Introduction to Hospitality Technology
In today’s competitive market, hotels are striving to be greater than just a spot to spend the night, providing guests with a wealthy hospitality experience that improves on on a regular basis life. This deal with differentiation makes the hospitality industry a great place to implement augmented reality (AR) and beacon technology, two of the most recent and biggest hospitality trends.
What is Augmented Reality?
Augmented reality enhances the guest’s current environment, whereas virtual reality (VR) uses technology to create a unique, latest environment. Personalized experiences might be created utilizing mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and wearables. Using 3D programs, developers create augmented reality apps that layer images or other content over the present environment. For example, the yellow first-down line displayed on televised football fields is a basic AR projection.
Applications of Augmented Reality
The opportunities for integrating augmented reality are limitless. Common applications include seeing pictures or video when a smartphone is swiped over a restaurant menu, or creating custom dining experiences on the menu with themes projected from a tool. Interactive maps of town are one other service hotels can provide for guests with augmented reality, complete with location markers of popular sites, shuttles, and other transportation options.
Examples of Augmented Reality in Hotels
Creative uses of augmented reality are popping up at resorts and hotels of all sizes and kinds. Holiday Inn was an early adopter, utilizing AR through the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London to permit guests to take pictures with star athletes. Guests on the Shangri-La Hotel can enhance what they’re seeing on the London skyline outside their windows with augmented reality on a tablet in every room. Marriot also used the technology with Samsung’s Gear VR, so guests could travel to different places across the globe as a part of their VR Postcards service.
What is Beacon Technology?
While augmented reality is "pull" technology, where users request the experience, beacons take the alternative approach, pushing messages and knowledge based on the situation of the guest. Beacons are devices placed in strategic locations, corresponding to a column or hallway, that send area-based information to a tool. With beacons, hotels can send marketing messages and knowledge the guest might want, corresponding to details about tee-time availability in the event that they’re walking toward the golf club, or drink specials in the event that they’re returning to the hotel from a day of sightseeing.
Applications of Beacon Technology
Beacons might be applied in lots of settings, and are prevalent in retail. Hospitality Net reported that Marriott utilizes beacons in 14 locations to send food and spa discounts to guests near these amenities, and guests staying at Starwood Hotels enjoy more efficient check-in and housekeeping services because of this technology, which is installed at 30 of their locations. According to Hospitality Technology, guests at The James Hotels can take a personalised tour of the art collection customized to their location through beacons.
Implementing Beacon Technology
When implementing beacons, hotels should consider what questions guests typically ask at specific locations and brainstorm essentially the most effective and interesting approach to proactively provide this information. Think about typical guest patterns for purchasing, as well, and design push marketing based on the situation within the hotel where guests often make a purchasing decision, corresponding to the menu board outside a hotel restaurant.
Conclusion
Hoteliers implementing these technologies before they turn into mainstream can quickly differentiate themselves from other properties. However, owners and operators embracing a wait-and-see approach may soon find themselves playing catch-up to create the experience customers will soon come to expect. By leveraging augmented reality and beacon technology, hotels can provide a personalised experience that sets them other than the competition and exceeds guest expectations. As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, it’s essential for hotels to remain ahead of the curve and embrace the most recent technologies to stay competitive.
