Travellers More Likely to Choose Hotels Offering Self-Service Technology
As travellers we are looking for ways to make our lives easier. We want to be able to check in and out of our hotels with the touch of a button, order food without ever having to speak to someone, and manage our entire experience from the comfort of our own devices.
There's no doubting that the COVID era demands quick adaptation. The future of travel will be driven by technology and collaboration. To provide a superior service experience through automation, travel businesses must invest in technologies that remove roadblocks and bottlenecks in the booking process.
The focus of airline and tourism agencies has shifted to areas such as web/online technologies, PoS technology, and customer relationship management systems. Airline companies are focused on improving capabilities including self-service, touch less travel, biometrics, and artificial intelligence.
New Oracle Hospitality Study says Automation & AI are the Future
According to a new research study, entitled “Hospitality in 2025: Automated, Intelligent… and More Personal,” 95% of people plan to travel in the next six months. This number is only going to grow as travellers become more comfortable with using technology to manage their experiences. Hospitality businesses that don't offer self-service technology will lose out on business as travellers look for establishments that can cater to their needs.
The findings of the study, which was conducted by Oracle in collaboration with Skift, reveal that people are interested in even more customisation of their trip by choosing their preferred room and floor, as well as only paying for the services they desire — with many desiring to pre-screen properties in the Metaverse (68%).
Furthermore, consumers are interested in AI providing more customised services and offers, such as room pricing or meal recommendations, to 74% of respondents.
Key findings from the Study:
73% agree that they’re more likely to stay at a hotel that offers self-service technology to minimise contact with the staff and other guests.
38% want a fully self-service model, with staff only available upon request.
39% want to order room service from their phone or a chatbot.
49% are also looking for contactless payments (only 5% want to pay in crypto).
The shortage of labor is still a major issue in the hotel industry, but hoteliers are scrambling to implement new technology to help guests and employees:
65% of hoteliers said incorporating new technologies for staff best describes their strategy to weather labor shortages and attract new talent.
96% are investing in contactless technology, with 62% noting “a fully contactless experience” is likely to be the most widely adopted tech in the industry in the next three years.
54% added that their highest priority is to adopt tech that improves or eliminates the need for the front desk experience between now and 2025.
There is a lot of debate about how patient people are prepared to be in this change.
39% said they want a fully contactless experience for all basic hotel transactions (check-in/out, food & beverage, room keys, etc.).
34% said a staff shortage, and resulting slow service, would be their #1 deterrent to rebooking a hotel. However, just 23% noted that a lack of daily room cleaning is an issue, showing consumers have accepted (and 17% welcomed!) that this pre-pandemic mainstay is never coming back.
The research also found that tourists want the convenience and comfort of their own homes while traveling:
45% said on-demand entertainment access that seamlessly connects to their personal streaming or gaming accounts is their #1 must-have during their stay. Likewise, 45% of hotel executives said this in-room entertainment set-up is what they’re most likely to implement by 2025.
77% of travellers are interested in using automated messaging or chatbots for customer service requests at hotels.
43% want voice-activated controls for all amenities in their rooms (lights, curtains, door locks, etc.).
25% want room controls that auto-adjust temperature, lighting, and even digital art based on pre-shared preferences
Staying Ahead of the Technology Curve
It’s clear that travellers are looking for a more personalised and automated experience when they travel. Hospitality businesses need to invest in self-service technology if they want to stay ahead of the curve and meet the needs of their guests.
What do you think about self-service technology in the hospitality industry?
To download the full research report click here (registration required)