation of traditional hotels into smart ones. In the hotel industry, IoT solutions can be applied almost in any small operational sphere. Usually, famous hotel brands create the concept of the smart hotel to create a more personalized and efficient guest experience, providing them with services based on their usual consumer behavior. Smart hotels have become trendy since now visitors want increased accessibility, better services, and quicker solutions, which is possible with smart technology.

Speaking about such a trend as smart hotel, we need to mention that it has its own so-called subcategory “smart hotel trends” which includes smart hotel management, contactless payments, contactless hotel operations, and smart rooms. For example, many hotels are now using smart locks and room keys that allow guests to check-in and out without having to go through the reception front desk. Currently, even a small hotel brand has its own hotel app that allows mobile check-in service or is able to open room doors using facial recognition technology. Such simplified check-in, which can be completed through common mobile devices can be helpful in cost savings for a hotel of any size.

With the latest trends, room service can reach a new, more advanced level as well. With IoT automation, a hotel visitor can request services using his/her mobile device from any place in the hotel territory or even from the outside. A hotel room with IoT solutions for hospitality can also be customized according to each guest’s preferences, with features such as adjustable lighting, climate control or air conditioning, and entertainment options including preferred social media channels, smart TV, and music systems with voice search and control. Additionally, smart hotel technology trends give a platform for self-service, which helps save on employees’ salaries.

2. Smart Travel Planning

With the help of IoT in the hospitality industry, travelers of different kinds, those who like sports-themed hotels, people going for medical tourism, cannabis tourism, or prospective guests can find a perfectly suitable hotel stay for them. Tour operators, in turn, with the help of IoT can provide a more personalized experience for their guests. For example, by tracking a guest’s previous travel history and preferences, a travel provider can recommend destinations and activities that are likely to appeal to them and provide experiences that guests expect. Additionally, tour providers can use IoT big data to anticipate traffic congestion and delays and recommend alternate routes, alternative accommodations, or travel times.

Thanks to the proliferation of smartphones, travelers are accustomed to using technology for making their travel arrangements. With IoT, this process is becoming even more efficient and convenient. Travelers can now use mobile apps and websites that provide real-time information about flights, hotels, rental cars, and tourist attractions. These apps also allow travelers to book reservations and make payments directly from their phones. Besides, most of the apps developed for travelers have the option to see places in augmented reality mode for tourists to decide whether they want to visit and see a certain area or not.

What is more, with IoT in hospitality industry, travel providers can connect to different hotel groups and organize business travel for people with more direct bookings, and over-the-top experiences. Hotel owners, when they know what requests visitors have can provide guests with everything they need including organic food, concierge service, or voice-controlled customer service. Smart travel planning is a great hospitality trend for hotel marketing and visitors satisfaction.

3. Smart Hospitality Services

As you understand, IoT use cases in hospitality can vary depending on the type of organization working in the hospitality sphere. Smart services, for example, are among the hospitality trends since such technologies as interactive tourist information maps or platforms for pre-bookings can help people visiting the country or city for the first time to find a place to stay and places to visit.

IoT is also being used to improve the delivery of hospitality services inside the hotel industry. For example, in-room dining can now be ordered through interactive displays or voice-activated assistants. Hotel staff can also use IoT technologies to monitor guest activity and health, and provide personalized services such as room cleaning and laundry service.

As IoT technologies continue to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovations in the smart hospitality industry. So far, IoT has been used to create a more efficient and personalized travel experience for guests. In the future, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of IoT in hospitality, including automated luggage tracking, personal assistant services throughout a whole journey, and intelligent transportation systems.

4. Personalized Travel Services

Thanks to the ever-growing development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, guests can now expect a more personalized travel experience. This includes everything from getting help with planning their trip to being greeted at the airport by their name. In the near future, we can expect even more sophisticated personalization, including recommendations for activities and restaurants based on guests’ individual preferences right at the entrance of the city but for now, private properties such as smart hotels can do this easily with the implementation of the Internet of Things.

5. Environmentally-Oriented Initiatives

Future trends in the hospitality sector are aimed at making the environment ecologically friendly. A hotel can use IoT devices as part of an environmentally-oriented initiative. For example, a hotel can use sensors to detect when a guest has left a light on in their room, and then automatically turn off the light after a certain amount of time to reduce energy consumption. Hotels can use IoT devices to monitor energy consumption and make adjustments to conserve energy.

Hotels are quickly realizing the potential of IoT technologies, and are beginning to implement these solutions into their operations. As the technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of IoT in the hospitality industry. IoT solutions and technologies don’t consume large amounts of energy, which confirms that they don’t affect the environment in a bad way, using too many resources and leaving a carbon footprint.

6. Smart Transportation System

IoT is also being used to improve transportation systems in hospitality. For example, guests can now use their smartphones to book a car rental or airport shuttle. Hotel staff can also use IoT technologies to monitor traffic congestion and delays and recommend alternate routes or travel times. Additionally, smart transportation systems can be used to track the location of guests and luggage and provide real-time updates on their whereabouts. As IoT technologies continue to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovations in the smart hospitality industry. So far, IoT has been used to create a more efficient and personalized travel experience for guests which is why using it will definitely be beneficial.

Learn about TEKTELIC Devices for Hospitality Industry

TEKTELIC Communications designs and manufactures a lot of IoT devices specifically for the hospitality industry. Our devices are designed to improve guest experiences, reduce costs and increase operational efficiency. With our solutions, hotels can provide guests with advanced services such as conference rooms bookings, transportation bookings, and environmental monitoring. Additionally, our devices can be used to monitor guest activity, staff performance, and energy consumption.

The main device that we offer for hospitality is BREEZE-D. This solution can gather and store big data on the air quality of the indoor environment. BREEZE can measure the level of CO2 in the room, temperature levels, humidity, and light. This device that we developed has several variations. The first one, called BREEZE, monitors the indicators we have already mentioned and the second one, called BREEZE-V, has an additional PIR sensor that can detect motion. The upgraded version is especially suitable for hotels since it can be interconnected with lighting systems for energy conservation and optimization of consumption.

There is also a necessity to note that this end-to-end solution has impressive technical characteristics. It has a pretty long battery life of up to 10 years and can be mounted to walls, ceilings, and tables. BREEZE device is easily deployable and its design is really suitable for every environment. This solution supports autocalibration with settable intervals or can be calibrated manually or through the application.

Another TEKTELIC device suitable for hospitality is KONA Micro IoT Gateway. This gateway is perfect for indoor deployments, working under the “Always On” connectivity, with an internal 3G/4G modem and a built-in battery backup. The most pleasing feature of the KONA Micro IoT Gateway is its ability to transmit data even if the main site has lost its power supply. The configuration of the device is simple and pretty cost-effective, so it will be suitable for businesses of different sizes and financial capabilities.

Speaking of the technical characteristics of the KONA Micro IoT Gateway, we have to mention its ability to integrate with other devices of the LoRa network, its length of coverage, and plug-n-play operation. With this gateway, you can create an ecosystem of connected devices and make your hotel smart.

Finally, TEKTELIC has developed TEMPO for reserving conference rooms or any other spaces in hospitality that are in public use. This solution can effectively track and update the occupancy status of conference rooms, hotel rooms, restaurant tables, and gyms. With this end-to-end solution, you will be able to know the occupancy status of any space through Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar.

The hospitality industry has been adapting to today’s rapidly evolving environment for more than 10 years. With the advent of new technologies and increasing guest expectations, this process has become even more intense. The hospitality industry is also facing rising concerns about environmental issues and sustainability. As a result, it has become increasingly important to implement new technologies and business solutions that can help the actors in the hospitality sector to meet their goals and keep their customers happy.

IoT devices are rapidly gaining popularity in the hospitality industry. In fact, more than half of executives in the industry already use IoT devices in their operations. Some of the most popular IoT products include occupancy sensors, connected luggage carts, and connected room-service trays. In addition to improving guest experience and reducing operating costs, these technologies are helping to strengthen stakeholder trust in the industry.

TEKTELIC Company, in turn, can help you improve different processes in hospitality and optimize energy use.

To learn more, contact the TEKTELIC support team and we will help you with all possible questions and inquiries.