10 Examples Of Customer Experience Innovation In Hospitality
If the entire goal of customer experience is to make customers’ lives better and easier, the hospitality industry takes it to the next level. As modern guests travel, both for business and pleasure, they want to have their needs met to have a personalized and seamless experience. Modern guests want to be engaged, heard, empowered and delighted by hotels. When a guest feels the hotel understands them, they are 13% more likely to stay there again. The majority of hotel visitors want to experience new technology and are even willing to give up traditional amenities like a business center or fitness center to get it.
The hospitality industry is constantly innovating to better serve its customers. Here are the top 10 recent customer experience innovations in hospitality and the brands that are leading the charge.
Facial Recognition
Instead of having to wait in line at the front desk to check in, some hotels are moving to facial recognition scans to get guests in their rooms. Marriott is testing the technology at its hotels in China, which shortens check-in time from three minutes or more to less than one minute. Guests simply approach a kiosk, scan their face to verify their identity and scan their ID to get their room key.
Voice-Controlled Rooms
Many hotels are rolling out smart rooms, which combine AI and voice recognition technology to integrate virtual assistants into the room. InterContinental Hotels Group is creating AI smart rooms in its hotels in China. The rooms allow guests to use voice control technology and speak naturally to get personalized assistance for both business and personal travel.
Robots can play a number of roles in hotels, from cleaning rooms to staffing the front desk. Aloft Hotels uses Botlr, a robot butler, to deliver items to guests around the clock. If someone calls the front desk needing a toothbrush or extra towels, Botlr will likely be the one bringing the items to their room. Guests at New York’s Yotel can have their bags stored with Yobot, a robotic luggage concierge. Robots aren’t entirely replacing humans, however—a lesson learned by the Henn-na Hotel in Japan, which fired half of its all-robot staff to employ more humans.
RFID Wristbands
More hotels are moving away from traditional room keys to leverage RFID technology through guest wristbands. The technology is popular at resorts like Disney World and Great Wolf Lodge. Instead of having to carry a room key and their wallets, guests are given a wristband loaded with their room information, credit card and tickets, which can be scanned to gain access to their rooms and other areas and to make payments. The simplified wristband makes it easy for guests to have everything with them and keep their hands free.
Chatbots give guests instant access to information without having to wait for the front desk. The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas has Rose, an AI concierge who can help guests book spa services and restaurants and offers insider information like secret menu items at the hotel bar. Four Seasons Hotels uses Four Seasons Chat for 24/7 chat service that is powered by humans, not AI, for a more personal touch and responds to messages in 90 seconds or less.
Mobile Room Keys
Combining the ideas in self check-in and simpler room keys, a number of hotels are moving to mobile room keys. Guests simply check in using the hotel’s app and are notified when their room is ready. Instead of waiting in line at the front desk, guests can go straight to their rooms and use their smart phones or smart watches to unlock the door. Hilton Hotels has introduced mobile check in for rewards guests to seamlessly check in, choose their room and unlock the door through an app.
Smart Amenities
Smart amenities throughout the room allow guests to completely customize their experience and make the room as comfortable as possible. Each room at the CitizenM Hotel in Amsterdam comes equipped with a MoodPad tablet, which allows guests to change the temperature, TV, window blinds, alarm and lighting in one place. Some Marriott hotels have smart shower doors where guests can jot down their ideas while in the shower and then email the image to themselves for future use.
Virtual Reality
Imagine being able to step into a hotel room on the other side of the world to see the exact layout, views and amenities. Virtual reality allows guests to tour a hotel, choose a room and book it seamlessly online. They can also experience local attractions and feel confident in their travel choices before they arrive. A number of hotels and resorts, including Radisson and Omni, offer the service and have seen improved customer satisfaction and online booking rates.
Located-Based Services
Modern hotels can locate guests and employees, which allows them to offer more personalized service. If a guest is in the hotel bar, they could receive a push notification about a deal on drinks. Hotel staff could be alerted to guests’ preferences based on where they spend their time. Hilton uses location-based services at some of its resorts to alert guests to events and activities that might interest them based on where they are on the property.
Augmented Reality
The ability to overlay information onto guests’ surroundings has opened new doors for hotels. AR can be used to take guests on a tour of the hotel, showcase the property’s amenities and share information about the area. The wall of each room at Hub by Premier Inn in the U.K. includes an AR map of the local area. When guests point a smartphone at the map, they can learn about local attractions and get recommendations for the best things to do and see.
The hospitality industry relies on experience to keep customers coming back. Innovating with the latest ideas and technology allows hotels to offer fresh, personalized experiences that guests crave.
Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker and the author of the bestselling book The Customer Of The Future. Sign up for her weekly newsletter here.