Tech Talk

Recent posts

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.

Read More +

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.

Read More +

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.

Read More +

comment on this article

COVID-19: Industry Leaders Speak Out

03/18/2020

by Fran Worrall

Special Report: Updated March 18

Last week, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19—the viral disease that has swept the globe and killed more than 8,700 people—is officially a pandemic. And on Saturday, the Trump administration extended the ban on foreign nationals from certain European countries to include those traveling from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The economic impact on the hotel industry is already more severe than the 9/11 and 2008 recessions combined, and industry conferences and meetings around the world have been cancelled or postponed. It was announced earlier today that HITEC 2020 has been rescheduled for October.

So, what are leading hotel associations saying about COVID-19? To find out, we talked with top executives at the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Hospitality Financial Technology Professionals (HFTP), Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG). Together, these organizations represent a huge cross-section of the industry. Following are their comments regarding COVID-19’s effects on the hospitality industry and what their associations are doing to support their members.

‘WE’RE IN DAILY CONTACT WITH PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES’ — Chip Rogers, President & CEO, AHLA
The impact [of COVID-19] to our industry is already more severe than anything we’ve seen before, including September 11th and the great recession of 2008 combined. The White House and Congress can take urgent action to protect countless jobs, provide relief to our dedicated and hardworking employees and ensure that our small business operators and franchise owners—who represent more than half of hotels in the country--can keep their doors open.

We’re in daily contact with public health authorities and are acting on the most up-to-date information on the evolving coronavirus situation. We’re taking very seriously the concerns of the traveling public. While it’s critically important to remain vigilant and take precautions, it’s equally important to make rational and fact-based decisions.

‘THERE WILL BE CHANGES, AND MOST OF THEM WILL BE POSITIVE’ — Frank Wolfe, CEO, HFTP
HFTP is fortunate to have a very supportive infrastructure as well as a board that allows a number of contingency plans. Many organizations are hampered by an inability to make quick decisions; or, their staff members aren’t empowered to make decisions. We make decisions based on what is best for our industry because we’re a non-profit organization, and the reason we’re in business is to support the hospitality industry. We’ve always had a crisis management plan in place. We treat our suppliers as partners and vice versa, so we count on each other for help and advice; and, sometimes, renegotiation. Crisis situations eventually end. And when they do, we want our partners and clients to be in business.

After this crisis is over--as in the aftermath of 9/11--there will be changes, and most of them will be positive. The coronavirus might be the best thing that has happened to infectious disease control because it will prepare the world for what's next. If nothing else, its fallout is educating the public regarding hygiene practices that can prevent the spread of disease. COVID-19 is also highlighting how important it is for the hospitality industry to come together during a crisis and to distribute truthful information rather than allowing the global press to define the travel industry.

‘THE REBOUND COULD HAPPEN QUICKLY’ — Bob Gilbert, President & CEO, HSMAI
HSMAI has done a number of things to provide guidance to its key stakeholders—hotel sales, marketing and revenue optimization professionals. We created a resource center on our website with information specific to members. And we also created a three-part webinar series—one for each of our stakeholder groups—on confronting coronavirus. The first webinar, which addressed the legal issues surrounding hotel sales contracts, had more than 500 attendees. The second webinar, which focused on pricing psychology in challenging times, had 773 attendees. And the third webinar, which addressed crisis communications, had more than 400 attendees.

The hospitality industry is at the front lines of an anomaly like this, and we’re bound to feel its effects first. But we’re resilient, and the rebound could happen relatively quickly. After 9/11, the pent-up demand for meetings and business travel created a spike as people got back to the business at hand. Also, a demand drop in one market often creates an opportunity for another. If someone cancels overseas travel plans, perhaps they will go somewhere closer to home.

‘WE WILL RECOVER’ — Michael Blake, CEO, HTNG
HTNG is actively monitoring COVID-19 and taking advice from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and national and local government authorities. HITEC Europe has been postponed, and if we make the decision to forgo other events, we will do our best to postpone them rather than cancel.

As a trade association, we’re doing all we can to help our members during this difficult time, and our top priority is keeping everyone safe and healthy. We’re grateful that the majority of our organization operates virtually; so, our workgroups are still meeting and conducting business as usual. Additionally, we’re exploring the possibility of increasing the amount of educational content for our members by delivering more webinars or even virtual events.

Unfortunately, this is not the first epidemic we’ve faced, and it’s not going to be the last. In the short term, there will be significant hits to our industry, but we will recover. For the most part, we believe that eventually everything will go back to ‘business as usual,’ but we may see more virtual meetings arise in the meantime as organizations try to supplement cancelled in-person meetings. We can only hope that this awful virus will prepare us to more effectively handle any crisis that may occur in the future.