If you've spent any time in hotels in the past few years, you have probably noticed how more and more technology is creeping into the hotel experience. Whether this is self check-in kiosks or some fancy gizmos in the hotel rooms themself, increasingly the world of smart hotel technology is changing the entire experience.

The term smart technology is quite a broad one, and can be applied to many aspects of both our day to day life, and those within the tourism sector.

And while some of this technology is still emerging and developing, especially with regards to the hotel industry, it's an exciting time for those in hotel management.

So, in this post, we're going to look at both what is available today for hotel owners to level up their guest experience, and also look into what the future holds for hotel services and the smart experience.

Smart technology in hotels and tourism refers to the integration of various advanced systems and devices for a variety of purposes. Many of these are designed to enhance the guest experience, streamline operations, and support sustainability efforts within the hospitality sector.

And while these are very much the headline benefits to both the hotel industry and the guests, there are also less glamorous benefits too. For example in waste management, cybersecurity and optimizing the use of staff time.

Increasingly, these smart technologies are employed to offer guests a more personalized experience while also helping hotels to manage resources more effectively.

One of the most important applications of smart hotel technologies is the drive for sustainability. Smart devices can be used to manage elements such as power or water consumption, for example with temperature control devices such as Nest - which many people know from their own homes.

But just like IoT in retail, the hospitality industry is also embracing the drive to smart hotel technology to enhance the guest experience.

Technologies such as keyless entry, voice-activated controls, and AI-driven customer service options are becoming the norm, even beyond the high end or luxury hotel chains.

So this is where we are now. Let's look at a mixture of current and future trends in the world of smart hotels.

Current and future trends in smart hotels

The check-in experience is obviously one of the first and most important touch points in the guest journey. And the last thing you need after a lengthy journey is to be left waiting to check in, or greeted by overworked hotel staff.

Although the personal experience is still valuable, studies suggest that the majority, 73% of hotel visitors, prefer to be able to check-in themselves.

Self check in is already popular in other areas of travel, including airline check in desks, buying transport tickets and even ordering food or drinks.

There are various ways to manage a self check-in, including:

iPads or tablets on the reception counter

You can also, of course, mix and match these, allowing guests to check in easily and at their convenience.

Once you've checked in, you'll need to get into your room.

Anyone remember those huge hotel keys with a big chunk of metal or plastic with the number embossed? OK, these days it tends to be that key cards are the standard entry method in most modern hotels.

But we're seeing a more prominent move to keyless entry amongst the hotel industry, particularly at the top end. And of course, once the top end adopts it, it quickly becomes a standard feature.

While hotel owners might balk at changing all of their entry systems to keyless entry, this convenience can greatly benefit guests and even make it easy for staff too. No keys to lose or damage means less wastage, and of course more streamlined operations for check-in, check-out and the guest experience...

There are two main ways that hotels can use digital keys and locks. These are:

Bluetooth entry: Where the guest receives access via an hospitality app on their personal device, or

Keycode entry: Where the guest enters their PIN on the smart lock

This is probably one of the initial smart room features that hotels will adopt due to the ease of adoption and the increasingly widespread use of smart locks.

Editor at Skift, Greg Oates sums up the smart hotel room perfectly when he says:

“The Smart Hotel isn’t about a tablet by the bed that you can’t figure out how to use to open the drapes. It’s about real-time data and connectivity.”

Tomorrow's smart hotels will likely use collected data to customize the guest's room experience. Think lighting schemes that adapt to your mood, temperatures adjusting to your circadian rhythm, and suggested activities based on your past likes—it's personalized hospitality on steroids.

Imagine you've landed in a city five time zones over, you head to your hotel and you need to adjust for a day before you attend a business conference. Your smart hotel room could help you adjust and adapt to your new time zone more efficiently with optimized lighting and wake up calls.

Some of the ways hotels are already beginning to implement these systems are:

RFID stickers which sense movement and change systems in the hotel room in response (for example, sensing a guest getting out of bed in the middle of the night and turning the light on in the bathroom, or sensing a guest getting into bed and turning the lighting and sound into “night mode”).

Nest thermostats which allow temperature to be adjusted via a smartphone app. 

Smart mirrors which double as an information dashboard, showing the time, weather, traffic or even news updates. 

Of course, smart hotel technology can be adapted and tailored to guest preferences. It is, after all, about making the hotel experience more enjoyable for the end user.

The smart TV or in-room digital signage is a big part of the smart hotel experience. No longer is the TV just a dumb screen, but a way to improve and enhance guest experiences. Many hotels already use smart TVs, which means guests can quickly connect their own devices to access their own Netflix watch list, play music or simply watch TV.

In fact, while we all have access to the internet in our pockets, sometimes having the information presented to us takes the strain of finding what you need.

The hotel TV is a blank canvas, with a massive potential to be a source of useful and timely information. Especially in the age of smart TVs and IoT (internet of things).

Some hotels already leverage the power of in-room hotel digital signage to display welcome messages or custom information on the screen upon guest arrivals.

But this screen can also be used to display useful information for guests about how to access room service, gym or spa opening times, the directions to the nearest metro station or even tips to get the most from their stay.

Or, you're visiting a new city with your family and are planning what to see and do for the next few days. The TV in the room could be displaying suggested itineraries, local points of interest and places to eat and drink a short walk from the front door.

Hotels can be big and busy places, especially those in popular tourist destinations or during peak holiday seasons. For guests, getting around, accessing the facilities and services and even knowing what is available can be confusing or even overwhelming in some places.

Wayfinding signage is a common sight across the hotel industry, but increasingly the use of digital wayfinding signage is becoming more popular.

This can be a great way to highlight locations, or guide guests around the hotel. But it can also improve guest convenience by:

Highlighting bar or breakfast opening times

Listing guest services that are available, such as spas, gyms or children's areas

Upselling services such as local tours or excursions

With hotel digital signage, you're also not confined to just displaying one type of content. For example, you might have a splash screen highlighting the breakfast buffet options, but cycle through content that features local weather or transport conditions, or a notice that the pool will be closed for maintenance from midday.

In short, digital wayfinding signage doesn't just restrict your smart hotel to listing locations, but gives your venue the ability to upsell or improve guest engagement in your services.

Most of us these days have access to one or more voice activated digital assistants. Whether this is telling Alexa to dim the lights or to play some funky music, or asking Siri to remind us to call Grandma on the weekend.

Smart hotels have begun to adopt this into hotel room experience. Your smart room can now answer questions about when the gym opens, or book you into the spa, or even order room service...

An example of this is Aloft hotels which offer voice-activated guest rooms. Guests speak their wants, which are picked up by Apple’s voice-powered assistant, Siri.

This can be in the form of either a guest iPad in the room, or one of the many options for smart speakers.

In fact, today's tech savvy travelers will appreciate access to voice activated services. After all, using voice commands to switch on the air conditioning saves you getting out of bed, or struggling to find the remote control.

Artificial intelligence has obviously been revolutionary in the past couple of years, and this includes within the hospitality industry. From before your guests even set foot in your hotel, an AI concierge can greatly improve operational efficiency, offer personalized guest experiences and ensure your guest's stay is exactly what they expect.

There are a growing array of AI concierge software options, which can be integrated into various different stages of the customer journey and the hotel operations.

Sending automated reminders about the guest visit and check-in procedure

Offering access to virtual check-in via the guests own device

Answering common queries such as options for early check-in, or vegan options in the hotel breakfast buffet

Suggesting or upselling services that could improve their stay such as airport transfers or local tours

Communicating between the guest and hotel management about any problems that need solving to enhance the guest experience

Following up after the stay to run satisfaction surveys and request reviews

In fact, while a message from the reception during your stay might seem a little intrusive to some, an AI concierge can be used to communicate and even solve problems.

Guests can sometimes find it a hassle to report small issues with the hotel, such as a lack of towels or a noisy air conditioning fan. But with AI concierge services, it's easy to quickly mention that there is a small problem - allowing the hotel owner or management to address any issues before they snowball and result in negative experiences (and, by extension, negative reviews).

AI concierge software such as Viqual, HiJiffy and Winimy AI also reduce the need for staff to answer common queries, acting as virtual assistants to address common questions.

In the wider hotel setup, you could even have a robotic concierge, as seen below at the Henn-na in Japan. This can reduce the dependence on hiring staff and speed up the check-in experience, as well as offering a fun novelty factor.

While AI on the guest side is a great touch, and one that definitely improves guest comfort and convenience, the other side of the coin is in the hotel management.

There are a growing suite of AI tools designed to make many back end elements of hotel management smoother and more efficient. Whether that is planning staff rotas or hiring rounds, or optimizing inventory and stock purchasing.

AI data tools can be used to predict peak demand, helping to ensure you have adequate stock and even allowing managers and hotel owners to save money on wastage or inefficient processes.

So whether it's energy efficiency, reduced waste or knowing when to schedule cleaning (or even hiring more staff), AI tools are definitely making inroads.

The smart connected hotel of the future: focusing on experience

The Internet of Things is already having a significant impact on hospitality as well as many other areas. And while these smart hotel trends are already being seen across the higher end of the hotel market, we think that trends towards more AI in customer service and the improved smart rooms experience with technology are inevitable.

Digital signage is a huge part of the guest experience, and it can make a great first impression as well as offer personalized services and help visitors make the most of their stay.

As the first choice in digital signage for brands across the world, ScreenCloud offers one of the most efficient, easy to use and cost-effective solutions for hotel brands.

Request a demo to find out how ScreenCloud can make your hotel smarter!

As hotels get smarter, the trends for technology in hospitality and the guest experience is changing. Discover the latest connected and smart hotel trends.

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