THE NEW
REALITY
Welcome to the 21st century.
Today’s travelers are sophisticated,
tech-savvy and are accustomed to
being in full control of their stay, and
experience. They have been conditioned
by an “on-demand” marketplace to see
a hotel visit as part of an immersive
travel experience that begins with
booking and continues through multiple
engagements and touch points.
Airbnb and other “shared economy”
businesses are changing the travel
landscape. Travel providers who wish
to deliver personalized, truly local
experiences for guests are taking note
and starting to deliver such services.
This is especially true for the luxury
traveler.
Although it may sound counterintuitive,
to satisfy today’s guests, it must be
made clear, that it is the guest – not the
hotel – who controls the experience.
Do you want streaming videos in your
hotel room from your own device?
We’ve got that.
Prefer to watch your own personal
content, but on the TV in the room?
We can do that too.
How about ordering tickets for
tomorrow night’s show from your
bedside having the tickets in your
e-wallet in seconds and in the next click,
scheduling room service for delivery in
less than 30 minutes?
We’ve got it covered.
What this really means is that emphasis
has shifted – a memorable guest
experience is no longer about what the
hotel provides to guests . . . it’s about
the kinds of tools the hotel provides to
enable guests to create their own stay,
preferences and desires their way.
Introducing the “Shared” Hotel Room
In a way the hotel room no longer
belongs to the hotel - it belongs to the
guest . . . at least for the duration of his
or her stay.
It’s incumbent on us to deliver on guest
expectations each and every time they
enter the property.
While this places new burdens on hotel
owners and managers, it also creates
new opportunities.
The technology needs are great. Ideally,
one implements a strong backbone
of integrated hotel systems that tie
seamlessly together – including the
CRM, PMS, request management
systems, guest feedback systems, and
in-room devices that control everything
from lights to thermostats, television
sets, smart showers, and door locks.
Absent a totally integrated system,
owners are left piecing together
individual technology components – a
costly, complicated process.
But technology is moving much too fast
for any single solution that originates
outside the guest room to fully keep
pace with the changing tastes of
consumers as they evolve within the
room during their stay.
That’s why at DigiValet, we return to
the guest room as the core of the guest
experience.
We believe that every important feature
in a guest room can be connected via a
single point of contact, with the guest
in charge of the experience. And that is
what our system does.
The promise is for a totally seamless
guest experience, delivered on demand
– but there is also a great upside for the
hotel.
Guest requests can be acted on in real
time and going forward, they can be
anticipated: The hotel has the ability
to capture preferences and retrieve
them for later use, making them
actionable for a future visit, which will
help enhance the guest visit upon their
return. Which equates to increased
loyalty.
Seizing the Day
To be sure, it’s no longer your “daddy’s”
hotel.
The distance between the on property
experience of the 1980s or 1990s and
today is widening exponentially with
each passing year.
This has significant implications for how
you spend on technology and where you
invest in the guest experience.
We must face the fact that to a great
extent, the manner in which guest
demands are evolving have little or
nothing to do with what you learned in
Hotel Management 101.
The good news is, we now have the tools
and understanding to seize the moment
and allow the hotel to profit from what
has become a totally shared hotel
experience.
Carpe diem.
About the author
David Goldstone joined DigiValet in
February 2017 to launch and manage
their entry and growth in the North
American hospitality market. After an
enviable 20 year career in the domestic
and international hospitality technology
industry, David, in his current role as
President - The Americas for DigiValet,
is responsible for launching, building
and sustaining this industry-leading
technology and iconic brand recognized
the world over as the industry’s leading
technology in the luxury and boutique
lifestyle segment of the hotel industry.
Prior to joining DigiValet, David served in
various senior and executive management
positions both in the United States
and Europe. He is the recipient of the
prestigious John Whitaker Award for his
dedication to, and innovation within the
hotel industry.
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