2020 has been challenging for the hotel industry; to say the least. There’s no need to list the many ways in which the hospitality industry suffered; we’ve all been affected by it.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread and seized the world through the spring of 2020, news outlets and social media was flooded with articles describing a horrific picture of the hospitality world during the pandemic. It painted a picture of hotel lobbies with limited seating, front desks covered by plastic sheets and posters warning guests of the dangers. While the Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent fallout came as a shock to the whole world, nobody can tell how this is all going to end – but we can finally see the light in the tunnel.

We all want to put 2020 behind us as soon as possible, which means looking forward and planning for the Future. While there still may be many surprises and bumps ahead, as an industry, we can only do our best and expect the unexpected, and be prepared for it. We need to find ways to offer guests a safe and convenient travel experience without turning guests into patients.This is where hotel software comes in.

Hotel software enables Hotels to do the most impactful work in the most efficient way.

We are still in the midst of this crisis, but the hospitality industry is looking for solutions. Digital tools and contact-less solutions might just be the answer. As the industry slowly recovers and picks up the pace, guests will expect more but they will expect different. Specifically, they will expect a contact-less hotel experience.

Can you provide your guests anything and everything they want from the safety of their own mobile devices?

Technology is going to be the key element of the customer experience as Hotels gear to re-open.

Maybe the new reality won’t be a dreary, access restricted lobby but rather Hotel Technology that allows a seamless contact-less guest experience using innovative software solutions.

As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps people 6 feet apart from one another, hotels have turned to technology to maintain the essence of hospitality while also maintaining a safe distance. Concierge Mobile Apps – such as TripKit – will help hotels serve their guests in all the stages of the guest journey.

Your Hotel App will allow the whole trip to happen with less person-to-person contact and help minimize touch points. In fact, it’s now even possible to make the whole journey more or less contact-free.

In fully integrated hotels, guests can check-in online and receive an electronic key to their phone that unlocks their door. Inside their room, they can control everything from their phone, the TV. This can include turning on the TV, switching channels, controlling the temperature, controlling all the lights, and even opening the curtains. When guests get hungry, they can order food via the digital restaurant menu and pay online. For fun and leisure, they can book for activities, tours and special offerings, consult the concierge via a chatbot with any sort of question or request – from needing more towels, to ordering room service or making spa bookings – without the need for the guest to pick up a room phone or stand in line in the lobby.

The possibilities are endless, and while this all might seem like a scene out a science fiction movie – it’s happening right now.

Hotels have seen a rapid increase in sales from using this technology – guests weren’t unwilling to buy, they just didn’t always know what was on offer. Increase conversion rates and upsell by making check out hassle-free.  

With some encouraging signs for recovery on the horizon, Hoteliers are beginning to shift their attention to technologies that could take their hotel operations to the next levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

There is no time like the present to implement hotel software at your hotel. The future is here. As hoteliers make their budgets for 2021, an investment in hotel technology is step toward preparing for the unexpected.