What Do Guests Want from Their Guest Room Experience?
Contactless and other hotel technology has had a significant impact on the expectations that guests have of their hotel experience. The expectations of guests have changed, Hospitality Technology’s 2021 Customer Engagement Technology Study found that guests wanted a more high-tech experience from their hotel stay. Guests wanted a variety of in-room technology options to choose from, including contactless technology that allowed for the control of the lighting, room temperature control, and the control of the TV with the use of a mobile app. Guests also had the expectation of voice control features such as Amazon’s Alexa, as well as smart TV’s and content streaming.
The features listed below were most important to guests:
- 80% -The hotel offers free Wi-Fi to guests.
- 70% -The hotel has positive consumer reviews and high ratings on third-party booking websites and/or social media (Travelocity, Expedia, Facebook, etc.).
- 59% -The hotel texts important information about their reservation before their stay.
- 55% -Smart TVs/Content Streaming inside the guestroom.
- 34% -Guests are able to control the guestroom (e.g., TV, lights, thermostat) using an app on your own mobile phone.
- 31% -The hotel offers a voice-controlled device (e.g., Amazon Alexa) inside the guestroom, which allows guests to communicate with the hotel during your stay.
- 47%- Guests are able to check-in/out via mobile device.
- 42%-The hotel has an mobile app.
- 42%- Guess are able to check-in/out via a kiosk.
- 40%-Guests are able to unlock their guest room using their mobile phones (i.e., no keycard is
required).
In-Room Technology
The guest room experience is very important, travelers want to be in control of their hotel experience and want to be able to control the TV, the lights and the thermostat using a mobile app or with voice commands. There are many in-room technology solutions on the market that gives guests the control that they want.
Angie by Nomadix helps hotels to meet guests’ expectations of a high-tech, contactless and seamless hotel stay. Angie devices offer control of the guest room with lighting and temperature control, control of the in-room entertainment, telephony and devices also integrates with the hotel’s PMS system. Angie devices are voice enabled digital assistants that offers guests 24-hour guestroom assistance. The guestroom devices have the ability to provide guests with assistance with questions about the hotel and local attractions. The devices also replace outdated alarm clocks and phones and will offer guests the high-tech experience that they want.
Angie by Nomadix can help hotels to provide guests with a more seamless hotel experience. Guests submit requests directly by using the guest room devices, which allows requests to go directly to the hotel’s workflow management system and other hotel platforms to fulfill requests. The devices are voice controlled and do not require guests to physically touch them in order to make requests. Guests also have the option to use the touchscreen for assistance instead of using voice control.
Angie by Nomadix Features:
- Multilingual voice control & touch screen interfaces
- Built-in alarm clock, nightlight, bluetooth music streaming capabilities, USB charging ports
- In-room Wi-Fi access point for guest-customizable, password protected SSID
- Upgradeable with modules that add PMS integration, room control, telephone capabilities, an attachable handset
- Analytics & reporting
- Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity options
Mobile Solutions
Mobile technology is highly popular among guests, as consumers crave the convenience that technology offers. A recent survey of hoteliers found that almost 92% felt that their guests had an expectation of contactless options during their stay. And given its increase in popularity, close to 75% of those surveyed believed that contactless technology will become a long-term trend. The use of contactless technologies, such as self-service check-in, mobile key, in room technology and digital payments increased significantly during the pandemic. The use of contactless check-in/check-out increased by 66% during the pandemic and the use of contactless technology is expected to continue to rise during 2022.
INTELITY launched 1-Click Mobile Check-in to its platform and offers guests a more tech-enabled guest experience. The new 1-Click functionality simplifies the digital check-in experience for guests and allows them to check-in with their mobile devices prior to their arrival, offering guests a seamless check-in experience with only one click. Guests simply click on the check-in link prior to their arrival and are routed either to Apple’s App store or Google Play to download the hotel’s app. Once the app has been downloaded, they’ll be able to check-in right away. If guests already have the app downloaded to their mobile devices, they will be automatically directed to their reservations. The new functionality is encrypted and enables users to be authenticated automatically.
“Our 1-Click Mobile approach solves critical challenges for delivering a seamless in-app experience,” said Matt Lynch, VP of Product at INTELITY. “We have seen a very high download rate for our apps, but also a drop-off in engagement at account creation or re-sign in. By supporting underlying OS-level technologies, we can provide an easier and more friction-free guest journey. Guests not only have the ability to check-in prior to their stay but also connect seamlessly and securely to their mobile key.”
Reliable Wi-Fi is Essential
Travelers have the expectation of reliable and secure hotel Wi-Fi service during their hotel stay, 97% of hoteliers believe that excellent Wi-Fi service determined whether guests would rebook with their hotel. Sufficient bandwidth is essential as business travelers depend on Wi-Fi that enables presentations and video conferencing without interruption. Travelers are also traveling with multiple devices, such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets to connect to the hotel’s network and require a reliable internet connection. Guests will also be streaming music and will be streaming content from popular streaming providers such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon and hotels will need to be able to meet the increased demand for bandwidth.
Unreliable internet will also affect contactless and other hotel technology and will cause delays and slow responses that could have an impact on the guest experience. Guests also want to connect to a hotel network with the confidence that their information is safe and secure. 58% of consumers based their booking decisions on the quality of the hotel’s Wi-Fi service, offering guests sufficient bandwidth, instant connectivity and a reliable and secure network will help to meet guests’ expectations and will ensure that guests keep coming back. Hotels should work with experienced providers to ensure that the hotel’s network can accommodate increasing bandwidth demands and that the appropriate security controls are implemented that allows for the monitoring of the network for possible threats.