A look at the technologies helping drive the hospitality industry forward
Technology, and its development, is what drives practically every industry on the planet. While the hospitality industry can be highly dependent on service and skill, technology also plays a significant role when it comes to the overall operation of each establishment.
A good example of an important technology is a piece of software called “property management systems.” This software, called PMS for short, provides hotels with the luxury of automated management of guest reservations. This includes the point of sale, online reservations, and other things like what kind of amenities or services each guest or customer uses.
PMS software is an integral part of larger hotel establishments, especially multi-property hotel groups, due to their sheer size. This technology enables both macromanagement and micromanagement of nearly every aspect of a hotel’s operations. Some high-end PMS suites offer extended modules for specific areas of service, such as catering and corporate businesses. PMS suites can also be synchronized with computerized power management systems in an effort to reduce power consumption.
Other types of programs are used by different hotels for a variety of functions. There are some that provide help in terms of measuring relevant hotel metrics and other analytics components that help drive business. Some of the online hotel reservation services are also powered by software called web booking engines. Documentation, support center access and remote training are among other types of software used by hotels today.
Of course, hotel technology is not limited to software. There are also complex systems that are based on hotel IP phone networks, which are used to facilitate guest access and system integration. There are also content management systems that help hotels push information to consumers, which helps improve marketing efforts in addition to what is generally referred to as traditional marketing.
With increasing customer and consumer sentiment towards sustainability that can help save the environment, the development of “green technology” for the hospitality industry is now coming to the fore. Green technology involves the use of smart and sustainable building design, green innovations and energy efficiency.
You can see more and more green hotel technology these days, albeit for those establishments that can afford it. For example, some hotels use wireless thermostats that can detect occupancy and movement within a room. Those thermostats can automatically adjust the temperature and settings of the room. This helps save energy and costs. Another example is the use of electronic documentation among management teams, a solution that effectively reduces paper consumption unless absolutely necessary.
The above technologies are basically employed by most of the top tier hotels, simply because they can afford it. However, with today’s technological advances, some innovations will become more accessible to mid-range properties. Without a doubt, technology plays an important role in all aspects of hotel operation. From seemingly simple telecommunications upgrades to complete suites of property management systems, technology drives service and makes many things possible for hotels. It helps drive business, making management easier and enabling a more personalized and enhanced guest experience.