Smart stays No app
hotel’s app was once the last word in guest convenience and operational efficiency. Accessing key features that streamline every aspect of a hotel stay quickly became the standard for guests seeking seamless experience, and operators were quick to realise the cost savings and loyalty benefits of providing booking, check-in/check-out, room service and all kinds of guest communication through a mobile device. But technology keeps moving forward. Apps quickly became essential for simplifying a guest’s journey, reducing pressure on staff, and enabling hotels to gather valuable data to deliver a more personalised service, but they are increasingly in the shadow of AI-enabled solutions and their ability to assimilate vast amounts of data that can refine the guest experience to an unprecedented degree. AI ushers in the era of hyper-personalisation, and it is possible that a simple app cannot compete unless it keeps up. Guests are so used to using an app on their smartphone to make bookings, check in, control in-room devices, request concierge services and communicate with hotel staff, that the traditional ways of interacting with hospitality providers seem almost quaint. Furthermore, they have come to expect a relatively high level of personalisation, thanks to an app’s ability to track their preferences and make tailored recommendations for dining, spa treatments, local attractions and much more.
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For hotels, apps boosted loyalty programmes into the stratosphere, as tracking the points guests were accumulating and enabling them to
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without AI Hotel apps once promised the future of guest convenience – keyless entry, room service ordering,
loyalty tracking – but that is no longer enough. In the age of generative AI and predictive analytics, apps are taking on a new shape. Jim Banks investigates how the integration of mobile apps and embedded AI is becoming the new standard in delivering hyper-personalised experiences across the guest journey.
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