Hospitality

Enhanced contactless features throughout customer journey

According to Forbes, 73% of guests are more likely to choose a hotel that offers “self-service technology.” This customer data seems to resonate with hoteliers as well. According to a recent survey conducted by Oracle and Skift, more than 60% of hospitality executives across the globe agreed on contactless features to be permanently adopted over the next three years in the industry.

of guests are more likely to choose a hotel that offers self-service technology.

Hotels and restaurants need to go beyond features to provide an enhanced guest experience. Self-service technologies should be integrated across every touch point throughout the customer journey. Imagine easy access for guests to control room amenities, on-demand video & audio content, digital newspaper delivery, hotel information, room service order, billing, and payments together on multiple devices. While contactless technologies empower guests with more convenience and control over their needs, they also help optimize staffing resources to focus on other important aspects of the guest experience. If your business doesn’t have a clear strategy for contactless service yet, this is a good place to start.

• Do you know what today’s customers look for when they travel? • Do you provide services that cater to these changing expectations? • What are your competitors doing? What can you learn from them? • Do you offer a personalized/tailored customer experience? • Do you have the right technologies and digital tools to get there?

In conclusion, the hospitality industry is constantly evolving and adapting to new technologies and consumer behaviors. To stay competitive in 2023, hotels and businesses must prioritize their next milestone and focus on investments that excite guests, inspire employees, and generate revenue. The future of the industry relies on innovations that enable more personalized guest services. By embracing technology as an opportunity rather than a disruption, the hospitality industry can increase operational efficiency and profitability, and create a unique guest experience for tomorrow.

At BORN, we understand the challenges the hospitality industry faces in navigating these trends and implementing effective strategies around them. Our expertise in CX Design, eCommerce Solutions, Business Process Operations, and Guest Experiences can help hoteliers achieve their goals and realize their brand’s vision into the future.

Before we dive in, let’s take a step back to evaluate where your business is today:

These are tough questions, even for some of the leading hotel brands. As the industry continues to evolve, hoteliers are challenged to push toward and think ahead for tomorrow. Let’s explore where to take your business next:

80%

The pandemic has accelerated the demand for contactless services, and technology keeps evolving to better support this demand. In hospitality, contactless features can range from mobile check-in and check-out, virtual concierge services, online ordering, and contactless payments. This gives customers more control and convenience to serve themselves as needed.

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are another tool to help streamline business process operations and improve efficiency. With a labor shortage affecting many markets, a chatbot is an excellent alternative to hiring ‘live support’. This technology allows guests to send requests and engage with hotel staff easily through mobile devices. They respond to inquiries faster and can free up resources to focus on more complicated tasks.

According to industry experts, chatbots can handle up to 80% of common requests, which significantly reduces the workload of the hotel staff, and in return increases operational efficiency. For example, Wyndham hotels developed a chatbot that can answer 25 different questions, which resulted in a significant improvement in customer experience.

Utilize AI-powered chatbots to boost operational efficiency

Chatbots can handle up to 80% of common questions or requests, reducing the workload of hotel staff and increasing operational efficiency

60%

The concept of ‘Bleisure’, a combination of business and leisure travel, has been gaining traction in recent years. According to a recent survey, six in ten US workers plan to add leisure time to their next business trip, highlighting the rising popularity of this new way of travel. This trend offers the industry a unique opportunity to use human-centered design to better attract guests through activities and amenities customized to both their travel and leisure needs.

Additionally, authenticity and uniqueness stay at the heart of what travelers value. A Booking.com survey found that 60% of respondents “want to have authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture” when they travel. Airbnb has been offering Airbnb Experiences which gain mainstream popularity since 2016. Hotels need to compete on a similar level to meet today’s customer’s expectations and create unique, meaningful, and memorable experiences.

Leverage AR for brand awareness and an engaging experience

of US workers plan to add leisure time to their next business trip.

Bleisure travelers primarily seek ways to relax outside work engagement, with 46% of them looking to spend time with their loved ones. The data indicate that hotels and resorts can leverage the trend by providing add-on offerings that are unique to their location, environment, and experience. For instance, activities can range from local attractions, spas, and wellness, to outdoor activities such as hiking or biking.

Offer experiences that mix business and leisure

Augmented Reality (AR) is another emerging technology that can help your business increase website traffic and booking rates. It allows hotels and other related businesses to enhance the physical environment they are selling. By integrating AR features into your websites, hoteliers can offer a 360-degree, immersive view of different rooms, properties, and various amenities. This can excite potential guests, boost their confidence, and make the booking process more simple and decisive.

Based on an Oracle survey, almost half of the executives said they are developing AR maps of their hotels or planning to do so within the next year. However, to ensure the maps reach a wide audience, it’s crucial to keep the content accessible across multiple devices without necessarily requiring a VR headset. In this case, an AR map developed on a mobile app is an attainable solution. With an AR map, guests simply need to point their smartphone at the map, and they’ll be presented with additional information about the property, its restaurants, entertainment, and even local places of interest to enrich their experiences.

73%

72%

When it comes to marketing, hoteliers consistently face the challenge to attract new guests and appeal to the younger generation. To solve this dilemma, hospitality businesses need to reevaluate their content strategy and marketing efforts to prioritize social media and video content.

According to a survey by Facebook, 72% of travelers use social media to plan their trips, while 60% of consumers consider user-generated content as the most authentic form of content. Leverage social media, user-generated content, and short videos to showcase your brand and services to reach potential guests. It can be as simple as inviting local influencers for a weekend retreat or training your staff at the property to create viral TikTok videos.

Gen Z consumers use TikTok more than Google to find products, according to ‘The Future of Commerce,' and this trend is likely to continue in the coming years. Similar to what we see in eCommerce, social media is playing a more important role than ever in customers’ decision-making.

Engage young customers with social media and video content

of travelers use social media to plan their trips.

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Learn more about how we can help elevate your business in 2023 and beyond.

The AR map can help guests better navigate their way through the hotel, providing a more enjoyable and engaging experience. When combined with creative storytelling, AR has the potential to bring the hotel’s history to life and leave guests with a long-last impression of who you are as a brand.

Top 5 CX Trends in Hospitality for 2023

Since the end of pandemic travel restrictions, business and leisure travel has rapidly rebounded, driving accelerated changes in customer expectations in hospitality CX.

From contactless features to self-service options, chatbots, augmented reality (AR), and personalized amenities, new and emerging technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to innovate the CX of hospitality.