Hospitality is constantly evolving.

Today’s hoteliers are not tied to traditional hotel models – sometimes not even to walls. However, the current tech companies continue to limit the way hoteliers and hosts run their businesses, keeping them stuck in legacy systems that are expensive, difficult to use, and (too) often negatively impact the guest experience.

What is the foundation of excellent service?

No industry incorporates the art of hospitality more than the travel industry and tourism. So what is the basis of excellent guest service?

The answer is quite simple: technology.

The digital transformation, a movement sometimes misinterpreted as a threat to traditional hospitality values, is making its way into all sectors and industries, without exception.

However, the technology that hospitality professionals and brands are now embracing is not intended to displace the touchpoints of traditional services or drastically change the definition of hospitality as we know it.

Currently, the stakes for hospitality brands are higher than ever.

Guests want everything from hygienic pandemic-caused standards and enhanced security to special offers, superior service, improved personalization, and convenience enhanced by digital touch points. At the same time, hospitality is facing a shortage of manpower which is why countless hotels are struggling to attract and/or re-engage the talents needed to consistently deliver on their promises. Simply put, hoteliers are expected to do much more with much less, and there is only one way to achieve this and maximize efforts in a meaningful way – technology.

Digital platforms, which have often been in the background, are no longer just nice-to-have but a must-have. Hotel tech solutions are not only the foundation of excellent service for guests in modern times. These solutions are crucial for the post-pandemic period, sustainability, and scalable success within a hypercompetitive landscape.

Hotel Tech Revolution Is Already Late

It is crucial, especially today, to move away from the perspective that defines technology as a cost. Instead, embrace the mindset that it is a way of doing business looking forward.

Digital platforms, such as cloud-based hotel systems, which combine property management systems, channel management, and booking engine, are intended to accelerate, increase and improve the underlying processes. New cloud technologies enable operational efficiency and empower hotel staff to anticipate and respond to guest needs better. In this way, guest services and technology are not separate entities but work together as a cohesive unit.

According to McKinsey, 85% of executives said their company has significantly or somewhat accelerated the implementation and adoption of technologies. 95% of digital leaders have implemented significant cloud-based capabilities to stay competitive. The research also reveals that work overload reduces productivity by 68%, making it vital to invest in new technologies that help increase productivity by eliminating repetitive administrative and other monotonous tasks.

With this in mind, 70% of organizations have a digital transformation strategy or are working on it, and 70% of companies said using technology to simplify workflows and manual processes and reduce costs is a top priority in the future.

As we have already entered the recovery period, hoteliers need to observe the circumstances – how can technology help address labor shortages? How can hotel staff use digital platforms for better customer service when standards are under the microscope? What does digitally transformed infrastructure in hospitality look like?

Choose wisely

We have identified technology’s critical role in the guest service environment, but the question is, what technology should hoteliers invest in? Are all digital platforms created equal?

The answer is no.

Only some platforms and technology ecosystems offer scalable efficiencies for improved guest services and increased revenue. Moving away from the limitations of legacy platforms, hoteliers should look for cloud-based solutions that have been developed and created with an understanding of the unique demands placed on the travel and hospitality sector.

Any future platform’s speed, flexibility, and stability should be checked before adoption, focusing on how this solution seamlessly integrates with existing processes.

When considering the implementation of a new hotel tech platform to strengthen guest service, hoteliers should consider the following issues:

Flexibility and resilience of the platform?

Adaptability to your unique business needs?

Cost-effectiveness? Do the implementation and change require additional fees, including integration and upgrade costs?

Availability anywhere, on any device, at any time? Mobile access is absolutely crucial.

Does the platform guarantee availability without a scheduled downtime?

Cloud-based? Or do you have to invest and buy and maintain servers yourself?

Does it enable the continuous development of your critical business processes?

Does the platform use an infrastructure that allows easy integrations?

Can apps work together as a cohesive tech stack that creates a seamless, all-in-one ecosystem?

Service industries such as hospitality need to leverage digital tools to improve guest service, operational efficiency and maximize revenue.

Impact On the Future

Yet digital transformation is an individual and internal process and cannot be standardized.

As we prepare to analyze the results of 2022, hotels that choose to implement quality technology solutions today will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their business, so wise choice is critical. Technological solutions and modern hotel systems must provide scalability, speed, and powerful features – they must also support all aspects of your services to ensure top-class guest experiences.

At Rentlio, we believe there has never been a better time to modernize your tech support. From the very foundations until today, we continue to question how the industries, such as hospitality and travel – responsible for numerous memories, experiences, and memorable moments, continue to be burdened with outdated technology. We are here to fix it. Our goal is to help hoteliers use Rentlio technology and knowledge to increase revenue and make guests more satisfied.