creating the coveted guest experience: technology ...the coveted hotel guest experience if ever...

Creating the Coveted Hotel Guest Experience

Technology Perspective

An Oracle Hospitality–Phocuswright Study

2

Technology Perspective: Excerpts from Creating the Coveted Hotel Guest Experience

If ever there was a mandate signaling hoteliers to embrace technol-ogy to enrich the guest experience, we uncovered it.

In a recent Oracle Hospitality study, 64% of U.S. hotel guests surveyed said it is “very or extremely important” for hotels to continue investing in technology.

One of the key findings of Creating the Coveted Hotel Guest Experience, that statistic should assuage hoteliers worried that a greater reliance on technology will somehow erode the human aspect of hospitality. Indeed, it’s time for hoteliers to put technology to work — by letting it assist, complement and amplify the exceptional service their staff delivers.

In an era of individualization, consumers increasingly expect, if not feel entitled, to use goods and services as they see fit — whenever, however and wherever they choose. And when they’re staying at hotels, they certainly want no less. That’s where technology must step in to meet their demands.

The following executive brief highlights the technologies most demanded by hotel guests today and provides guidance for their effective implementation.

Technology Perspective | oracle.com/hospitality

Guests Want to Utilize Technology to Improve Their Hotel Experience

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Improving The Hotel Experience WiFi Access:

For many guests, it’s the first thing they seek upon entering a room – 82% of U.S. guests reported connecting to in-room WiFi. But such a high level of engagement shouldn’t be misinterpreted as user satisfaction. In fact, hoteliers need to explore ways to improve WiFi service: 66% of guests said they are interested in an easier way to connect, and one-third expressed dissatisfaction about access difficulty.

In-Room Entertainment:

Nearly 75% of guests use in-room entertainment, and 28% said it is “very or extremely important” to their overall hotel experience. As guests demand more investment in this area, hoteliers are responding by improving technology and services that enable them to better enjoy their own content and devices – for example, improving WiFi, Bluetooth and increasing HDMI ports.

Said one U.S. hotel chain executive: “There is little interest in our entertainment. It’s really about allowing guest to use their own device.” This preference is made clear by the responses of surveyed UK guests: 25% are very/extremely interested in listening to music on their own device (through an in-room audio system) vs. 16% who preferred using the hotel room radio.


Nearly 75% of guests

use in-room

entertainment, and 28%

said it is “very or extremely

important” to their overall

hotel experience.

s

Guests that are Very/Extremely Interested in Streaming Shows and Movies On Personal Devices With In-Room Wifi

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“Smart Room” Functionality:

With Siri and Alexa almost becoming iconic, single-name “celebrities” for taking voice-activation mainstream, it’s no surprise that guests now are seeking such smart technology in their rooms. One obvious application? Using it to control the room environment, for example, adjusting lighting and temperature. When asked for their top-technology choices, guests cited the following for the task: hotel-provided tablets (32%), their own smartphones (27%) and voice activation (25%). Some hotels already have generated considerable media buzz for their smart-room exploits: Wynn Las Vegas became the first resort in the world to place Echo, Amazon’s voice-activated smart speaker, in all of its rooms – a total of 4,748 – to control environmental conditions.

Hotel Apps:

In recent years, hoteliers have rushed to create guest-facing apps only to encounter what can be best described as a lukewarm reception: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. travelers said they never used one during the past year. A likely reason? Consumers have limited storage capability on their smartphones and won’t make space for hotel apps that only provide ancillary services. Don’t mistake their response as a rejection of apps; rather, view it as an urging to do better. When it comes to apps, guests offer plenty of suggestions for improvements: They want features that enable virtual check in/check out, keyless room access, and booking of activities and ticket purchasing. Perhaps, the most-interesting revelation: 73% expressed interest in downloading an app that automatically provides connection to hotel WiFi.


They want features

that enable virtual

check in/check out, keyless

room access, and

booking of activities and

ticket purchasing.

s

Top Features Guests Would Like in a Hotel App – Leisure vs. Business

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Communication:

As indispensable as smart phones have become, they are clearly emerging as guests’ device of choice for communicating with hotel staff. U.S. hotel guests said they are very or extremely interested to do the following via a messaging app: obtain recommendations for nearby activities (53%), request extra pillows/toiletries (47%), make restaurant reservations (45%) and order room service (37%).


People are becoming

less inclined to

pick up the phone, but

more likely to send

questions via text.

How Guests Want to Engage with Hotels on Their Smart Phones

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Personalization:

As hotels across the board continue to escalate the quality of guest experiences, it will become increasingly difficult to differentiate one enterprise from another. The deciding factor, ultimately, will lie in creating genuine “connections” with guests – converting them from simply being a loyalty-points collector to a true brand ambassador. That transformation will require technology platforms that enable the creation and sharing of robust guest profiles, including their preferences and transactional history. Though some hoteliers worry that the pursuit of additional guest data may trespass on privacy issues, it is significant to note that guests are willing to disclose information about certain aspects of their lives. For example, 71% are quite comfortable discussing their food preferences and allergies, and 64% are happy to share their entertainment preferences.

Respecting guest privacy, of course, is a top priority. For hoteliers who want to avoid pressing for more guest data, there are other technology options that can still help “individualize” the guest experience. For example, 45% of U.S. guests said the ability to select a specific room location would improve their experience. And many guests would welcome “one-on-one” messaging and service delivery via their smartphones. Among their preferred requests: discounts to local restaurants (60%), notification of room availability (41%) and ability to schedule room cleaning (35%).


The deciding

factor, ultimately, will lie

in creating genuine

“connections” with guests.

Guests Are Willing to Share Information with Hotels in the Following Areas:

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Conclusion

Technology already is intertwined with the consumer’s travel journey, from start to finish. And its need is growing exponentially as guests increasingly demand tailored experiences delivered to them – faster, better and less expensive than before. Let Oracle Hospitality’s technology platforms accelerate innovation, improve efficiency and reduce IT cost and complexity. It’s the choice that will unveil what technology truly can be: an invaluable tool to better understand guests and orchestrate stays that they will long remember.


Consumers

already deem technology

as an inseparable

element of their travel

journey, and they

demand – and expect –

hoteliers to continue

investing in it to improve

their experience.

on Oracle SimphonyFOR MORE INFORMATION

Please contact us: [email protected] www.oracle.com/hospitality

@OracleHosp www.facebook.com/OracleHospitality

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Copyright © 2015, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. VDL24881 151006Copyright © 2017, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is provided for information purposes only, and the

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