The hotel and hospitality industry survives on guest experiences. Hotels must continuously strive to improve the experience they provide to their guests if they need to thrive. This has become more important in the post-pandemic era, where they need to alleviate their guests’ health and safety concerns through innovative ways.
The hotel industry is built on providing high-touch services involving significant human interaction. This poses certain challenges, especially during situations such as the coronavirus pandemic. With guests wary about human touch and interaction, hotels must innovate their approach to offer seamless guest experiences.
Fortunately, implementing digital technology to overhaul certain aspects such as check-in and check-out processes can improve the hotel guest experience. In fact, contactless check-in is something guests have wanted long before the crisis. According to Criton Hospitatlity Surveys 2020Opens a new window , 80% of hotel guests would download an app to check in, check out, and obtain all information about the hotel.
Here are three ways in which contactless check-ins can improve the guest experience in 2021.
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1. Use Mobile Technology for Communications and Check-In
Hotels can use mobile check-in methods to enable guests to gain access to their rooms or properties without using traditional check-in methods. For starters, hotels can use mobile messaging to send their guests pre-check-in messages confirming their expected time of arrival. This helps the hotel and front desk staff to be ready to hand over the keys when the guest arrives. Alternatively, they can also send their guests “room ready†messages to confirm that the room is ready to occupy before they arrive at the property. This type of communication helps the guests avoid waiting in a queue and helps the hotel staff manage the regulations of social distancing.
Another way to enable mobile check-in is through smartphone applications. Typically, a guest first registers for a specific room or property using a smartphone app. Once they book the room, they get notified by the hotel with the room details and a personal identification code. When customers enter the premises, they just need to place their smartphone in front of the wireless key reader typically attached to the room/property door. Once the reader correctly reads the information, the door unlocks, and the guest can enter the room.
Marriott HotelsOpens a new window introduced mobile check-in in its properties back in 2010 and has been extending it to most of its properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards members can download the free Marriott app and make a reservation on the app. Once the reservation is done, they should check in a few hours before their arrival at the property using the app. The hotel sends the guests a notification when the room is ready. Once the guests arrive at the property, they can access their room and other facilities, including a mobile key.
Here is the hotel’s mobile check-in in action.
In the wake of the pandemic, more hotel chains and boutique hotels worldwide have started implementing smartphone apps to help guest’s check-in through their mobile devices. Many hotels are also implementing smart devices such as Apple Watch as a door key.
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2. Use Robots and Automation To Limit Human Touch
Another way of offering contactless check-in for guests is by using robots. Hotels can automate some of the regular tasks associated with check-ins and reception, such as collecting guest details, confirming rooms, and porting their luggage. Several hotels have already implemented robots in their properties. What began as a novelty is now increasingly becoming a strategic decision to cater to guest concerns of human touch and filling resource shortage. Here are a few examples of hotel chains across the world implementing robots.
Henn na HotelOpens a new window , a hotel in Sasebo, Japan, was the first hotel to use robots as receptionists at the front desk. When guests entered the hotel, they were greeted by a robot velociraptor at the front desk. They were then asked to check-in using a touchscreen. Once they checked in, they could go to their room. Access to their room was given using face recognition. A robot in the room would control the lighting and heating and do more. Today, several other hotels are implementing robots as receptionists.
Henn na Hotel, Japan
Source: Henn na HotelOpens a new window
Another way to use robots during check-in is for carrying luggage. For example, Yotel HotelOpens a new window installed luggage-carrying robots in its New York property. The robot, called Yobot, automatically carries the guests’ luggage once they enter the property and complete their check-in process. The robot can handle about 300 items of luggage in a day. Implementing a robot speeds up the check-in and minimizes contact, thus improving the guests’ mental comfort. Several hotels have also started using robots for providing room and concierge services.
While some guests prefer seeing a smiling face welcoming them, a few don’t mind trading it for more efficient and safer check-in options. Hence, robots may be a good addition for human receptionists and luggage staff.
3. Provide Smart Rooms To Improve Personalization and Limit Human Interaction
Smart rooms mostly operate using smart devices connected through the Internet, usually referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT). They require minimal human interference to perform specific actions. Smart rooms can improve a customer’s hotel check-in and stay experience in several ways. For starters, smart rooms improve energy efficiency and responsiveness. From switching off the HVAC systems, lightings, and entertainment systems when the guest is not in the room to providing room service, smart rooms can automate several tasks.
Secondly, smart rooms offer great personalization and experience for the guests. For example, if a guest needs specific adjustments to be made to their room or needs a menu card for their room service, a smart room can help them using a smart speaker, smartphone, or a smart hub instead of having to call the front desk for every requirement. Further, smart rooms can provide personalized entertainment for guests.
Most importantly, smart rooms play a huge role in alleviating guest concerns about minimizing human interaction to avoid contracting the virus in the post-pandemic era. From having keyless entry and thermal scanning at the room entrance to a contactless concierge service, rooms can be automated to provide contactless service. The most important aspect when it comes to smart rooms would be contactless room service. Be it bringing food to the guest’s room from the restaurant, housekeeping, or even making their bed, contactless smart rooms provide a mental comfort to the guests.
Eccleston Square Hotel in London is an example of a hotel that uses advanced technology and amenities in its property. The hotel combines old-style architecture and modern technologies in its rooms. The rooms allow guests to control the main room functions through their mobile devices. The rooms are equipped with smart TVs in bathroom mirrors for personalizing entertainment and special iPads to provide personalized concierge services. The rooms also have handy smartphones that can be used to call international numbers and used while walking within the city.
Here is a short video of the smart technologies the hotel uses in its property.
Similarly, CitizenM New York Times SquaresOpens a new window gives its guests control of their rooms through their tablet. Guests can control various services such as waiting for check-in, lighting adjustments, Smart TV handling, and even wake-up calls through their tablet.
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Going The Extra Mile
The COVID-19-related social distancing restrictions are here to stay for a foreseeable future till the vaccines are available on a larger scale. Simultaneously, the pandemic has etched health and safety concerns deep in guests’ minds and will stay for a considerable time. As such, guests will expect hotels to take extra measures to minimize human contact during their stay.
Hence, implementing smart technologies to provide contactless check-in and stay, which was once considered a novelty, should now be relooked from a fresh perspective. Hoteliers should look at it from the perspective of giving extra mental comfort and an improved guest experience to their guests.