Over the last year, the hospitality industry has had to rapidly adapt to changes in guest behaviour, international travel restrictions, and unpredictable lockdowns. As a result of these pandemic-induced trends, there has been a bigger reliance on technology than ever before for guests and staff alike. Properties can no longer rely on what worked in the past and instead must re-evaluate their tech stack to accelerate recovery and pave the way for future success.
The following tips will help you maintain efficiency and deliver unmatched guest experiences, both now and post-pandemic.
- Go cloud-based
Cloud hosting has been around for a while, but the impact of the pandemic really highlighted the importance of utilising a cloud-based system, particularly in enabling remote operators and their staff to successfully run the business off-site. After the unpredictable nature of 2020, having the capacity to switch to a remote environment at short notice is a rising trend that causes minimum disruption to staff and guests.
Thinking ahead to a post-COVID future, cloud technology also boasts a number of benefits compared to traditional on-premise systems; it is resilient and scalable, offering more flexibility while also substantially lowering operating costs – a significant factor for many hospitality managers in 2021.
- Speed up your digitalisation
In 2021, contactless guest-facing tech became an expectation over convenience. Though already well-established in the industry, touch-free offerings accelerated in response to COVID, promoting guest and staff safety by limiting interactions.
Many operators have embraced app-based technology, which guests can easily access via their digital device. Looking at the longevity of contactless tech, it’s safe to assume that this trend will dominate the hospitality industry for a long time. As well as the COVID-safe benefits (such as the ability to check-in early, sign a COVID declaration form, and order food from your room), touch-free tech also streamlines the customer journey, saves your guests time, and saves you from having to invest in expensive on-site kiosks.
- Set your property up to react to market shifts
With 2020 came prolonged unpredictability, especially within the hospitality industry. It became clear that accommodation providers needed to implement technology that could instantly react to changes in the market, maximising their revenue at every possible opportunity.
With smart PMS tech, you can effortlessly combine your short and long-term inventory, allowing you to quickly transition in the event of another short-term market collapse. Coined as fluid inventory, this enables forward-thinking operators to plan ahead for possible future market shifts and assists them in targeting a more suitable long-term market, such as students or remote workers.
- Boost staff efficiency
The great thing about your tech stack is that it can extend throughout your entire business operations. When it comes to back-of-house, utilising digital tools such as an app-based staff portal helps you to streamline housekeeping tasks, easily track mandatory cleaning, and keep inventory organised. It also enables staff in different roles (such as housekeepers and front desk) to communicate via an online messaging platform.
- Use your tech to drive repeat visits
Understanding your guests is fundamental in encouraging return stays. Using data stored in your property management software, you can study their stay history to more clearly understand their motives, traits and desires. For example, did they make any special requests, add any upgrades or stay during a specific time? By tapping into this data, you can send meaningful communications tailored to individual guests with bespoke upsell opportunities that encourage longer and more regular stays.
The best thing about a tech stack is that you can build it to reflect your business strategy and operations. The components should be accessible via your property management system, such as RMS Cloud, which stores everything you need in a centralised, cloud-based location. RMS Cloud also directly interfaces with hundreds of tech partners (including UpStay) so you can create your perfect hospitality ecosystem. Find out more by booking your free consultation.
Peter Ferris is Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at RMS Cloud
Peter is an experienced hospitality professional and highly experienced project manager with a proven track record of leadership, innovation and expertise.
