Every industry is about to undergo significant changes. That seems especially true for the hotel and hospitality industry.

Few verticals are poised to change as dramatically as the hospitality industry. Currently, these verticals rely heavily on the oft-heralded “personal touch”; the staff of a hotel going the extra mile in providing a tailored, high-end experience that leaves guests feeling as though they’re staying in a familiar place, no matter the size of the structure. What we’re now seeing is a shift of guest priorities, however. That lends itself to a dramatic refocusing of both the technology and communications initiatives undertaken by properties and organizations in order to cater to this new dichotomy, and realign guest expectations with the new circumstances we’ve come to face.

The New Normal

Here’s where we stand when it comes to the current situation:

Consumer priorities have shifted largely to place a much heavier value on safety and security
Employees want assurances that their safety is being considered by their employer and around the workspace in general
There is a preference from the majority of consumers to a contactless/limited contact experience with organizations and service providers
Travel and hotel stays will likely be relegated to essential and business travel for the foreseeable future (with several flash polls suggesting that this preference will last until there is a vaccine available)

So where does that leave the hotel and hospitality industry?

Technology

There is no shortage of technology already in place at a hotel or resort. From check-in, to guest services, to the concierge, there is an entire system of logistics in place to make a guest’s stay the best experience possible. But much of what is in place includes a personal touch that is almost always required for the technology to work. We’re likely about to see that change.

There are several new (and some not-so-new) technologies that can remove the human interaction from the guest experience, and not only keep it in place, but actually improve it. Most of those changes come in the form of AI or contactless capabilities. If you want an extreme example, just look at the Henn-na Hotel in Japan, which is completely operated by AI and robots.

While we likely won’t see this kind of radical approach for the majority of hotels, some of the artificial intelligence that operates logistics and optimizes the guest experience could move further into the scope of what’s normal in a hotel experience. Integrating AI into check-in and check-out in order to reduce bottlenecks, leveraging AI in valet to lessen human contact (when/if it returns further down the line), and upgrading the concierge and subsequent logistics all seem like inevitable changes.

On-property upgrades will also likely include a consolidation of data-centric assets into a guest-facing mobile application capable of handling the entirety of the experience. This could range from checking in, to operating the elevator, to, in its simplest form, using a phone as an RFID room card, which many hotels already do, or have the capability to do.

Communications

Marketing is a particularly complex area for hotel and hospitality brands to tackle, largely because there is so much to focus on in order to reopen and recover. To effectively communicate with prospective guests, properties and brands will need to highlight how they are keeping employees safe, how they are providing the safest possible environment for guests, and, perhaps most importantly, reeducate prospective visitors on new technological implementations, processes, and expectations.

When it comes to employee safety, communications need to focus both internally and externally. Employees need to be made aware of the new operational reality and should be kept abreast of any updates or changes in real-time, but without the need to conduct in-person gatherings or meetings. This might require updates to internal communications efforts, and might also require a comprehensive overhaul of the existing system altogether. On the guest front, transparency and authenticity in how properties are protecting and caring for their employees will be crucial. Visitors want to know what measures are being taken to protect employees, not just for the sake of the employees, but also for their own safety. The steps being taken need to be made clear in order to highlight how those transcend into the guest’s experience.

This poses the second question: how are these brands and properties supposed to communicate with prospective visitors? Again, there are two key areas of focus. The first has to do with on-property communications. Hotel guests are accustomed to a degree of upselling during their visit to a hotel. This might include nudges to visit a bar at happy hour, offers for meals, and vouchers for amenities. Now, and at least for the time being, the primary interest of visitors is going to be how they are being protected while on property. Using a touchless mechanism, such as the mobile app discussed above, guests can be given a walkthrough of how their rooms have been cleaned, where hotspots are on the property in terms of large gatherings, and recommendations on where to go and what to do that might limit human interaction.

The second form of guest communication relates to external marketing mechanisms. These will no doubt need to focus on transparency and reeducation, with an emphasis on community; inviting members of a property or brand’s audience to be part of the process will prove insightful and inclusive. A focus on room discounts or special package offers simply isn’t going to cut it. There needs to be a conversation that welcomes visitors into the process, shows them what is going on, and provides a degree of comfort that their needs will be met while their safety remains paramount.

In Summary

This is a process that is going to take some time. There is a lot to do and the future of many within the hospitality industry relies on effectively addressing the new challenges in a timely and transparent manner. If the right steps are taken, however, the road to recovery can be a lot less bumpy than some might fear for an industry so large yet so personal.