Enterprise Communications Featured Article

To excel in hospitality, there are a number of key areas where attention is needed to ensure the optimal guest experience. For some destinations, it means knowing exactly what the guest wants before they express it. In others, the focus has to be on the added perks included with the stay. Whether your destination is high end or you’re simply offering a quiet night of rest, there are benefits to the unified communications system.

A recent Hospitality Technology article focused on the topic of technology in the guestroom. According to the publication’s “2014 Lodging Technology Study,” 17 percent of technology budgets for 2014 were earmarked for technologies in guest rooms. These investments may focus on televisions, controls, connectivity and other in-room amenities with a technology backbone. Even the door to the room offers potential for improving the guest experience.

As mobility has become a way of life, consumers are consistently looking for new ways to streamline activities through their smartphone. We manage calendars, email, messaging, music, budgets, banking and so much more through these devices. Why not extend these capabilities to the hospitality environment? With the right apps in place, guests could use their mobile devices to book rooms, order room service, communicate with the front desk and even unlock a hotel door.

The hospitality industry has significant opportunity in enterprise communications if operators are willing to look at the bigger picture. Integrating current systems with mobile devices not only appeals to the usage trends of the consumer base, it also provides considerable opportunity to capture guest data in a big way. While some properties are already doing this, those who are lagging behind have an opportunity to embrace mobile and study usage trends as guests plan and execute their stays.

At the same time, the destination has an opportunity to be more in tune with guest needs. The guest who booked time in the spa may need extra towels in her room once she returns. With the right configuration, an alert can be sent to housekeeping so the towels are waiting for her, along with a bottle of water or other extras. The same may be true for the guest who is traveling for business. A message sent to the smartphone with a suggestion on room service menus could ensure he has a hot meal immediately when he returns to the room.

The opportunities in this space truly are extensive. The key is to do the research on what guests want and how these needs can easily be met through a robust enterprise communications system. In doing so, satisfaction will improve, along with bookings, revenue and profit.