Hospitality is an industry that is constantly being shaped by guest experience and expectations. It’s important to not only keep track of trends, but also be creative with how they’re implemented. Standing out amongst the competition ensures higher bookings and satisfied guests.

A pandemic world shaped and permanently changed the industry, and many of the adaptations are here to stay. Make sure your hotel has a competitive edge and is continuing to make guests happy by following along with trends and implementing the ones that work best for you.

Why stay up to date?

Many hospitality leaders may want to stick to what has worked for them year after year, but the industry has changed for good. A global pandemic wreaked havoc and many travelers are now more comfortable with trends that evolved during this time, such as contactless communication and digital messaging with hotel staff. 

Guests have come to expect the extra level of cleanliness, the digital advancements, and the other adaptations that the pandemic brought to the hospitality industry. Communicating with guests who may not have traveled during that time is also important—using hotel guest messaging to alert them of changes such as no daily housekeeping or the option to use a mobile key can inform and impress.

Not adding these offerings to your hotel isn’t just ignoring an evolving industry, but also evolving guests, and they’ll likely go elsewhere. So how to keep up?

New and evolving trends 

First, it’s key to explore what trends are out there and which ones would work best for your property(s). A big one that arose during the pandemic and continues to evolve is contactless communication: digital messaging and check-in / check-out processes. 

For guests who want to stay safe by minimizing contact, or just don’t want to stop by the front desk on the way to their room, hotels are offering a completely digital process. By using hotel text messaging platforms, hotel teams can contact the guest even before check-in to address any questions and give key information. Then, the guest can virtually check in via a branded app, obtain their mobile key, and head straight to the room.

Throughout the guest stay, digital communication can take place on channels that guests prefer, whether it’s WhatsApp or social media messaging. Teams can organize guest requests and handoff maintenance issues, making for quick and easy service recovery and better satisfaction scores.

Automated processes are also on the rise, with a lean staff and rising travel numbers. While these can be helpful, studies show that 86% of customers prefer human interaction over chatbots. Technologies such as digital messaging platforms allow for both—welcome messages and mid-stay check-ins can be automated, but all responses are still monitored and responded to by real people.

Additionally, eco-friendly practices in hospitality are becoming commonplace, as travelers continue to be focused on traveling responsibly and monitoring their carbon footprint. Hotels across the globe are beginning to cut down on housekeeping frequency, reduce water usage, and offer incentives for guests to save energy by turning off lights and using smart thermostats.

Ways to implement new technologies

All these new technologies and practices may seem overwhelming, but by just adding a few new tools, your hotel can be up-to-date and on its way to pleasing even the most demanding guests.

A good place to start is sustainability: save water by incentivizing guests to take shorter showers, ensure the property's HVAC system is energy-efficient, and reduce housekeeping frequency. These are relatively simple to implement, and guests will take notice.

Next, optimizing your hotel website and offerings for guests’ mobile devices is key. Since almost everything nowadays is online, you’ll want to make sure your online presence is sufficient and contains all the information and capabilities guests are looking for; from booking to communicating with staff.

Finally, implementing a hotel guest messaging system can improve guest satisfaction, assist lean teams, and overall help your hotel keep up with trends like contactless communication. Learn more about how hospitality messaging can help your hotel or schedule a conversation with the Kipsu team today.