IRIS, a global provider of mobile F&B and guest experience platforms for the hospitality sector, today reveals key insights into guest’s changing mobile ordering habits, following significant growth in order volumes in the last year.

Increased demand for a more personalised approach to mobile ordering and the growing appeal of grocery orders are highlighted as key trends following an in-depth review of over four million orders processed in the last 12 months across its platform, from a sample of 2,000 hotels worldwide. The insights are revealed as IRIS also reports a 42% year-on-year increase in mobile orders across its client base.

The key trends are:

• Personalization enabling hoteliers to accelerate upsell revenue

Guests are increasingly customizing their meals, showing a strong preference for greater personalisation which in turn is qualifying operators to drive more tailored upsell recommendations, enabling greater efficiency and revenue capabilities. Popular personalisation features include:

• Allergen and preference filters to tailor meals safely
• Order modifications such as bread type or cooking style
• Personal notes for the kitchen team
• Multi-language options so guests can view content in their own language

• New revenue streams: Grocery & amenity ordering on the rise

Hotels are diversifying their service offering beyond traditional dining. IRIS data shows that amenity and grocery ordering (where guests pre-order groceries, amenities and toiletries before or during their stay) is also gaining momentum.

• In-room dining remains popular whilst mobile ordering also extends appeal to wider outlets

In-room dining and room service remain the top-performing outlets for mobile orders, confirming their enduring appeal. Alongside this, increasingly properties are growing the number of mobile ordering outlets across their hotels, providing guests with a consistent, convenient service irrespective of location.

The top five most popular outlets for mobile ordering are:

1. In-room dining
2. Pool bars
3. Lobbies / reception
4. Cafes/coffee shops
5. Restaurants

• Mobile ordering: A global movement

IRIS data also reveals that mobile ordering has gained strong traction in key international destinations. The top five countries processing the greatest number of mobile orders across the IRIS platform in the last 12 months are:

1. USA
2. Canada
3. UK
4. Australia
5. Japan

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Graham Rushin, VP Sales and Marketing at IRIS, commented, “It is encouraging to see the marked growth in the popularity of mobile ordering and the scale at which guests are adopting it. Hotels are recognizing its dual benefit - improving service efficiency and increasing average spend, with wait times in many cases reduced by up to 10 minutes.

“Even more exciting is how operators are investing in diversifying their mobile ordering offer to guests. Both in terms of menu options, outlet availability, and retail and grocery items.

“We’re seeing operators expand their in-room dining menus to offer a wider choice of items from their main restaurant, extend mobile ordering beyond the guestroom across their properties, and even introduce grocery pre-ordering to capture revenue before guests arrive. The results are proof positive of the success of this approach. Within our own client base we have seen reports of one single in-room order totalling $1,500, one hotel processing over 8,000 orders in one month alone and one guest ordering groceries worth $500, to cite just a few examples of its popularity and potential.

“These innovations are not only boosting revenue but also enhancing guest satisfaction - particularly for travellers who prefer private dining, multi-generational families who enjoy convenience, and business guests who want flexibility.

“Mobile ordering has proven itself as an agile, scalable solution for hoteliers. As guest expectations continue to evolve, we expect even greater innovation and adoption across the next 12 months.”

For more information on IRIS or to request a demo please visit iris.net/demo  

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