Technology for 2013

More than any other device, the iPad is going to redefine how guests use technology in hotels. It's already the fastest-selling consumer electronic device in history. By the end of this year, technology research company Gartner Group estimates that Apple will have sold close to 100 million units.

The iPad revolution

Making iPads available to guests opens up a world of opportunity for the industry. Hoteliers can deploy room service ordering that is fully integrated with the point of sale. Once an item is requested, the order is automatically sent to the kitchen and posted to the guest's folio without the need for manual entry. This integrated process, together with the ability to showcase dishes and preparation notes, is leading to a real increase in room service orders. One five-star hotel has already seen a 13% rise in room service revenue since offering guests the option.

The possibilities don't end there. The iPad is the very first videocentric guest internet device. The simple guest user interface (GUI) allows new users young and old to enjoy it with little or no training. It can also cater for concierge services by giving guests the ability to access a full set of hotel facilities without the need to call. It has a range of installed software that's fully integrated with in-room amenities like the lights, air conditioning, TV, curtains and so forth. iPads also eliminate the need for printed guest compendiums. One general manager I visited believes he'll save $30-40,000 in annual printing costs.

Pressure on Hotel Wi-Fi

It's not just the iPad that's doing well. Other tablet devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy, Kindle Fire and smartphones that use Google's Android operating system, are all gaining market share. Their combined popularity won't come without a price. Hotel Wi-Fi systems are facing much more pressure on bandwidth and data than they used to. Those that lack the necessary bandwidth are being overloaded with guests who want to download their own content. The result is clear. Customers are complaining about poor download experiences and are using sites such as TripAdvisor to make their voices heard. People expect to have the same technology experience they get at home or at work. If they have a bad experience there's every chance they won't return. But the costs required to cater for more bandwidth may prove prohibitive, and some hotels may find it difficult to offer anything other than a limited, free Wi-Fi that's primarily designed for emails.

However, cost savings could be made elsewhere. Many guests are starting to bring their own content to hotels, which they're happy to watch on iPad screens. If this persists, the traditional television may well prove redundant, with expensive IPTV systems no longer an issue.

Hoteliers also need to start thinking about how to monetise the investment they make. The answer is to provide tiered bandwidth with fees that are directly related to the amount of bandwidth they require.

There's no doubt the iPad has changed the way customers are using technology on the road. While this creates a great challenge for hotels, it's down to the industry to embrace the change and provide guests with the download experience they enjoy in the comfort of their own homes.

Connected travellers

Mobile devices are now integral to our everyday lives. For many travellers, mobiles are replacing the laptop, PC, telephone, kiosk and boarding pass as part of the booking activity. Their handheld device is an essential part of the entire journey, from pre-trip planning and booking right through to the trip itself.

A recent survey on travellers' attitudes to mobile services showed the extent to which emerging mobile technologies will revolutionise each stage of the travel experience: pre-trip, airport, on-board, destination and post-trip.

These trends will have their challenges. Hotels and other service providers will need to meet the expectations of connected travellers. Will smartphone applications replace the traditional check-in experience? Will hotels develop new on-demand revenue-generating opportunities? How will this change the relationship between the guest and the hotel? These are the questions hoteliers must be asking themselves.

Engaging guests through social media

Wikipedia defines social media as "media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques".

As it grows in reach, hotels are looking to engage as much as they can with new and existing customers. Monitoring comments on TripAdvisor is particularly important. Hotels should consider Facebook and LinkedIn apps, which can link up social media platforms and online communities, to share information about the hotel where appropriate. Facebook, in particular, has created enormous changes to social networks. With the release of its latest version, it's now possible to use the site as a booking channel. According to recent research from PhoCusWright, 66% of travellers are on Facebook, spending an average of 46 minutes a day on the site over a 30-day period. Facebook Places is another excellent tool, which can provide viral exposure and help generate more web traffic and brand recognition.

Hotels need to harness the power of social media in order to stay ahead of their competitors.

Technology innovations: the best of the rest

Once property management system (PMS) vendors release their cloud versions, hotels will have the ability to access their major software applications on a web browser. Cloud computing offers various benefits to hotels: a more cost-effective way to deploy technology without the large, upfront capital expenditure; less hardware on site; and the chance to enter service level assurance agreements with the vendors.

Another of the larger capital expenditures hotels have faced is the private automated branch exchange (PABX). In the past, revenue from guest phone calls had justified this large outlay, but the advent of mobile phones and the cost of making calls from guest rooms have left hotels in a difficult position.

Hosted PABX provides a variety of benefits, such as minimal upfront costs and a monthly subscription, which can be based on the preceding month's occupancy. There are still some challenges in putting this model together but it does, for the first time, offer a genuine alternative to hotel owners who have an old PABX that has passed its use-by date.

With the cost of electricity continuing to rise, hotels need to start looking at more sophisticated systems than the traditional magnetic stripe cards. Those hotels that have invested in sensor-based occupancy systems or door lock systems that are integrated into the PMS have shown dramatic reductions in energy bills. When a person leaves a room, the EMS can detect that no-one is in and automatically lower the air conditioning and turn off the lights. ROI on these systems can be very good if hotels qualify for government rebates on the original investment.

Another major contributor to excessive power bills is the type of lighting that gets installed in hotels. Replacing lights with LEDs and halogens can save up to 30% and improve endurance by up to 12,000 hours. While the costs of these lights is more expensive in the first instance, their shelf life and the energy savings they generate more than compensate for the initial costs.