Contactless technology in the hospitality industry

One of the biggest buzzwords in the travel industry for the last few years has been “seamless customer experience.” Hotels have been experimenting and implementing different strategies to give their travelers a unique and memorable travel experience.

Then COVID -19 pandemic happened, and the whole world turned upside down. Overnight countries banned travel to contain the spread of the virus. For the last 1-1/2 years the travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic.

Now that the vaccination is here and people are learning to live with COVID, the travel sector is opening up slowly. While hotels still want their customers to have a seamless experience, contactless has become the new buzzword for hotels and travelers. The potential risk associated with physical touch points has made hands-free and contactless experiences of paramount importance to travelers and hotels. Hoteliers are now busy exploring different avenues to attract guests, leveraging contactless technology.

Look at these interesting stats

• 58% of travelers would prefer to check-in via an app
• 95% guest engage in properties that have in-room tablets
• 70% of millennials prefer to book properties that have tech amenities like key-less entries or cashless payment features

Benefits of contactless technology

1. Upselling services

Hotels can now have more opportunities to increase their revenues by Upselling their services. For example, Swyftin is a web app that supports hotels in upselling by optimizing the guest experience.

2. Single customer profile

For returning guests, you can have a single guest profile so that they do not need to re-upload their documents every time they check in. They can simply scan a QR code, and the hotel can have access to the documents required for sign-in.

3. Check-in on the go

Contactless technology makes it possible for guests to check in from anywhere while exploring services, upgrading their stay options, and doing a lot more.

4. Safe in post covid world

In the post covid world, the best option to keep both staff and guests safe is to maintain social distance and avoid touch points as much as possible. Contactless technology is here to stay because it’s the safest option at the moment.

5. Improved staff efficiency

With contactless technology in place, staff can focus their attention on more pressing issues that require human intervention. This can improve their efficiency and productivity too.

Examples of contactless technology in hotels

1. Digital Concierge

24/7 online concierge service has become a popular trend in the hospitality industry because hoteliers can communicate with guests digitally. They can gather orders and requests throughout the day and night, enabling them to provide a seamless customer experience. Digital concierge also gives hoteliers access to data and analytics. Leveraging these data, hoteliers can offer personalized services that will improve customer experience and bring in revenues for your business. It also helps reduce the scope of human errors, build brand value, and increase the productivity of the hotel staff. Digital concierge service can come as an app for smartphones or a web application.

2. Digital Check-In, Checkout

Today technology has made it possible for hotels to implement a digital check-in and checkout. Guests can upload all their documents online, let their hoteliers know when they arrive at a property through an app, and even access their rooms through mobile keys. Guests can also review the facility and do the checkout formalities without coming into direct contact with any hotel staff.

3. Contactless payment

Contactless payment has been there for quite some time, and with the pandemic happening, most businesses are opting for contactless payment to minimize contact with their customers. Guests can pay their bills through different devices using different payment gateways without any face-to-face interaction.

4. Customized loyalty

The access to guests’ data and innovative technology have made it possible for hoteliers to offer customized loyalty for their guests. Based on their preference, hotels can now offer a discount coupon code for their in-house restaurant, or free access to the kid’s area for families traveling with children, etc.

5. Enhanced customer experience

Using in-app capabilities, guests can now have complete and better control over their stay. They can opt for room preferences, extend their stay, order food in the room, and do a lot more using mobile apps.

Implementing contactless technology in your hotel

Contactless technology is going to be the future of the hospitality industry especially in a post pandemic world. It is high time to upgrade your property and enable contactless features if you haven’t done it already. There are many market players who can help you implement it at a nominal cost. To explore what all contactless technology can do for you and how you can increase your ROI,  request a Demo today