Reading your Twitter feed on the bathroom mirror & being welcomed by robots; tech is changing the hospitality industry

As a millennial CEO of a new hospitality brand, Aiana Hotels & Resorts, I am conscious of the need to adapt and respond to advances in technology, and determine the role technology will play in the way we interact with our guests. Hotel companies today are investing in solutions to help surprise and delight guests by meeting their raised expectations of "instant satisfaction".

At the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference held in Dubai last week, CEOs of all the global hotel brands heard technology Evangelist James Whittaker stress upon the need to re-look at the world as data. According to him, technology of the future will be in the wild, wherever the users are, and the only resolution is to create an intelligent data marketplace.

The largest disruptor in the hospitality industry so far has been on the distribution front, but I believe that technology will also play a role in service design. Hotel companies will be able to own the customer by owning the data.

Extracting data and using it in a constructive way is how we can achieve the hyper personalization expected from the Z Generation. Our guests are smart users of technology and seek local experiences, we should therefore focus on fresh product design complemented with immersive lifestyle concepts.

Taping into the start-up culture can also help traditional hotel businesses deal embrace ideas by entrepreneurs who are not limited by age old processes.


Two robotic arms by Industrial robot manufacturer Kuka pour a beer for guests. (Representative image: AFP)

Mobile has changed the way we interact with our guests - from booking to check-in to keyless room access. This sense of immediacy means we need to re-train and update ourselves to respond faster and provide on-the-go solutions.

In-room technology will also have to be upgraded to include flat screens and on-demand content. Bring your own device (BYOD) is now a given, and research indicates than an average guest travels with 5 devices at a minimum. The room experience now has to match with what guests are already enjoying at home and this means boosting bandwidth and delivery platforms that allow for better interfaces and viewing on larger screens. With guests bringing their own devices, the largest spend for hoteliers will be on providing a secure and robust infrastructure.

Fibre is fast becoming the new standard for builds as it provides the capacity and reach, along with the flexibility to support upgrades in cellular networks as well. Along with this increased accessibility, there is also the need to beef up data security as maintain guest privacy. Securing both payments and data through detection and prevention mechanisms is key to addressing rising concerns with regards to security.

At Aiana, we believe that technology should enhance but not replace human interaction. We call it Hospitality 2.0! We apply innovative use of technology in every interface with the guests so that every part of the journey - from making the booking, arrival, on-site experience during the stay and departure is customized and interactive. The purpose is to create an overall enriching experience that allows us to establish an emotional connect and create memories for the guests.

Applying technology in another area, our onsite engagement tools allow us to leverage our guest's history data so that Aiana Discovery loyalty members get personalized offerings based on their preferences. Tracking guest history allows us to surprise and delight during the course of a guest's stay. It also eliminates one step as the guest's needs are pre-empted. Guest feedback mechanisms play a large role in enhancing customer engagement. Our endeavour is to get feedback during the stay so that we can take corrective measures immediately.

This is just the beginning of the hospitality industry's adaption of technology. Wireless charging, virtual reality, robotics and interactive walls are already being tested and will soon be the new normal. Screens are now replacing lobby art and in a recent demonstration Samsung replaced the bathroom mirror to a screen that allowed you to read your twitter feed, check the weather and brush your teeth at the same time.

As our customers evolve so will our spaces and the way we communicate with them. At Aiana, the future will be both high tech and high touch, and we aim to seamlessly integrate technology in every aspect of our guest, employee and environment experience.