How to create a special experience for your hotel guests with digital services
In this article, we will show you how you can cleverly use digital helpers to continue to inspire your guests in the future.
Imagine you are traveling on business or going on a well-deserved vacation. There’s one thing you don’t have in any case: time for inefficient processes. Having to wait a long time at reception only to be told that your room is not yet ready is a first impression that you as a guest will not soon forget. After all, a delicious breakfast awaits you – if all the tables weren’t already taken.
The story could go on and on. Do you want to be remembered by your guests like this? With the prevailing shortage of skilled workers and rising guest numbers, efficiency is the key to competitiveness. Your guests want an uncomplicated and special stay. Solutions are therefore needed to continuously optimize the guest journey. Let us introduce you to them.
How digital services turn the guest journey into a special experience
What does the ideal guest journey look like in the digital age? The majority of your guests now use online information sources when planning their trip – around 60 percent. This value is even higher when it comes to the actual booking. Here, around three quarters of travelers use a computer or smartphone. This share is likely to increase even further in the future due to advancing digitalization and the digital affinity of the younger generations. What does this development mean for you? Your guest also expects comprehensive access to information during their stay and an easy way to reach their destination – a stay according to their personal wishes.
In concrete terms, this means during his Guest Journey:
- No long waiting times at check-in thanks to Easy Check-in offers
- Free and good WLAN for video conferences, streaming, etc.
- A special offer tailored to his individual needs
How can you offer him the last point in particular? They can find out quickly and digitally about various offers, events in the area and transportation options and also receive individual insider tips from you. A digital guest folder, in which they can get an overview and book the offers that interest them, not only makes life easier for them, but also for your reception staff.
Sustainable solutions, respect for your guest’s privacy and the ability to quickly rate and share their experience complete their experience. Digital assistants can also make their contribution here and support you in your everyday life. Our service robot Alfred, for example, can act as a rolling minibar on demand and provide your guests with fresh drinks at any time.
Overall, your guest journey should be described by the following five characteristics:
- Simple
- Intuitive
- Flexible
- Personal
- Individual
This is your digital optimization potential
To ensure that the modern guest journey is an all-round digital one, you have the option of optimizing it at various points. Have you already identified some potential for yourself while reading? Five important measures can be derived from the previous section.
- Simplify the check-in process: Make the reception of your guests friendlier and less bureaucratic with a pre-check-in or simple check-ins via smartphone. This way you avoid stressful situations before the actual stay and your guest can arrive relaxed.
- Digitize the guest folder: A digital guest folder, which he can access via a link on his smartphone or via our ASE-WEB, collects the most important information in one place and offers him the opportunity to organize his stay according to his wishes.
- Offer cashless payment options: Offer your guest cashless payment options for additional services or at check-in or check-out. With PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, their repertoire of payment options is up to date.
- Integrate individual room and media control: Give your guest the opportunity to control the climate, light and shade conditions individually and as they wish. With an intelligent room control system, you can increase its feel-good factor enormously.
- Create many information options: Whether via digital signage, signage, lobby information or via the ASE-WEB directly in the hotel room – give your guests exactly the information they need, when they need it.
3 tips on how digital services create a special experience for hotel guests
The potential of a digitalized guest journey is enormous and the starting points are numerous. In order to make your digitalization process as successful and targeted as possible, we would like to give you three tips on your way to becoming a digital hotel.
Tip 1: Create as many touchpoints as possible
Guests want to make their stay at your hotel as flexible and individual as possible. With interaction and communication options from anywhere and at any time, you can offer them exactly this experience – without constantly interrupting them and asking if they have any requests. Your guest knows that your service is on call.
Tip 2: Make sure that all information and amenities are easy and uncomplicated to access
Different guests use different channels for their requests. To optimize your guest journey, your product, service and communication quality must be in harmony across all channels. Would your guest like a spontaneous wellness day in the spa area? No problem thanks to the option of checking and booking capacities, prices and offers from the comfort of your room.
Tip 3: Use digital helpers for support
Digital helpers can be a profitable addition to your service. Nevertheless, they should always keep one thing in mind: They are no substitute for human labor and personal contact. Let your service staff continue to do what they do best – namely provide a high-quality service.
These are your advantages
Digital services can therefore make a major contribution when it comes to making the guest journey an all-round unique experience. But you as a hotel operator also benefit considerably from this. Not only because you increase guest satisfaction through greater comfort, memorable hotel experiences and individuality. At the same time, you can use measures such as intelligent room control to protect the environment, conserve resources and therefore your budget, and position yourself sustainably.
Above all, however, digital helpers optimize your internal hotel workflow. You can relieve your employees and thus improve service quality. Particularly in times when good service staff are essential and yet there is a shortage of skilled workers, they point the way to a successful future.
Do you have an eye on the future and want to continue offering your guests first-class service in the future? Then read our white paper and find out how you can counter the shortage of skilled workers for your hotel.
