October 2021 | Relay Blog

The modern hotel industry fuses the best of old-fashioned hospitality with cutting-edge data and customer service management tools. Or at least that’s the plan.

For every hotel chain or golf resort that reopened with newer, better, faster, safer technology, there are a dozen resorts still lagging behind. Sadly, what was once considered innovative might now be considered out of date. The key to being considered bleeding edge is not in spending more, but spending smarter and better on the newest tech management innovations for the hospitality industry.

So, are you up for the challenge of figuring out where your property ranks in terms of the hottest trends for hotels?

Innovation in hospitality technology at HITEC 2021

In late September, the world’s largest hospitality technology conference, Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), took place in Dallas, Texas. It was the first HITEC live event in over 25 months and it was brimming with new technology innovation customized for hotel managers and staff.

While some management teams believe investments in emerging or unproven technologies can potentially prove unwise, the new launches at the conference prove otherwise. By updating your hotel tech regularly you give guests a clear understanding that you’ve created an updated and better experience for them. It instills confidence and sets your property apart from others.

Pro tip: While new tech for hotel management is fantastic, your staff needs to know how to use everything. Be sure to build in enough time for training for staff and managers to avoid any glitches or gaps in service as you move from really good to amazing.

Bleeding edge concepts from HITEC Dallas 2021

We culled together a few key concepts and tech innovators who exhibited or presented at HITEC that we think will elevate leading-edge hotels to bleeding-edge status.

Workforce management tools. One of the trends we think will stick around is the ability to effortlessly manage staff and their availability and shifts. While some initial predictions about staffing in a post-COVID world were dire, most stressed efficiency and appreciation as the key to attracting and retaining staff. The most bleeding-edge hotels will manage staff effortlessly through cloud-based apps that allow them to fully manage staff. UniFocus ShiftGenius is one of the tools introduced at HITEC that will allow management to make even complicated tasks like labor projections, budgeting, scheduling and compliance, feel effortless.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect workers and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

Housekeeping goes digital. In a recent survey, we discovered that nearly 50% of hospitality workers would consider switching jobs for better tech. If you’re worried that implementing trendy tech for your hotel could turn guests off, you should consider your staff as well. Bleeding-edge technology proves to your staff that their needs matter and are budgeted for with intention and not as an afterthought. Hello Shift and Beekeeper are just two of the brands with new housekeeping apps that make things like checking the status of all housekeeping tasks almost effortless.

Don’t waste your data. A topic we followed with great interest is the idea that a majority of hotels or chains are ignoring the value of their data lakes and customer information. It’s not enough to simply ask guests for feedback, you need to figure out how to use that information to then give your guests the customized experience they crave. Old-school tech might encourage the use of extensive databases with guest information. Bleeding-edge tech will combine artificial intelligence to best utilize the information gathered. For instance, you might create several customized greetings variations for repeat guests with personalized data to appear more welcoming to every guest, every single visit.

Safety is everything. From contactless check-in services to grab-and-go kiosks, the most technologically innovative hotels will fine-tune the way that guests and staff interact. There are even new ways to kick off your daily meetings. Another HITEC launch of interest to hotel management is Flexkeeping Daily Hotel Report which can be set up to be delivered each morning and will provide data from every team and department. It would be smart business to also add property and employee safety to the daily meetings. For instance, consider adding a daily report on how often associate alert devices are engaged, or during which shift or locations frontline workers engage or test their panic buttons.

If you’d like to catch up on everything you missed at HITEC this year, HFTP created Keynote/General Session Digital Collection available through October 31, 2021 for $199.00.

The Relay difference:

Relay is establishing a benchmark for the next technological revolution that focuses on innovative, durable, and highly adaptive voice-first technology for frontline workers. Our vision is to empower frontline teams with technology that allows them to safely and quickly connect to the people and information they need to get their jobs done more efficiently.

While the hospitality industry is known for providing pampering experiences for guests, there’s a constant underlying pressure to keep an eye on spending. Then again, if you don’t spend, you can’t provide guests with the best possible experience, which feels contradictory as well as frustrating. The key is finding a balance between investing in your property and touchpoints, while constantly tracking your investments and payoffs. And hopefully, the payoffs far outweigh the spending.

Depending on your ultimate goals, you’ll probably have to spend a bit to earn even more. And so while it might theoretically seem counterintuitive to upgrade your technology to save money, it actually makes perfect sense.

We recently shared results from a survey we conducted that found 50% of hospitality workers might switch jobs for better tech. From smart thermostats to electricity monitors, there are some quick tech upgrades to keep in mind which will probably improve your bottom line.

1. Stop wasting energy

According to Energy Star, America’s estimated 47,000 hotels spend an average of $2,196 per available room each year on energy. If you’re wondering just what a big drain this is on resources, that represents about six percent of all operating costs.

Use tech to save
Try to identify the rooms or spaces that use the most energy and consider installing timers or other devices that automatically sense when someone isn’t in the room for a specific amount of time. Consider calling in a light designer who can help you set up a new system that will both appeal to guests, allowing them to shut lights when they’re not using their rooms or turn them off before they return.

2. Don’t overheat your space

Another major issue in the hospitality industry is the egregious waste of heating or cooling in unoccupied rooms. While it’s crucial to regulate temperatures to keep furniture and appliances from warping, there’s no need to overdo it when rooms might be empty for extended periods of time.

Use tech to save
The internet of things can extend beyond your home to your property as well. By setting up heating or cooling sensors throughout your hotel, you can keep rooms comfortably cool or warm without overspending. You can also monitor them from a specific hub or app. As with electricity usage, an energy efficiency consultant can help you understand where trouble spots might be.

3. Keep staff connected

When managing a large staff it can be difficult to keep track of individual employees, especially housekeeping staff who spend a large part of their days going room-to-room. While you’ll need to connect with remote staffers in case of an emergency, you can save time and energy by creating an interconnected network of devices that allow staffers to check in regularly.

Use tech to save
With the nationwide rollout of the so-called panic button laws for hotels, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to outfit your staff with associate alert devices at some point in the near future. By researching the best options now, you’ll end up saving both time and money. By choosing the best option for your staff and budget and figuring out any potential hiccups in advance, you’ll also protect the safety of your staff and guests.

And let’s face it; by continuing to allow staff to use personal mobile devices for hotel issues, you’re almost greenlighting them goofing off as well.

At Relay, we’re proud that our devices connect distanced workers at Hotels and empower them through the use of a panic button and a completely connected cellular network. Contact us to find out how to empower your staff and clientele through connectivity with a device that alerts anyone to potential danger.

4. Integrate your finance and accounting

Large luxury chains have an advantage over independent properties in that they can afford software and automation products that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But by searching around for alternate options, any property of any size can find similar products at a fraction of the cost.

Use tech to save
We noticed Hotel In A Box, which is described as being “a fully integrated finance and technology solution designed specifically for the hospitality industry,” is now affordably priced and more accessible to businesses of all sizes. By investing in a product to manage everything from property management, point of sale, payroll, and banking systems along with the capacity to create advanced reports you’re freeing up time that employees can spend creating more personal experiences for guests. By automating the repeat tasks, you have now have the potential to add more creativity to your suite of services as well.

5. Improve guest experience

Your guests rely on their smartphones to help them enjoy their stay, so why miss the opportunity to connect with them on a branded app as well? According to the Oracle Hospitality report, “room cleanliness is, by far, the most important criterion for overall guest satisfaction.” Along those lines, 35% of guests said they would like the ability to schedule room cleaning, and 26% said they would appreciate a smartphone notification indicating that their room was being cleaned.

Use tech to save
The Oracle report said that hotels for the most part “aren’t pursuing guest-facing technology to address such housekeeping requests. Rather, hotels are primarily using mobile technology to improve housekeeping staff performance.” While that’s a great approach, it leaves a giant gap in performance. By automating room cleaning updates, you’re also freeing up staff from having to constantly respond to questions about clean rooms or room availability.

The Relay difference:

If you’re ready to set up your own network of panic buttons, look no further than Relay. Our products are affordable and efficient. Relay is an easy to deploy, flexible panic button. Best yet, it’s also an elevated communications solution, so you’re combining two critical line items into one (with better value). With Relay, you save money, setup is nonexistent, and our products offer hotel staff a practical, easy solution.