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services via its mobile app . The company also is rethinking F & B services , including the use of digital menus , viewable on the guest ’ s smartphone via QR code , and virtual queues / text notifications of an open table for guests when immediate seating is unavailable .
And more than 3,200 Marriott International hotels are offering guest check-in and room access through their smartphones . Those guests can also use their phones to order room service or make other hotel requests .
SEAMLESSNESS REQUIRED “ There ’ s no question there ’ s been a significant increase in interest [ in touchless technologies ],” says Michael Doyle , executive vice president and managing director at CHMWarnick , a provider of hospitality asset management and strategic advisory services . But to be most effective , Doyle says these solutions will need to be delivered in a “ seamless ” way , giving guests a level of control and comfort .
Mark Haley , a partner at Prism Hospitality Consulting , says endto-end check-in , from reservation to arrival , hasn ’ t been widely adopted . “ I ’ ve heard it ’ s in the low single digits ,” he says . Like Doyle , he agrees that the seamlessness of this experience is of utmost importance .
“ Some brands are feeling left behind ,” Haley says , adding that the process is difficult to operationalize . For instance , separating guest rooms in space and time , and following safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and government entities , will have to be coded into property management systems . While Haley has heard of PMS vendors talking about this , he isn ’ t aware of any implementations .
Stepping back , Haley says the first goal should be to understand every guest touchpoint and in-person interaction , up to and including pushing a button in an elevator . “ Do you want to clean the elevator call button or replace it with a proximity switch or voice control ?” he asks . Whatever new tech is deployed , it will be important to explain it to guests , he says .
Other opportunities are around sanitation technologies — for instance , a cleaning robot that uses UVC light to disinfect rooms . Typically associated with hospital room settings , these robots have been demoed recently for many hoteliers , according to Haley . ( There seems to be a race for affordable UVC systems : In recent weeks Amazon and others have announced work in this area .) Another idea : a cigar box-size UVC device in every room , into which a guest can place the TV remote , their keys , or a phone for disinfecting . But Haley notes that the software-equipped , medical-grade versions of these systems aren ’ t cheap , costing
PROTECTION AND PRIVACY around US $ 400 each .
Meanwhile , brands will need to be flexible in how they offer these new , safe environments . Some patrons will want zero touchpoints , while others will want more personal pampering , Doyle said , and both sorts will have to be satisfied . He added that COVID-19 will “ definitely accelerate technology investments ,” such as providing sanitization , touchless access or notifications . Like other industry observers , he said personal devices ( smartphones , smart watches ) will be the platform of choice for these services .
As governments and health experts stress the importance of contact-tracing in the battle against the coronavirus , will hotels be called upon to provide customer data to authorities ? It ’ s imaginable that this could include , in addition to check-in and check-out , a log of a guest ’ s movement through the property and even , perhaps , their interaction with other guests and staff . Both Doyle and Haley noted that , in Western democracies at least , a combination of individual rights and privacy laws will likely preclude hotels from divulging this kind of detail to authorities .
“ If I ’ m a hotel GM , I ’ ll say , ‘ Call back with a subpoena ,’” Haley says .
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