All A Modern Hotelier Needs To Know About Hotel Automation
Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic entailed reducing operational expenditures for most hoteliers, the majority of which came from layoffs and furloughs. However, after decades of operating the same way, it is indeed hard to imagine full-scale operations with only half the staff present – and with lesser workers, this only means more responsibilities for each employee on duty. Ultimately, this may increase the pressure on each staff member and when this happens, the whole system might slowly become ineffective and inefficient, resulting in high staff turnover. As a consequence, the eventual outcome of these would be lesser profits and poorer standards of guest satisfaction.
With tourism slowly picking up pace post-crisis, all of these could only mean one thing: hotels would need to learn how to innovate and adapt to the situation through technological means, an ever-evolving feature that undoubtedly empowers the future of hotel guest experience. But how can hotels begin automating without completely redesigning their operations and still stick to their present IT systems?
This article illustrates how hotels can automate most of their operations while closing the gap between operating costs and providing value to guests. Plus, we’ll cover one of the best tools on the market for hotel automation if you’re considering one.
Hotel automation: What is it?
Hotel automation systems equip hoteliers with complete control over hotel operations while optimising processes and automating in order to save costs and boost guest satisfaction.
Some examples are as follows:
- Guest access automation that includes contactless check-ins and check-outs, as well as instant responses to guest inquiries on a hotel chatbot. This allows hotels to operate with a leaner team at the front office.
- Utilising an app to control heating, air-conditioner, blinds, fans, television, lights, and other in-room equipment, allowing more personalisation for guests while keeping energy expenses low.
- Real-time digital platform that handles housekeeping, room items, and laundry requests made by guests, with automated alerts to ensure the relevant staff are contacted and notified immediately.
- In-room food and beverage orders sent through a digital platform that automatically gets routed to the room service team and kitchen, enabling a more streamlined process and accuracy in each transaction.
- Guests can use a facilities booking platform to make reservations for a hotel amenity at their preferred time. This automation allows guests control over their bookings and enables smooth and efficient facility management in hotels.
Benefits of hotel automation systems
Suppose you want to increase operational efficiency with a small hotel workforce while offering the same standard of service to customers. In that case, hotel automation will help you reach these objectives while also providing a variety of additional benefits;
Complete control over most hotel aspects
A hotel automation system provides you with complete control over your hotel’s operations while reducing your workload. It allows you to operate the following:
- Guest communications
- Staff and guest access
- Employee scheduling and task management
- Energy consumption
Aside from that, a hotel automation system allows you to give guests the ability to govern and personalise their stays while maintaining ultimate control to assure cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and security.
Enables your hotel operations to be future-proof
Hoteliers should always plan ahead, crisis or no crisis. Even though the current situation is anything but ideal, it is a wonderful opportunity for you to create significant changes that benefit the business in the long run. Putting automation in place today will ensure that you can continue to operate at full capacity no matter the interruptions in the future. Other hotels are slowly implementing digital strategies; in order to remain competitive, hoteliers should stay ahead by putting in place automated operating systems that are built for the industry.
Reduces operational expenses
You might not notice, but there might be inefficiencies in your operations due to obsolete processes and unproductive workflows. By sticking to outdated manual ways, not only are your staff taking more time to complete tasks, but guests are not able to control and personalise their stay if they wanted to. Digitalisation helps operation staff become more productive by freeing time up for them to work on more impactful guest interactions, while automation takes care of the less essential tasks. Labour in the hotel industry is costly, and we should take steps to ensure work is optimised.
Individualised communication between staff and guests in real-time
Calls from guests to the main enquiry line often get redirected to other departments, and this consumes time unnecessarily for staff, and guests are put on long holds just to get simple enquiries answered. Hotel automation obliterates the go-betweens by routing guest requests straight to relevant staff members, saving you money and time.
Staff and guests may connect immediately and more efficiently via a guest experience platform by leveraging guest portals in hotel automation software. Guests are able to convey their demands using platforms such as Vouch instead of visiting or calling a busy front desk, for example, if they require laundry services, housekeeping, and the like.
Contactless check-ins and check-outs
Contactless check-in for hotels lets guests arrive and proceed directly to their room, skipping the hassle of waiting in line at the front desk. Without the need for physical check-ins, your guest service team is freed from being confined behind the counter and they can be proactive in engaging guests and ensuring a better arrival experience. This also empowers you with the flexibility to assign staff at the lobby to another department in need of manpower.
Vouch as your one-stop for hotel automation
The Vouch Guest Experience Platform allows hotels to focus on the things that truly matter. Our contactless hotel solutions seek to enhance guest satisfaction and productivity, leading to revenue growth.
Our app-free technology enables guests to utilise mobile check-in for hotels, order room service, book amenities, request products, and get quick answers to their questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week – all from the comfort of their phones. Your hotel personnel will now have the time to take their service to the next level, thanks to the manpower saved by automating and simplifying procedures.
Conclusion
Providing value to guests does not imply hiring additional staff; rather, it entails investing in hotel automation. It is a key approach to optimising your hotel to provide a more satisfying experience for your guests while decreasing operational expenditures. By implementing hotel automation technologies, your hotel is able to respond to current industry developments and continue to run profitably.
At Vouch, we understand the importance of leveraging technology to ensure hotels operate successfully, no matter the impact of the pandemic on tourism. Thus, we dedicate ourselves to designing a guest experience platform equipped with the resources needed to allow guests to have a personalised experience from the start to the end of their stay. This way, hotels can benefit through simplified procedures and decreased operational costs as the app-less platform seeks to assist hotels in boosting their productivity and improving guest satisfaction, leading to a growth in revenue. To learn more about Vouch and our features such as contactless check-in or digital compendium, please visit our website, head onto our resources page, or contact us today.
All A Modern Hotelier Needs To Know About Hotel Automation
Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic entailed reducing operational expenditures for most hoteliers, the majority of which came from layoffs and furloughs. However, after decades of operating the same way, it is indeed hard to imagine full-scale operations with only half the staff present – and with lesser workers, this only means more responsibilities for each employee on duty. Ultimately, this may increase the pressure on each staff member and when this happens, the whole system might slowly become ineffective and inefficient, resulting in high staff turnover. As a consequence, the eventual outcome of these would be lesser profits and poorer standards of guest satisfaction.
With tourism slowly picking up pace post-crisis, all of these could only mean one thing: hotels would need to learn how to innovate and adapt to the situation through technological means, an ever-evolving feature that undoubtedly empowers the future of hotel guest experience. But how can hotels begin automating without completely redesigning their operations and still stick to their present IT systems?
This article illustrates how hotels can automate most of their operations while closing the gap between operating costs and providing value to guests. Plus, we’ll cover one of the best tools on the market for hotel automation if you’re considering one.
Hotel automation: What is it?
Hotel automation systems equip hoteliers with complete control over hotel operations while optimising processes and automating in order to save costs and boost guest satisfaction.
Some examples are as follows:
- Guest access automation that includes contactless check-ins and check-outs, as well as instant responses to guest inquiries on a hotel chatbot. This allows hotels to operate with a leaner team at the front office.
- Utilising an app to control heating, air-conditioner, blinds, fans, television, lights, and other in-room equipment, allowing more personalisation for guests while keeping energy expenses low.
- Real-time digital platform that handles housekeeping, room items, and laundry requests made by guests, with automated alerts to ensure the relevant staff are contacted and notified immediately.
- In-room food and beverage orders sent through a digital platform that automatically gets routed to the room service team and kitchen, enabling a more streamlined process and accuracy in each transaction.
- Guests can use a facilities booking platform to make reservations for a hotel amenity at their preferred time. This automation allows guests control over their bookings and enables smooth and efficient facility management in hotels.
Benefits of hotel automation systems
Suppose you want to increase operational efficiency with a small hotel workforce while offering the same standard of service to customers. In that case, hotel automation will help you reach these objectives while also providing a variety of additional benefits;
Complete control over most hotel aspects
A hotel automation system provides you with complete control over your hotel’s operations while reducing your workload. It allows you to operate the following:
- Guest communications
- Staff and guest access
- Employee scheduling and task management
- Energy consumption
Aside from that, a hotel automation system allows you to give guests the ability to govern and personalise their stays while maintaining ultimate control to assure cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and security.
Enables your hotel operations to be future-proof
Hoteliers should always plan ahead, crisis or no crisis. Even though the current situation is anything but ideal, it is a wonderful opportunity for you to create significant changes that benefit the business in the long run. Putting automation in place today will ensure that you can continue to operate at full capacity no matter the interruptions in the future. Other hotels are slowly implementing digital strategies; in order to remain competitive, hoteliers should stay ahead by putting in place automated operating systems that are built for the industry.
Reduces operational expenses
You might not notice, but there might be inefficiencies in your operations due to obsolete processes and unproductive workflows. By sticking to outdated manual ways, not only are your staff taking more time to complete tasks, but guests are not able to control and personalise their stay if they wanted to. Digitalisation helps operation staff become more productive by freeing time up for them to work on more impactful guest interactions, while automation takes care of the less essential tasks. Labour in the hotel industry is costly, and we should take steps to ensure work is optimised.
Individualised communication between staff and guests in real-time
Calls from guests to the main enquiry line often get redirected to other departments, and this consumes time unnecessarily for staff, and guests are put on long holds just to get simple enquiries answered. Hotel automation obliterates the go-betweens by routing guest requests straight to relevant staff members, saving you money and time.
Staff and guests may connect immediately and more efficiently via a guest experience platform by leveraging guest portals in hotel automation software. Guests are able to convey their demands using platforms such as Vouch instead of visiting or calling a busy front desk, for example, if they require laundry services, housekeeping, and the like.
Contactless check-ins and check-outs
Contactless check-in for hotels lets guests arrive and proceed directly to their room, skipping the hassle of waiting in line at the front desk. Without the need for physical check-ins, your guest service team is freed from being confined behind the counter and they can be proactive in engaging guests and ensuring a better arrival experience. This also empowers you with the flexibility to assign staff at the lobby to another department in need of manpower.
Vouch as your one-stop for hotel automation
The Vouch Guest Experience Platform allows hotels to focus on the things that truly matter. Our contactless hotel solutions seek to enhance guest satisfaction and productivity, leading to revenue growth.
Our app-free technology enables guests to utilise mobile check-in for hotels, order room service, book amenities, request products, and get quick answers to their questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week – all from the comfort of their phones. Your hotel personnel will now have the time to take their service to the next level, thanks to the manpower saved by automating and simplifying procedures.
Conclusion
Providing value to guests does not imply hiring additional staff; rather, it entails investing in hotel automation. It is a key approach to optimising your hotel to provide a more satisfying experience for your guests while decreasing operational expenditures. By implementing hotel automation technologies, your hotel is able to respond to current industry developments and continue to run profitably.
At Vouch, we understand the importance of leveraging technology to ensure hotels operate successfully, no matter the impact of the pandemic on tourism. Thus, we dedicate ourselves to designing a guest experience platform equipped with the resources needed to allow guests to have a personalised experience from the start to the end of their stay. This way, hotels can benefit through simplified procedures and decreased operational costs as the app-less platform seeks to assist hotels in boosting their productivity and improving guest satisfaction, leading to a growth in revenue. To learn more about Vouch and our features such as contactless check-in or digital compendium, please visit our website, head onto our resources page, or contact us today.