JULY 2018CIOAPPLICATIONSEUROPE.COM 19chatbot!), we need to reinvent the in-room technology we provide to our guests. With most guests having subscriptions to streaming services, we need to enable them to connect to them in their room. Being able to watch your own content on the hotel TV or listening to your saved playlist via TV is becoming a commodity. As we move to a more `frictionless' service, we will have to re-invent how we continue to provide true hospitality. How do you keep the soul of your business with less contact? Simple things like utilising texting to provide concierge or guest services are now enabling us to bridge this gap. A further enhancement to this technology is likely to be chatbot being used for the initial interaction stages utilising the guest's own device, the one they know and are comfortable with. When they get to the lobby though, this is where the more traditional hospitality we know today will resume, the guests have now decided to interact and therefore will expect outstanding service delivery on their terms (a road warrior on a Tuesday or a family on a long weekend will have very different expectations).Driving Revenue Generation. From the dreaming to the reservation stage, programmatic advertising has changed how guests are targeted and are increasingly presented with the product tailored to their needs. Guest loyalty analytics is still developing at a fast pace despite the concerns behind personal data protection and the increased awareness from the general public of this topic. When it comes to check-in stage, mobile technology now enables mobile check-in for our guests and that customisation is so important to them; from choosing the floor they want to be in, to upgrading to a superior room type or requesting a late checkout. A chatbot taking your room service order is in sight too. Behind the scene, changes are happening quickly too, with Revenue Management systems making some large leaps forward and delivering more accurate decisions from better demand forecasting to improved price optimisation resulting in increased RevPAR. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are pretty much the norm nowadays, but could chatbot now support simple reservations or assist with initial stage of the reservation journey or your booking engine directly hosted within Instagram platform?Creating Cost Efficiency. Automated payroll and scheduling system are already enabling more efficient staff planning and better use of our resources when it matters, but there are many other cost efficiencies that are or will shortly be possible because of the increased availability of technology. With more and more guests self-servicing either on their own device or interactive desks, our front of house function is changing rapidly with hosts replacing receptionists and taking multi-disciplinary roles. Payroll is one area where technology is likely to create strong cost efficiencies but other cost lines could also benefit from technology. For example, with mounting distribution costs for most hoteliers, how can blockchain change our route to market in a more cost-effective way remains unknown.As long as we stay in touch with our changing world and customer, technology in the hotel sector has a lot up its sleeves and won't stop surprising or even amazing us. Keep your entrepreneurial eye out; the next game changer is just around the corner. And remember to try new things, they may not all work, but you might also uncover a technological competitive advantage for your business. Stay TRENDY!. Anaël PeuAs we move to a more `frictionless' service, we will have to re-invent how we continue to provide true hospitality
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