Internet of Things (IoT) – A Game Changer for the Hospitality Industry
The two things that can change the lives of professionals and personals are smart automation and IoT (Internet of Things). IoT-enabled digital devices like wireless speakers, webcams, digital assistants are becoming more familiar with personalized and automated living space.
If people have started living in an automated and hyper-personalised living space, when they leave their home, travel somewhere, they expect to get the same type of environment in their hotels.
People’s demands are evolving, and it’s extremely crucial that being in the hospitality industry, you must differentiate yourself from your competitors. Read to know more about IoT and its benefits for the hospitality industry and consumers and its downsides.
Internet of Things (IoT)- What is it
IoT refers to the expanding network where smart devices can connect to the internet and communicate with each other. IoT involves connecting all the devices to the internet, which includes connecting thermostats, energy meters to vehicles and machines.
The idea of IoT is to convert devices or appliances into smart devices or appliances so that they’re capable of communicating with each other and share data.
How IoT benefits the Hospitality Industry
The hospitality industry has already started to implement IoT into their business. The IoT technology can offer significant benefits to the hospitality industry, starting from saving energy costs to delivering a better customer experience.
Guest look for customization; whether it’s their room or the workplace, it makes them feel special. Hence, to provide the ultimate experience, you must aim at embracing IoT technology. Below are some of the benefits IoT devices can give to the hospitality industry:
- Save cost and make HR, housekeeping, front desk management efficient.
- Increase in one-to-one customer engagement, positive reviews and revenue.
- Fewer maintenance calls lead to lesser disruption during work. Save time and easily plan schedule maintenance.
- Richer guest data collection and management. You can better understand your guest’s habits, dislikes, likes, preferences, and spending patterns, which allow you to enhance their experience.
- Having more knowledge about your guests, you would offer them precisely what they want.
Using IoT technology, your hospitality operations would improve and can provide a better experience to your guests.
How IoT in the hospitality industry benefits the guests
If you want to excel in the hospitality industry, you’ll need to provide a better guest experience. Also, the hospitality industry functions and relies based on reviews from guests.
Only the guest’s better experience can take your hotel towards growth. Below are some of the benefits a guest would experience through IoT in the hospitality industry:
- Hassle-free check-in and check-outs.
- In-house navigation helps to find ways to restaurants and other amenities easily.
- Customized offers and food offering as per the cuisine choices.
- Personalized room settings as per your likings.
- Remembers your usual order for breakfast.
These are only a few benefits IoT technology can offer to the guest; once you go in-depth, more. Hence, implement IoT technology to give the guest the best experience.
Does IoT in the hospitality industry have a downside? Yes
The hospitality industry will require an internet connection for the devices to work efficiently. Still, it also attracts cyber threats and security breaches. Hackers can hack the machines that are in the hotel’s infrastructure.
Once the devices are exploited, hackers would access the hotel’s system and jeopardize the entire security system. But these shouldn’t put fear to put IoT in the hospitality industry, as it’s the future and it’s unavoidable.
Hotels and the hospitality industry should take the initiative and utilize IoT solutions’ benefits to elevate the overall guest experience. Hotels that quickly implement IoT solutions would be ahead of their competitors.
Which IoT solutions can be implemented in the hospitality industry?
Hyper-personalized rooms
One of the main reasons why the hospitality industry incorporates IoT solutions is to provide their guest with hyper-personalized rooms. It offers complete guest control over the heating, air conditioning and ventilation.
Guests will have devices that allow them to automatically regulate room temperature, control television, etc.
Location-based information
Technologies like GPS, beacon, and Bluetooth allow the delivery of location-based information, which hospitality industry companies can use to send precise and relevant messages to the recipients.
Predictive maintenance and repairs
Using IoT solutions in hotels provides the staff with up-to-date information about different devices and the appliance’s operating status. If it detects an unusual performance, it will immediately alert the hotel staff.
E-Key cards
Hotels traditionally have relied upon physical key cards, but IoT solutions have opened up new possibilities. Now, e-key cards are directly sent to the guest’s mobile device, and through that, they can unlock and lock doors.
Voice-controlled customer service
Many hotel companies are now adopting voice-controlled customer service, and it’s going to expand more in the coming years. Products like Amazon Echo are widely being used in a home environment.
Conclusion
The hospitality industry has already started deploying IoT solutions, and hotel owners must understand the future potential of IoT solutions. It would help automate processes, improve guest’s overall experience, and help save money, energy, and maintenance.
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