The hotel industry is no different today than it was hundreds of years ago. Travelers still want a first-class product at the cheapest price possible, with ultimate customer service. The only thing that has really changed is the means in which we provide it. As advances in technology continue to rack the hospitality industry, owners and general managers are fervently scrambling to keep up with new technological trends.  Let’s face it, that “unique and novel” experience doesn’t just happen on its own and today includes a variety of technological trends. 

Mobility tops the list of technology trends that are a must for every hotel – independent or otherwise. Today’s customers want to browse hotels, compare prices, read reviews and finally book rooms all from their tablets or cell phones. Everyone is on the go, go, go and no one has time to be sitting at a desktop for anything other than required work; especially now that everything can be done within minutes from your phone. I can easily say that in the last two years, the majority of my travel plans; whether it was flights or hotel rooms, was searched for and booked from my cell phone. 

Direct bookings are also high on the rise and is definitely the marketing trend to look at right now.  Hotels that have their own website, apart from the brand website, have the ability to be custom designed to avoid the “one size fits all” template that was once the norm. Hotel owners are seeking the professional services of Web designers to create masterpiece websites loaded with features like direct booking links, virtual tours and dropdowns for everything from dining and entertainment to local attractions. 

Social media marketing hit the hospitality industry with a storm. If your hotel is not blogged on, shared, reviewed or liked on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, then you are definitely out of the loop. TripAdvisor is every traveler’s go-to resource to review and research hotel and vacation destinations. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are right behind TripAdvisor, allowing customers to interact with other guests and read up-to-the-minute news on upcoming specials and events. 

These are just the top three techy trends that are a must. But these do not even skim the water.  Wearable technology, mobile keys and PMS technology are next on the must have list. Is your hotel a part of the technology trend? If not, consider revising your marketing strategies; now more than ever before the next storm comes in.