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Internet Travel Monitor - Technology Bits
November 11, 2007
Keep Technology Working, Make Guests Happy
NEWTON, MA – One of my favorite sayings these days goes something like: "Technology is great ... as long as it works." Never mind that operator error is the most likely cause of most of my problems—the inanimate equipment gets the blame every time.
Our industry has long been known as one that requires great momentum to make changes. Like the old comparison to turning an aircraft carrier, the lodging industry takes a wide and often slow turn to create change. So often that change focuses on back-of-the-house operations. The inability of hotel-related technology in many cases to not communicate with other technologies remains the biggest issue for hotels. The lack of interfacing is frustrating to hotel owners and operators to the point where they're at times not sure which direction to turn.
The parent companies of most hotel brands figure out a solution for the hotels in their systems, but that often can wreak havoc with multiunit hotel owners and operators who are required to utilize specific systems for specific brands. And they can't talk with one another. Yikes! No wonder some operators remain reluctant to give up their index cards for a property-management system.
As the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals' annual Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (June 25-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando), the buzz among technologists is about the customer. Hotel guests have become more technologically savvy, and in turn, expect their hotels to deliver a home-like experience every time. That's a good thing for the suppliers who exhibit at HITEC because hoteliers are out kicking the tires on the latest and greatest technology.
In our technology trends story that begins of this issue, Lynne Brakeman, senior Web editor, has experts identify key technology issues the industry faces. The list clearly reflects our society's penchant for entertainment and visual stimulation. Here's a partial list of the trends:
* Coping with the government-mandated switch from analog to digital TV systems;
* delivering high-definition video and surround sound quality audio to upscale property guestrooms; and
* delivering on the potential efficiencies of converged telephone, video and audio data networks.
The most notable conclusion I can come to after reading this list is that guests, indeed, are important to hotels. When what has traditionally been a slow-moving department in the hotel industry fast tracks its initiatives to address guest needs, you know the idea that customers are king has arrived.
Some industry gurus have projected that global hotel technology spending in 2007 will reach $33 billion. That's a hefty sum, and a welcome number in an industry that often is looked at as, ahem, tight with the purse strings.
Still, hotels around the world are playing catch up in implementing technology that in some cases is a few years old. The installations, updates, upgrades and training going on in tech departments throughout the industry are a good sign that the geeks are inheriting the world.
The HITEC show will showcase many of the latest and greatest innovations in technology that will help grow the hotel industry. The Guest-room 2010 concept by the HFTP is a good way to see what is coming down the pike in hotel rooms, and it will be on display during HITEC.
Other key topics that will be top-of-mind during HITEC are wireless applications and utilizing in-room entertainment options to their fullest extent.
The in-room entertainment aspect is an interesting topic. Hotels long have tried to make money with in-room entertainment provided by the television. Adult content has been king in this area, and some hotel companies are becoming wary of that offering. One brand leader told me that the brand's goal is to eliminate adult movies from its offerings. While viewing time for such content might be short, the $15-a-movie charge is hard to give up.
Security is the other key component for hotel technology. Whether it be network security, door-locking systems or lighting safety, technology has taken center stage.
With it in the spotlight, it's more likely to work more often. That's what will make it even greater.
Copyright 2007 Questex Media Group, Inc. All rights
reserved. From http://www.hotelmotel.com. By Jeff Higley.
To view the Internet Travel Monitor Archive, click http://www.tripinfo.com/ITM/index.html.
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