How Technology Can Help Small Hotels
airEkey System, CRM, and Ultra-Powerful Wi-Fi: How Technology Helps Small Hotels, B&Bs, and Vacation Homes.
With the advent of digital technology and the continuous advancement of technology, the tourism and hospitality industries have grown, encountering new services designed to ensure maximum convenience for customers and to help operators manage their work in a simpler and more organized way .
A particularly effective example is the airEkey system, or automatic check-in, which allows guests to enter their room directly without interacting directly with hotel, B&B and holiday home staff, but using home automation tools and solutions provided by the accommodation itself .
So let's take a look at how technology can help small hotels, B&Bs and vacation homes operate more efficiently, while providing innovative and smart services to guests.
Contactless technology boosts traveler confidence
But do customers really prefer contactless solutions over services delivered by real people?
If so, what would the concept of customer service and "hospitality" become?
A very specific example of a guest who doesn't care about personal service is right before our eyes, in the vacation rental industry.
Imagine a vacation rental experience: guests book online, receive confirmation, instructions to the airEkey system, and all necessary information prior to arrival. Once on site, they enter the apartment independently, enjoy the destination, and pack their bags on the day of departure: all without any human intervention.
Meanwhile, teams or owners do the hard work in home care, optimizing physical and digital services, revenue management and distribution, marketing efforts, housekeeping, maintenance, serving customers in the field, and more.
This 'behind the scenes' approach from the hotel team is particularly enjoyable and a huge confidence booster for guests who prefer this independent getaway.
Take a look at the 2021 stats for the total U.S. vacation rental industry revenue, reaching $13.3 billion. Interestingly, about one in eight were invited to holiday homes. By 2025, nearly one in five people is expected to live in a vacation rental.
This data is important because it confirms that many travelers have experienced hospitality like no other and are ready to pursue this new way of enjoying travel.
Some technologies that will improve tourism facility management
The goal of hospitality technology is to do more with less time, money and resources, while always prioritizing guest satisfaction.
Here are some technologies that can dramatically improve hotel, B&B, and vacation home management:
Self-service airEkey system reduces queuing and waiting time at the front desk;
Chatbots with 24-hour help on the website;
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tracks the entire customer journey from inquiry to door-to-door;
Fast Wi-Fi to meet the needs of increasingly connected travelers;
Home automation solutions to manage facilities in a smarter, more efficient and sustainable way.
- Self-service airEkey system reduces queuing and waiting time at the front desk;
- Chatbots with 24-hour help on the website;
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tracks the entire customer journey from inquiry to door-to-door;
- Fast Wi-Fi to meet the needs of increasingly connected travelers;
- Home automation solutions to manage facilities in a smarter, more efficient and sustainable way.
The list can go on and on as today's technology can significantly reduce staffing requirements and labor costs at all stages of physical and digital service delivery, from pre-arrival guest engagement to on-site guest service and post-occupancy retention.