Briefing: Upgrading room technology

According to a 2015 Lodging Technology Study, properties last year were allocating nearly 17% of their overall IT budget to guestroom technology. The study also found that 45% of properties had planned to upgrade their wireless in 2015.

Demands on bandwidth are ever increasing as more internet enabled devices are entering the hotel space, and are being used for streaming and other demanding tasks. Guests expect a smooth and speedy internet connection and will become frustrated by a substandard connection.

In this briefing experts discuss hotel technology and demand for wi-fi:

Hospitality Technology’s 2015 Lodging Technology Study highlighted another area where technology is being upgraded – entry to the hotel room. In 2015, 34% of properties were upgrading their room looks to use electromagnetic keycards (RFID keys) or smartphones as keys.

Individual room thermostat controls have also allowed hotels to improve their energy efficiency as it has meant that heating could be off in rooms that are unoccupied. This can also please guests as it allows them to adjust the temperature to one that suits them.

Next Gen thermostats are not the only smart objects appearing in rooms.  According to Travel and Leisure, Starwood hotels can convert any appliance in the hotel room to a smart object, which would be controlled through an app.

Today’s traveller will bring his or her own mobile devices to a hotel, but that is not say their hotel experience cannot be improved with high quality in room technology. The Lodging technology study showed that at the beginning of 2015 15% of hotels were using Smart TVs and a further 16% were expected to add them. These Smart TVs allow the guest to connect to access TV or films that they may have a subscription to through an account such as Netflix or Amazon. 36% of properties planned to add or enhance HD content.

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Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Developing career confidence, passion and leadership

In a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 77.8% of employers named both “leadership” and “the ability to work in a team structure” as key attributes they look for on a job application. According to a study by LinkedIn, more than half of the people surveyed feel more comfortable voicing their opinion at work now than when they first started their career.

Building confidence is an important part of career development. In these videos successful hospitality professionals discuss leadership and taking charge of your own career:

Leadership skills can be developed within a supportive working environment. A report by DDI found that 70 % of leaders say developmental assignments are most effective way to develop leadership. The Global Leadership Forecast 2014/2015 also suggests that not having enough time or opportunity holds people back from growing as a leader.

But attitudes to work are changing, people are building their own paths to success. In the LinkedIn New Norms @Work study a third of people said that if they were unhappy, leaving within a month would be ok. Interestingly the survey also found that the number of jobs professionals think looks good on a LinkedIn profile is 3. An unrelated survey from RecruitFi also looked in to attitudes around multiple jobs. This Millennial Outlook Survey found that 83% of millennials would change jobs to pursue their passions, even while acknowledging that it could look bad to prospective employers.

When people do decide to change their careers, according to a survey by Accountemps, two in five executives in the United States would turn to a spouse or significant other for advice first, with friends and mentors being turned to by 20% and 21% of people respectively.

Those starting a career may not have the confidence or experience to lay out a plan for their career, and may feel uncertainty about job prospects and security. Therefor opportunities to gain skills and step into an industry are appreciated. According to the Milkround Student and Graduate Career Confidence Survey Report 2015, 61.2% of student and graduates felt that “work experience or an internship” would make them feel more confident about their career prospects.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by ybc.tv for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Independent hotels find platforms for growth

Independent hotels have more access to technology and distribution channels than ever before. Could this help them compete with the groups?

According to a report from PWC; ‘about 40-60% of Europe’s hotels are currently estimated branded’. There are more unbranded hotels in rural areas than in cities and airports. The report also states that branded hotels across Europe are set to increase.

So how can independent hotels keep growing? Our experts discuss:

There is a mix of, technology companies, OTAs, and hospitality companies offering services for independents. These include: TripAdvisor, WorldHotels, and ChoiceHotels as above. Plus Umi Digital, AccorHotels, Sabre, TravelClick, and more.

This is a big market to tap. Almost 40% of the UK hotel market is independent hotels, according to a report from STR global. In August last year independent hotels in the UK had a better ADR than branded hotels, at £119 compared to £79. STR’s report indicates that this is largely due to the tendency for independent hotels to be a classed as upscale or luxury, whilst there is a strong economy hotel segment of branded hotels. The report also found that occupancy in branded hotels last year was 4% better than independents (73% vs 77%).

Upscale boutiques are in demand in America. According to a report from The Highland Group, the boutique hotel industry in the US is growing at a 3.1% annual pace and demand is growing at 6.7%. The report classes boutique hotels as ‘independent or part of small brands’ with ‘40 to 300 guest rooms’ and ‘generally upscale to luxury’.

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do so here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

Briefing: Look to the Future of Hospitality

If we could take a glimpse at the hospitality industry in five or ten years’ time what would it look like? 95% of people think, ‘hotels will increasingly look to new technologies to drastically increase efficiency, reduce costs, personalize the customer experience and improve service’. In the Future hotels will need to provide more personalised service and enhance guest experiences online and off. They will need to connect with their guests and allow them guests to connect to their devices. They will be deconstructing and reimagining hospitality spaces and considering new possibilities.

This week our videos explore what the future of hospitality will look like:

Connecting to mobiles and apps can help hotels personalise service. According to Grant Thornton’s Hotel 2020 report: ‘46% of millennials agree that being able to check in/out using a mobile device would motivate them to return.’ The report also shows that towards 2020 hotels will be making a bigger effort to connect with customers on digital platforms, with 30% of global hoteliers planning to hire staff specifically for social media.

Technology will continue to enhance guest experience with guest being able to more easily control their room features through mobile devices. New technologies like augmented reality could change how travellers interact with the space around them using wearable technology or mobile phones. Some companies are already starting to use virtual reality technologies. Best Western gave children an opportunity take a photo with a virtual Disney movie star and Marriot offered a 4D virtual travel experience, as reported in the Guardian.

A survey for Amadeus, Hotels 2020-Beyond Segmentation, asked people in the travel industry and on hotel discussion forums about the future of hospitality. 86% of respondents thought that by 2020, ‘customers will have the ability to choose the size of room, type of bed, amenities, audio-visual facilities, business equipment, etc. on booking and pay accordingly’. 96% said that ‘hotels will need to develop strong social media ‘listening skills.’

If you’ve been sent to this page and you’re not yet on the circulation list to receive these regular briefings and you would like to sign up, you can do see here. It’s free.

Video clips produced by yBC for the Hospitality Channel, including interview from industry conferences such as the IHIF conference as well as specific Hospitality Channel shoots.

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