HotelsMag June 2019 | Page 73

WHO NEEDS KITCHENS ?

The next big restaurant chain could have no kitchens of its own . Some venture capitalists think that the same forces that have transformed transportation , media , retail and logistics will also work their magic on prepared food businesses . And we could be looking at a food delivery industry growing from US $ 35 billion to US $ 365 billion by 2030 , according to a report in Tech Crunch . What does this mean for hotels ? Think Uber Eats , which is now the most popular food-delivery app in the U . S . A shared kitchen could be a big opportunity for hotels to cut down on overhead and experiment with new dining concepts with relatively low risk .— C . R .

UNLIMITED LUXURY

The concept of all-inclusive is no longer just about watered-down mai tais , partying college students and long lines . Luxury has gotten its hands on all-inclusive and the trend isn ’ t slowing . At Urban Resort Concepts , that looks like a fully stocked , free minibar , daily breakfast for two and other amenities like laundry or a cocktail in the lounge . At the 24-room , 5-star Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary in the Himalayas , guests receive as many treatments as they ’ d like over three- , four- or seven-night stays . It ’ s a trend that really draws on the experiential — if a guest is already paying luxury prices , giving them that free cappuccino will make their morning without breaking your bank .— C . R .

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ATTRIBUTE-BASED SELLING

It ’ s coming soon to hospitality , according to both marketing adviser Martin Soler and and a new study from Amadeus and IHG ( think searching via amenities like yoga mats and third-floor views ). “ While it means a pretty large technology change on the entire value chain , technologies like AI assistants , voice and better personalization will demand better understanding of guest preferences . It could also change the entire revenue management process ,” says Soler . The challenge ? Lots of system upgrades to deliver to the customer , from hotel to channel manager to distributors .— C . R .

THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF DATA

Earlier this year , WeWork bought Euclid , a platform that tracks and collects data on identity and behavior in physical spaces . Want to know how many people — and who — met in one of your conference rooms and how they used the space while they were there ? How would you change your marketing approach if you did ? With all the information hotels collect to personalize guest experiences , I ’ ve occasionally asked execs whether they consider themselves data companies . The answer is always a version of “ people are the most important part of our business .” True . But how would that re-definition change how hotels approach their businesses ?— B . B .

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FLYZOO SOARS

With the opening of Alibaba Group Holding ’ s FlyZoo hotel in Hangzhou , the robots are here and brought to you by a company that dominates online retail in China . According to Alibaba , the robots are just one facet of a group of high-tech tools that drastically cut the hotel ’ s cost of human labor and eliminates the need for guests to interact with other human beings . But it ’ s not just about the bots . The hotel ’ s bigger aim : to develop AI and other hightech expertise to keep driving Alibaba ’ s e-commerce offerings as well as to develop new areas of business at a time when e-commerce revenue growth rates are slowing .— C . R .

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