need to overcome guest privacy
concerns. The use of biometrics,
especially facial recognition – which
is the analysis of facial characteristics
for identification and access control
– is bound to face similar hurdles.
Nevertheless, facial recognition’s
adoption seems inevitable,
considering its value in creating
personalized guest experiences.
Solutions exist today that enable
hotel security cameras to identify
guests in real time, using facial
characteristics previously captured
and stored in the hotel’s property
management system. Such capability
yields numerous opportunities for
hotel staff, including providing
special services and attention to VIP
guests. And soon, biometrics will be
linked with payment authentication,
making guest life even more simple
and hassle free. In our survey,
62% of consumers said automated
recognition using biometrics and
facial recognition would enhance
their experience.
For many guests, hotels represent an
escape. That’s why amplifying that
surrealism with virtual reality makes
perfect sense. Virtual reality still may
be best known for its use with video
games, but its ability to enable users
to manipulate objects or execute a
series of actions in a “virtual world”
– with special sensory equipment
(headsets and data gloves) – will
make it an indispensable tool for
hoteliers. There is high awareness of
VR among consumers, which likely is
contributing to their acceptance of
it: 66% said VR tours of a property
during booking would be beneficial,
and 44% approved of VR lounges
as an entertainment option. And if
virtual reality is a great simulation
training tool for soldiers and
surgeons, there’s no reason to think
it wouldn’t benefit hotel staff, too.
Nearly 70% of operators said VR will
58 ILHA
serve that purpose by 2025.
Robots of all shapes and sizes
perform countless tasks in numerous
industries today, but the role of
robotics in our business still is
greatly debated. At the Henn-na
Hotel in Japan, arriving guests are
welcomed by a robot “hostess” who
bows and says, “Welcome.” Henn-na
executives are investing in robotics
now with the long-term objective of
having 90 percent of all hotel tasks
handled by robots. But for full-scale
industry adoption, experts say robots
will need to be infused with greater
artificial intelligence. For operators,
that could mean robots that not only
greet guests, but demonstrate the
capability to learn their needs and
preferences during the course of
their stay. The real value of robots
likely won’t be greater savings or
reduced errors; it’s the potential to
deliver unmatched experiences that
differentiate the hotel brand and
increase guest loyalty.
Hoteliers often worry about
automation expressing concern that
it might extract the human element
from service. It’s a legitimate issue,
but should be kept in context. Guests
aren’t ready yet for automatons
without empathy or understanding,
but they want hoteliers to use
technology to enhance their stays.
Hoteliers across the globe and, in
particular, luxury hoteliers face an
innovation imperative. They need
to integrate software and hardware
that deliver the innovations we
discussed. They need to weave these
technologies into their business
processes to deliver technology-
enriched guest experiences while
improving operating efficiency.
And to execute these steps quickly
and cost effectively, hoteliers must
create a platform for innovation.
Hoteliers have to implement cloud-
based, mobile-enabled platforms for
hotel operations and distribution.
These platforms are above-
property, open, scalable and can
easily integrate with platforms that
deliver everything from AI to virtual
reality. The technologies highlighted
in Hotel 2025 will undoubtedly
redefine our business. But whether
they yield success depends upon the
ability of operators to separate fact
from fiction, and apply innovations
that produce real benefits for guests
and hoteliers – guest loyalty and
increased customer lifetime value.
About the author
Sundar Swaminathan is Director,
Hotel Solutions Marketing for Oracle
Hospitality. In this role, Sundar is
responsible for marketing Oracle
Hospitality’s solutions to the hotel,
casino, and cruise industries globally.
Prior to his current role, Sundar was
Senior Director of Marketing for
Oracle’s Travel and Transportation
Industry Business Unit. Prior to Oracle,
Sundar held delivery leadership and
product strategy roles at Electronic
Data Systems (now part of DXC
Technology). He also spent 10 years
with Sabre/American Airlines Decision
Technologies and was a Director for
the Cargo and Logistics practice at
Sabre.
Sundar brings a unique combination
of business process, technology,
marketing and industry expertise
through his work over 25 years with
leading airlines, 3PLs, trucking, rail,
ocean shipping, and travel/hospitality
companies in areas such as IT strategy,
business process reengineering,
applications development and delivery
and infrastructure management.
He has a Master’s degree in
Industrial Engineering specializing
in Manufacturing Systems from
the Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta and an MBA from Southern
Methodist University, Dallas.