Tech Talk

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Definitely Doug 6/9/23: Hotels Fighting Trafficking: The Role of Technology
Posted: 06/09/2023

This week I want to address an important issue for the hospitality industry, albeit one that technologists have not historically had on their radar. They can potentially play a significant role in addressing the issue, which is human trafficking, and more specifically sex trafficking.

In my last column, I reviewed some key trends in autonomous mobile robotics for hotels, and dove into three categories of delivery robots in more detail – room delivery, food delivery, and heavy-lift robots. This week I will round out the topic with several other robot types and applications, as well as general guidance for evaluating, acquiring, and adopting mobile autonomous robotics. If you have not yet read part one, I recommend going back and doing so before continuing below, as some of the introductory material is important background to what follows.

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Best Practices for Hotel & Resort Operators in Pool Season 2023
Posted: 05/25/2023

With the arrival of warmer weather and summer fast approaching, hospitality operators are gearing up for another pool season. This year, technology is at the forefront of driving booking revenue and taking operational efficiency to the next level. Modern technology platforms (such as hospitality’s newest technology category – the Property Experience Management System or PXMS) are providing brand new capabilities that unlock new strategies and approaches to filling the pool with satisfied guests.

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The Growing Role Technology Plays in Hotels and Restaurants
Posted: 05/25/2023

In the past few years, hotels and restaurants have grown into hubs for entertainment, leisure, and human connection. In an effort to best serve their guests, operators have begun rethinking their technological investments and working to adapt to recent shifts in consumer preference and operations. To ensure that guests have the best on-site experience possible, brands are increasingly looking to new technologies to make their experiences more convenient and comfortable. Advanced property management systems (PMS) and point-of-sale (POS) systems can increase operational and staff efficiency, while also meeting changing customer expectations for a high-value but relatively low-touch experience.

This week I will return to a topic I have covered before, because it has, within the last 12 to 18 months, become one of the hottest-growth categories in hospitality technology. That topic is autonomous mobile robots – specifically, ones that can move around the facility as well as perform specific tasks. Many of these products were launched pre-Covid but were often seen at the time as more of a marketing gimmick than a legitimate operational solution.

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A Beacon in the Dark

04/26/2016

by Terry Price, CPA, CHAE, CHTP

As a beacon of light guides a ship to safe waters, beacon technology guides the consumer to something they may need or want. This revolutionizing technology uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal to communicate with a guest's phone when it is within 230 feet, or 70 meters, from one of the devices. The technology opens up the concept of proximity marketing and target marketing to only individuals that are near or in your facility.

If you think this sounds a bit “big brother,” do not get too concerned, yet. This technology currently only communicates to a phone if it has installed an app for that company. It is not an open communication that anyone can be targeted by. The most practical application is using it as part of the loyalty program app.

Will this enhance or hinder the guest experience? By signing up to the loyalty program and using the loyalty app, how much latitude do guests give the resort to store information about them and market to them at every corner? When they selected to opt in to receiving information about specials at the resort, as most jurisdictions require, did they also agree to let the resort track their every movement within the property? Was this covered in the terms of use policy that was so long and confusing that they did not actually read? Where does access to information end and privacy begin?

Beacon technology has opened a new world in the concept of guest service. The ability to let a loyal customer know of a special based on his or her location within your property capitalizes on the impulse buy. As with most adoption of new technology, the technology itself is not the problem. It is the human element. In this case, the customer’s expectation of privacy is going to be a major concern. No matter what the law may dictate, the customer is going to expect the ability to choose from a list of options to opt in to. The consumer already has to download the company app, turn on Bluetooth and turn on location services. Within that process, we need to inform the guest how this technology is going to be used and how it pertains to personal information. Are we ready for that? We need to be ready in order to guide our customers to use this technology and not be afraid to opt in.

To see more about this technology, click here to read "Beacons: A Ray of Hope?" from our Spring 2016 issue!

About The Author

Terry Price, CPA, CHAE, CHTP
Principle Owner
HFT Consulting Group

Terry Price, CPA, CHAE, CHTP is a principle at HFT Consulting Group and is part of the DANNI Enterprise team. He can be reached at Terry@hftcgroup.com.