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rhera004

Technology in the hospitality industry - exploring the very latest trends - 5 views

  • Digital conference facilities
  • hotels also need to be able to offer access to audio-visual (AV) and digital facilities for conferences.
  • If a hotel has extensive conference facilities, network design becomes critical to ensure indoor mobile phone coverage, Wi-Fi connectivity, VoIP, real time location services (RTLS) and internet protocol television (IPTV)
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  • When investing in digital apps for check-ins, room service and other customer-oriented digital interactions, hotel operators are investing in systems and technologies that can personalise the experience for guests, including a guest’s name being displayed on the welcome desk at a digital check-in station;
  • hotel staff can take a more innovative approach by using infrared scanners that will detect body heat within a room and tell cleaning staff that they should rather come back later if the room is currently occupied.
  • NFC technology can also be used to personalise a guest’s experience at a hotel or resort.
  • A boutique hotel that is nestled between Apple’s headquarters and other tech companies, called Aloft Cupertino, has a robot butler called Botlr that is able to move between the various floors of the hotel in order to take items such as toothbrushes, chargers and snacks to guests.
  • Near field communication (NFC) technology is the next-generation short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that gives users the ability to exchange data between devices.
  • Retina scanning is even more accurate and secure
  • than fingerprint scans and hotels like the Nine Zero Hotel in Boston have already installed an iris scan system
  • Marketing, management and hotel developers can no longer work in silos and these technology trends are giving them the opportunities, tools and solutions they need to create memorable experiences
  • 81% of respondents wanted access to mobile video content at hotels and 55% said that mobile content availability at a hotel would influence where they choose to stay.
  • Being able to provide entertainment on tap and mobile content has led to the trend of hotels investing in cloud services.
  • gives hotels the flexibility to expand and adjust their IT needs along with business growth
  • Cloud computing is becoming the norm and we will continue to see hotel groups replacing their legacy IT infrastructure with cloud solutions.
  • take full advantage of technology in this space is using it to communicate how well they are doing (in real time) with respect to their various environmental initiatives (such as real time electricity/water usage reporting, etc.)
  • local area networks (LANs)
  • building services can be automated in order to control lighting, refrigeration, air-conditioning and heating.
  • Besides reducing energy consumption, converged LANs can also be set up to provide a smarter, more personal experience.
  • Another innovative way to offer a keyless experience is through fingerprint-activated room entry systems and retina scanning devices.
  • Installing and maintaining a hotel-wide wireless network may be coupled with costs, but many leading hotel groups have started to install high density Wi-Fi and started to offer in-building mobile phone coverage as guests have come to expect these services during their stay (not only for themselves, but also for their guests if they are hosting a conference or function at the hotel).
  • While the amount of AV and digital equipment that goes into a typical conference room is fairly minimal, staging companies are often hired for various projects in order to equip the facility as required.
  • Guests want to be able to do everything from checking in at a venue’s automated kiosk to ordering room service with a digital device instead of standing in queues and moving around the hotel premises to order food.
  • investing in a check-in/cocierge app requires a small initial investment and can lead to greater efficiency and savings as hotel staff are able to focus on customer service and property developers don’t have to create large static reception desks at each entrance and hotel location.
  • can transfer data at up to 424 kbits/second and the communication is enabled when two devices touch each other, which makes mobile payments (by touching the smart phone to a credit card) an instant, secure process.
  • this technology could also be used to track loyalty points from a guest’s use of the conference facilities or room service.
  • Infrared scanners are now also used to minimise disruptions relating to housekeeping (which is a common complaint from customers).
  • All of these experiences need to be part of an integrated, dynamic system so that the guests’ experiences are at the forefront of the marketing and operational team’s mind.
  • Starwood (owner of the Sheraton, Weston and “W” hotel chains) has already upgraded 30,000 room locks across 150 hotels with this system and Hilton will be implementing a similar system at 10 of their US properties this year. In 2016, they will be deploying the smart room key technology globally.
  • This technology will mean that guests don’t have to worry about picking up keys and front desk staff won’t have to issue new keys in the event that a guest loses their room key.
  • The hotel room’s television, radio and clock are taking a backseat as travellers use their own technology to keep themselves entertained.
  • Many companies in the hospitality industry are already using social media to their advantage as guests check-in on location-based social media apps, tweet about their experience on Twitter and share their holiday photos with friends and followers on Instagram and Facebook.
  • his shift has led to many hotel and leisure groups developing active social media monitoring and communication strategies in order to stay on top of what’s being said about them online
  • Hotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a keyless pad on the door.
    • rhera004
       
      This section is talking about designing effective conference facilities/ ensuring your hotel/ facility can accommodate clients technological needs. My thought on this is how can we in the hospitality field accommodate this when we do not yet know the scope of need. We do not know what is to come. Ex. Roads in Europe are incredibly narrow as no one knew cars would be a thing in the future. It's crazy to think buildings and infrastructure can also become obsolete.
  • medical facilities;
    • rhera004
       
      Super important given the state of things
    • rhera004
       
      This freaks me out a bit b/c of devices which can aid people in stealing your credit card information in close proximity to you.
  • For example, advertising can be targeted based on gender and age (so if a child walks by a digital sign in the lobby, the advertisement can change to promote a local theme park or the hotel’s kids club
  • hanging a ‘Do Not Disturb
    • rhera004
       
      Eco-friendly option. I like this!
    • rhera004
       
      Wireless = More sanitary. No one really thinks about the amount of hands that have been on room key cards...
    • rhera004
       
      This may be a hard sell for some people. Ex. Conspiracy theorists etc.
  • almost any person checking in at a hotel, resort, spa or lodge, will have a smartphone in their pockets.
    • rhera004
       
      Social Media is such a powerful advertising tool as well. Have clients work for you. This can also be dangerous if your facility is not running at 100%
    • rhera004
       
      Can be creepy- but will definitely optimize guest experience.
  • hen processes should be put in place to ensure the right person follows up by communicating with the guest and solving the problem at the hotel.
  • ead to positive change and growth in the industry.
  • l
  • computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check in at a hotel.
  • computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check in at a hotel.
  • I
  • t might not yet be financially feasible for hotels to completely abandon the user pay model, but many of them are re-thinking their current infrastructure and pricing models.
    • rhera004
       
      Bluetooth speaker system connectivity would be a good idea for hotel rooms.
  •  
    The article lists the varies new technology that are becoming more and more of the norm in modern hotels. The first and most important is WIFI. Ten years ago every hotel you went would make you pay for WIFI nowadays guests look for hotels that offer free wifi. Conference facilities are a big thing in larger hotels but they need to be digital. Everyone has a mobile device so making as much as possible available on a guests mobile phone will go a long way. Entertain and clod services are all new technologies being used in hotels as well. Of course social media is a huge part of our day to day world.
  •  
    This article talks about how technology is affecting the hospitality industry. There have been several small technological advances in the industry. Recently, advances have been skyrocketing, especially in the hotel sector. Hotels have been updating their technology year after year striving to stay relevant. Businesses are looking for Digital conference facilities for their conferences/meetings. Where skype and zoom calls can be conducted in a business fashion. There are also hotels that are looking to put in finger scanning devices for room access and infrared scanners for staff members to monitor room activity. This article has several other fantastic advances in technology that could be used in the hospitality industry as a whole.
  •  
    Technology evolves everyday it keeps getting better and making lives even easier. Guests are attracted to hotels who have the latest technology. This week I saw in social media a friend of mine is currently in Las Vegas and her room had an Echo Dot and she was asking Alexa to turn off the lights and close the shades. That got my attention and is proving the point on how the Hospitality industry has to be at the very top of the latest technology trends.
bruss031

Cloud Based Restaurant Management Software Transforms the Industry - 0 views

  • Cloud based restaurant management software is changing the way restaurant operators can do business and how they make and manage technology investments.
  • In the past, in order to operate restaurant management software, each restaurant location was required to have servers “on-premise” which is technology-speak for “in the restaurant.”
  • Simply put, cloud based restaurant management software relies on a network of remote (off-premise) servers that are hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.
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  • The shift to cloud based restaurant management software will make it fundamentally easier for restaurants to analyze sales, manage costs, and make data-driven decisions.
  • Access data anywhere
  • No hefty upfront technology investments or long-term contracts
  • Benefit from Flexible Payment Terms
  • Scale
  • Another benefit of cloud based restaurant management software is that you can quickly and easily scale up or down based on your needs.
  • Connect and integrate with POS systems
  • Improve data security
  • You don’t need an IT team
  •  
    As cloud computing software continues to become more powerful, restaurants may want to evaluate the potential swtich from on site servers to a cloud based restaurant management solution. Cloud based solutions allow data to be accessed from anywhere and make tracking sales trends and manage costs much easier. Most cloud based systems also include APIs that allow them to work in tandem with other cloud based softwares that a restaurant may need. Additionally, just like with any general cloud computing software, these cloud based systems are generally much cheaper to implement than purchasing physical equipment and cloud based solutions also offer an easy way to scale a business.
svail001

Wyndham Signs on for Next-Gen Technology From Oracle Hospitality - Skift - 1 views

  • Wyndham is tapping Oracle Hospitality for its full-service brands and Sabre for its select-service
  • Wyndham is the first hotel chain to adopt Oracle’s next-generation cloud-based version of its Opera property management system.
  • Four and a half years ago, Wyndham moved to its first-generation hosted systems — meaning, moved away from having computers sitting under the desk or in the hotel closet.
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  • Between 15 and 30 percent of Wyndham’s portfolio of more than 8,900 hotels will move to Oracle Opera Cloud through 2024
  • Every place outside of North America, regardless of where a property is on the chain scale, Oracle Opera Cloud is now Wyndham’s preferred solution
  • Cost efficiencies drove the decision in the case of Oracle Opera Cloud.
  • “Your cost of entry on Opera in a traditional on-premise model could approach six figures for a full-service hotel, with an upfront commitment that used to be in the five-figures for capital expenditure,” said Scott Strickland, Wyndham’s chief information officer. “We can’t quote specific costs, but this deal offers the cloud-based version at a really accessible price-point for our partners.”
  • “With all of our cloud-based offerings, it’s a subscription model tied to a number of rooms in the hotel on what’s kind of a per-room per-month basis
  • “No upfront costs or licenses or maintenance and upgrade fees. We have packages, commensurate with a property’s needs. Costs can flex up and down in cost with demand shifts, like we saw in the pandemic.”
  • A second motivation for adopting the cloud is the product’s simplicity
  • Staff no longer need to use desktop computers and can instead log in remotely with mobile devices,
  • Another factor driving the hotel’s chain’s decision is the system’s scope. For example, Oracle Opera Cloud includes a housekeeping module
  • Their tablets and phones can connect to the cloud and see their arrival list of guests and judge how they want to adjust their staffing or last-minute rate promotions.
  • Wyndham, one of the first hotel chains to return to profitability in the pandemic, sees this move as the latest step in a four-year digital acceleration.
  • It’s a lot harder to innovate when you have four central reservation systems and three digital systems. We now have one of each globally.”
  • It’s faster when it has only one mobile app platform and only two property management systems, compared with a brand running, say, a dozen different property management systems and four versions of a mobile app.
  • Most security incidents result from one of two things. The first is not keeping up with patching of software or system vulnerabilities
  • The second major driver of security incidents comes from the interaction between systems, such as application, infrastructure, and database
  • “With Oracle Cloud technology, we frequently deploy patches in all of our environments across various applications and systems in our cloud
  • API stands for “application programming interface,” which has been described as “the set of functions and subroutines that an outside party can run to build its third-party services on top of a company’s service.”
  • “We have completely removed all the integration friction of the past, with no compromise on the security or performance of the core system,
  •  
    This article discusses Wyndham's decision to transition its property management into the cloud based services through Oracle Hospitality. Their decision was based on the several advantages offered by Oracle's cloud based system such as cost savings, the simplified application and use of only one central system and the protection from cyber attacks. Wyndham is the first hotel chain to adopt Oracle's new cloud based version of their management system.
mmorr116

Google Hotels is the Elephant in the Room, Is it Good or Evil? - 0 views

  • First there was Google search then Google maps, Google flights now Google's hotel search product is aiming to take on other hotel booking sites and disrupt the online travel agency model.  With flights and core search Google is already a travel industry leader.
  • As Google takes on the OTAs head-to-head, hotels benefit from a significant new distribution channel which (alongside Airbnb) is a major shift in industry dynamics.
  • Rather than hotels distributing to OTAs, who charge commissions for capturing demand from Google (almost like advertising arbitrage), hotels can advertise directly on Google. This shortens the value chain and somewhat balances the  distribution power dynamic in hotels’ favor.
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  • There’s growing mainstream awareness around the potentially monopolistic characteristics of Google's position as the place where the majority of the world start their online searches.
  •  
    OTAs identified an unmet customer need and created digital destinations that became the first stop for prospective travelers. Unfortunately, the very thing that made OTAs the original travel disruptors- the ability to aggregate digitized data to create economical, do-it-yourself travel planning - could be what gives rise to another innovative disrupter: Google.
teresastas

Skullcandy Promises to Slash 1 Million Pounds of E-Waste - 0 views

  • EPA says recycling, reusing or donating electronics prevents pollution and carbon emissions because fewer materials for items such as plastics or batteries do not have to be produced again. The energy saved from recycling 1 million laptops, for example, is equivalent to powering 3,500 homes in the US for a year, according to the agency.
    • teresastas
       
      This comparison is really eye opening for me. I know. Sometimes we get lost in all the numbers but when you look at it this way it's crazy to think about.
  • Skullcandy also says it will eliminate the use of plastics entirely by 2023 and shift to using only FSC certified paper products.
    • teresastas
       
      I think it is very important that companies that contribute to the e waste problem also help to fix the problem like Skullcandy is working towards doing. The idea of eliminating the use of plastics entirely on top of their e-waste pledge is making the right moves.
  • company has a partnership with environmental intelligence platform EcoChain, which helps the company analyze the carbon footprint of its manufacturing. One impact of that program is the development of a smaller battery.
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  • recycling by letting customers send any type or brand of headphones to the company to be properly recycled, giving them discounts for doing so.
  • Skullcandy Promises to Slash 1 Million Pounds of E-Waste
    • teresastas
       
      Headphone and Speaker company Skullcandy is making moves towards helping the fight against e-waste (short of closing it's doors of course). It recently pledged this month that it would eliminate one million pounds of e-waste by 2025 its new upcycling program. This program includes a few factors including a no plastic packing plan, an upcycling endeavor, and discounts to customers for responsible recycling of any headphone brands.
ldevaul

How the travel industry can fight back against cyberthreats | SmartBrief - 1 views

  • Travel and hospitality businesses have become lucrative targets in recent years for cybercriminals who have stolen from the industries in attacks that often take more than half a year to identify.
  • In the past three years alone, the hotel industry has faced 13 serious attacks, according to an IntSights study.
  • The travel and leisure sectors suffered a 155.9% year-over-year rise in suspected online fraud attempts worldwide in the second quarter, according to a TransUnion study, compared with a 16.5% increase in overall alleged intrusions.
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  • The hotel industry attracts cybercriminals because it handles so many financial transactions in so many countries.
  • The top threat to hotels is phishing, a scam in which hotel guests may receive fake phone calls claiming to be from the front desk. The caller could claim that there is an issue with the credit card on file and that they need to re-verify the payment method. 
  • DarkHotel hacks are another significant threat. These target travelers via hotel Wi-Fi. Digital certificates are sent to guests, like a familiar adobe update, which will retrieve sensitive information. Hotel chains are combating these hacks by suggesting that guests use a virtual private network.
  • Malware (malicious software) is something criminals email employees, under the guise of the attachment or link looking innocent or legitimate. But when the user opens the file or clicks on the link, their system (and more) can be hacked into by the criminal.
  • IT department should routinely update operating systems and back up data and files, and every employee should double-check sources when asked for software administrative permissions. Also, strong firewalls can limit bad traffic and provide security. 
  • Software and hardware can help prevent breaches, but employee training is also an essential part of any hotel’s cybersecurity.
  • In 2018, a Marriott reservation system was hacked. More than 500 million customer records, including credit card information and passport numbers, were stolen. The company said the hack went back four years prior to the discovery and, when it was noticed, the company started using computer and mobile device monitoring software.
  • “Guests can enroll in a service called WebWatcher, which monitors the sites where personal information may be shared and alerts guests if evidence of their personal data is found,”
  • Hotels are not alone in being targeted by cybercriminals: The airline industry has faced serious cyberattacks as well, and many airlines still aren’t equipped to handle them.
  • only around 35% of airlines and 30% of airports are prepared for cyberattacks.
  • "The proliferated effect of the attack on SITA is yet another example of how vulnerable organizations can be solely on the basis of their connections to third-party vendors,"
  • The aviation industry faces dangers such as ransomware and distributed-denial-of-service attacks. Following the SITA attack, HackerOne solutions architect Shlomie Liberow stressed that airlines need to prepare for the worst. 
  • traditional enterprises like airlines have always been an attractive target since few are digital-first businesses, and therefore have relied on legacy software, which is more likely to be out-of-date or have existing vulnerabilities that can be exploited."
  • The airline industry needs to keep third-party vendors in check when it comes to protecting information. Given the high stakes involved, experts suggest that blind trust is not an option. 
  • “You simply cannot know whether your third parties meet your company’s security controls and risk appetite until you’ve completed a full vendor security assessment on them,
  • It’s important to note that the best practice is not a ‘one-and-done’ activity, but through real-time, continuous monitoring.”
  • In 2015, hackers targeted Polish airline LOT’s ground operations system, affecting 1,400 passengers. The hackers made it impossible to create flight plans and flights. It was the first attack of its kind, and it caused concern about cyberattacks one day remotely taking control of planes.
  • To address the threat, the standard advice is to back up and store data in multiple places, including off your physical premises, and have one copy of it be offline
  • Multifactor authentication and long, complicated passwords will take longer to crack. Updating and patching systems regularly helps companies avoid being victimized when a new exploit is discovered.
  • Treating cybersecurity as a companywide concern, not an IT concern, encourages each employee to take ownership of their actions and knowledge and to seek help proactively instead of making an “innocent” mistake that costs the company millions of dollars.
  • Finally, companies should avoid simply throwing money at the problem: Not all cybersecurity solutions work together, which wastes money and increases the risk of a breach.
  •  
    This article discusses ways that the travel industry can combat cyberthreats. The main cyber concern for hotels' is phishing, which is a scam that collects credit card information by pretending to be apart of a hotel's front desk staff. The article mentions that IT departments should do routinely updates to operating systems and back up data and files. Employees should also be trained to help prevent data breaches. The author briefly touched on what to do when your hotel system is hacked and even dives into how the airline industry is still very unequipped to handle cyberattacks and threats. This is a great read to learn how to keep up with best security practices in the hospitality and tourism industry.
ecast038

Disruption Drives the Hospitality Industry to Innovation - Hotel Business - 0 views

  • looks
  • drastic
  • looks
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  • As the industry looks to rebound, hotel owners, in particular, are introducing new solutions and services to entice guests, including embracing automation, a once taboo term in an industry used to thinking of service in a very human-centric way. From robot concierges to new marketing strategies, hotel owners are changing the norm to address social distancing measures and lingering travel concerns.
  • Property automation system companies are catering specifically to the accommodations industry to
  • the industry must completely re-evaluate and adjust operations to reduce potential touchpoints, and automation is a crucial component at this time.
  • The entire check-in process can now be done through a smartphone, minimizing staff interactions and reducing exposure to a crowded lobby. Guests can check-in with a single touch and enter their room in minutes without even requiring a physical key card.
  • centric
  • drastic
  • For an industry that has long since relied on its (human) staff to deliver customer service, this is
  • make the integration of smart locks and devices easily accessible.
  • experience
  • shift to a tech-first experience. However, for hotels struggling to open with a skeleton staff to reduce overhead, an automated management system can improve efficiency and the overall guest experience.
  • experience
  • branded apps are a one-stop portal for everything from reservations to room service. Used c
  • orrectly, a branded app can help streamline operations and establish a direct channel of communication between hotels and guests.
  • Smart technology is a key investment for hotels as they look to reduce high touchpoints in rooms. Voice assistants can control nearly everything in a room, including temperature, lighting, alarm clocks, televisions an
  • d to order room service. It also creates an opportunity for hotels to learn guest patterns and personalize the experience even further.
  • And based on the past few months, the industry is rising to the challenge.
  • the pandemic accelerated the need to embrace smart technology and automation urgently, putting more pressure on an industry with slim profit margins to cover the costs of implementing the infrastructure to accommodate these changes. The industry has its back against the wall, forcing change and innovative new thinking to adapt and entice guests back as travel resume
  •  
    Before the pandemic hotels were using apps to allow guests to view hotels in their area and book hotels from the comfort of their phone. These apps also had incentives to make customers want to book through the app, now that the pandemic has caused individuals to not be able to be in contact as much, the hotels have taken advantage of these apps to allow guest to do more. Guests are now able to check in through these apps, open the door to their room without needing a key, ordering room service and towels and other toiletries through the app as well. The pandemic forced a lot of companies within the hospitality and tourism sector to become more technology friendly in the sense that they wanted less person-to-person contact, for the safety of external guests and internal guests. Like mentioned in the article smart devices have more of an influence on the guests experience overall, the article mentioned how hotels are using robots to clean rooms, deliver room service and toiletries to guest to increase social distancing standards within the properties. Hospitality was once known as an experience only able to be best delivered by humans but now it is an experience through technology that brings comfort to guests.
  •  
    To provide safer environments to guests and avoid going out of business, hotels had to quickly adopt changes and innovations. Although the industry has heavily relied on human interaction for all customer service aspects, smart technology and automation has been crucial for hotels. In many hotels, all guests need is their smartphone to check-in and get in to their rooms. Marketing has changed and many hotels rooms now feature workstations and gym equipment to ease guests travel concerns.
amoon008

Advantages of Cloud Computing for the Hotel Industry - 0 views

  • Is cloud computing secure?If you invest in a cloud Hotel Property Management System (PMS), then you won’t need to store any data onsite; it simply resides on a server elsewhere (it could even be in another country)
  • In reality, the opposite is true, because if you choose the right cloud-based Hotel PMS, then your operations will benefit from some of the best cybersecurity in the business. You’re unlikely to have enterprise-level security and firewalls, intrusion detection and industry-standard SSL encryption in-house, but the cloud PMS delivers all those protections for a fraction of the cost.
  • Cloud computing relies on a robust Internet connection and a device of your choosing.
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  • Lower operational costs
  • With cloud computing, you can truly work from anywhere – a capability the hospitality industry has historically struggled to embrace, often due to the limits of the technology in use.
  • Firstly, it must provide the best suite of management tools for all members of your hotel staff; and, secondly, it must help you provide the best guest experience possible. Another advantage of cloud computing is it enables your staff members to work more efficiently by freeing them from fixed terminals. Check-ins aren’t limited to the reception desk,
  • Improved guest experience thanks to mobility
  • Remote working
  • Depending on the system from which you’re moving, a complete import of your data might be possible, and the ease with which such systems can be learned means staff adoption is unlikely to cause any problems or service interruptions.
    • amoon008
       
      If you use a cloud Hotel Property Management System, you won't have to store any data on site (PMS). Instead, it will be kept on a different server (it could even be in another country). It's understandable that you'd feel insecure as a result. In reality, the opposite is true: if you choose the right cloud-based Hotel PMS, your operations will benefit from some of the best cybersecurity in the industry. You're unlikely to have enterprise-level security and firewalls, intrusion detection, or industry-standard SSL encryption in-house, but the cloud PMS offers all of these protections for a fraction of the cost.
    • amoon008
       
      It is undeniable that times are changing. Older, on-premise hotel PMS solutions are being transferred to cloud computing, which is helping to improve basic, but crucial, hotel operational circumstances like a check-in or check-out line. Cloud computing requires a strong Internet connection and a device of your choice. Because cloud applications are so versatile, you can use your cellular-enabled tablet to run your reception desk from the palm of your hand even if your main Internet connection is down. Cloud computing allows you to operate from anywhere, at any time, in a secure environment, all while reducing IT infrastructure and continuing IT costs. In today's connected world, cloud computing is incredibly dependable.
    • amoon008
       
      Changing to a cloud PMS isn't as difficult as you would imagine. A comprehensive import of your data may be achievable depending on the system you're transferring from, and the ease with which such systems can be learned assures that staff adoption is unlikely to cause any problems or service interruptions. Finally, and perhaps most critically, one of the most major benefits of cloud computing is that it takes far less time to make adjustments. It's not unusual to have virtually 100% uptime, allowing you to take use of the best features and benefits your PMS supplier has to offer without having to deal with lengthy, inconvenient update routines.
  • Older, on-premise hotel PMS solutions are now being shifted to take advantage of cloud computing, helping improve basic, but important, common hotel operations situations, such as a line of people waiting to check in or out.
  • Cloud computing relies on a robust Internet connection and a device of you
  • Cloud computing relies on a robust Internet connection and a device of your choosi
  • Cloud computing relies on a robust Internet connection and a device of your choosing
  • Lower operational costs
  • Lower operational costs
  • invest in a cloud Hotel Property Management System (PMS), then you won’t need to store any data onsite; it simply resides on a server elsewhere (it could even be in another cou
  • Cloud computing relies on a robust Internet connection and a device of your choosing
  • Remote working
  • Improved guest experience thanks to mobility
  • Depending on the system from which you’re moving, a complete import of your data might be possible, and the ease with which such systems can be learned means staff adoption is unlikely to cause any problems or service interruptions.
  • In 2019, just 24% of hotels in the U.S. were using a cloud
  •  
    This article is telling us about some advantages of cloud computing in hospitality industry (hotel industry). You won`t need to store any data outside if you invest in Hotel Property Management System (PMS). There are advantages in cloud computing in hotel industry both for hotel staff and guests.
katvillaverde

The forces behind enterprise cloud spending trends | InfoWorld - 0 views

  • However, most companies soon turned bullish on cloud’s role in the new normal of remote work and virtual cloud-based IT. They ended up being right.
  • New forces are at work that will drive the velocity of cloud spending quarter to quarter, and most of those forces are not yet well understood. 
  • The pandemic has highlighted the strategic advantages of cloud computing because cloud can reduce or eliminate many of the risks around the pandemic.
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  • Typical reductions in traditional compute spending are unrelated to those traditional systems being replaced by cloud hosting or software as a service
  • For example, cloud can remove applications and data from enterprise data centers that were vulnerable to quarantine restrictions that companies experienced early in the pandemic.
  • The cloud will continue to grow, although the rate of its growth will vary according to shifts in market priorities
  •  
    The article highlights how global spending on cloud infrastructure has recently picked up since the beginning of the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, many individuals work remotely and there is a bigger market for virtual cloud-based IT. The pandemic has shed light on the strategic advantages of cloud computing. Each quarter, cloud spending will increase but researchers are still studying the forces behind the changes of the velocity of cloud computing and the rate of growth.
aquin206

6 Technology Trends Redefining the Hospitality Industry - 2 views

  • Travelers now prefer self-service over waiting to be served
  • online planning and booking
  • ontactless check-in and
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  • Incorporating technology into day-to-day operations is essential to minimize human error, maximize service efficiency and improve the guest experience.
    • aquin206
       
      Companies must evolve in the world of technology in order to meet customer demands. In effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, travelers now prefer self-service such as contactless check in. The incorporation of this technology, minimizes huma error and maximizes efficiency.
  • Companies must move quickly to meet evolving demands or risk missing the boat.
  • 24/7 digital concierge.
  • Gamification of travel planning
    • aquin206
       
      By using game like templates in their websites, travel companies are able to capitalize on human motivation. When customers able to get rewards, brand awareness, customer loyalty, and revenue are improved
  • As people contemplate their next getaway, hospitality companies can leverage gamification — using game design elements in non-game contexts — to turn travel planning from a chore into a guilty pleasure.
  • companies can capitalize on human motivation.
  • Beyond novelty, using gamification for online advertising is proven to boost data driving, customer loyalty, brand awareness, user-generated content, online engagement and revenue.
  • Virtual reality tours
    • aquin206
       
      Virtual reality tours help travelers to enjoy their future destination before they arrive. They also help with brand experience as they create mental imagery and presence.
  • Through the use of VR (virtual reality), companies can now give first-person digital tours of their space to future guests.
  • VR increases the elaboration of mental imagery and presence, leading to better brand experience,
  • Going contactless
    • aquin206
       
      Contactless check in, mobile keys, and digital payments all increased by 66 percent due to the pandemic. This however, is here to stay as this decreases staff dependency.
  • The adoption of contactless technology like self-check-in, in-room technology, mobile keys and digital payments, increased by 66 percent during the pandemic
  • many hospitality companies transitioned to contactless check-in/out to reduce staff dependency.
  • Chatbot as a digital concierge
    • aquin206
       
      Chatbot is a simple way to meet guest demands 24/7. With FAQ, guests can get an answer to their question in a matter of seconds at any time of the day without needing to leave their room.
  • Hoteliers are scrambling to meet 24/7 guest demands. With fewer staff, chatbots are shifting from luxury to necessity.
  • This means a 24/7 ability to engage users, answer their questions and fulfill their requests.
  • IoT for room control and customization
    • aquin206
       
      IoT allows guests to have a home away from home by personalizing their rooms by changing the color of the lights, temperature, etc.
  • Location-based services
    • aquin206
       
      With location based services, travelers are able to find activities and amenities wherever they are staying. This can offer more intuitive local recommendations without needing staff assistance.
  • IoT technology allows guests to personalize room settings like room temperature and lighting.
  • By seeing a guest's location via their smartphone, hospitality companies can offer more intuitive local recommendations. Without needing staff assistance, guests can instantly access local information, such as the nearest grocery store or the best pub in town.
  • Hospitality tech revolution predictions
  • he hospitality industry cannot expect a return to normal.
  •  
    This article focuses on six trends that are redefining the hospitality industry. These trends are; gamification of travel planning, virtual reality tours, going contactless, chatbot as digital concierge, IoT for room control, and location-based services. Companies must evolve in the world of technology in order to meet customer demands. In effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, travelers now prefer self-service such as contactless check in. The incorporation of this technology, minimizes huma error and maximizes efficiency. Gamification of travel planning: By using game like templates in their websites, travel companies are able to capitalize on human motivation. When customers able to get rewards, brand awareness, customer loyalty, and revenue are improved. Virtual Reality Tours: Virtual reality tours help travelers to enjoy their future destination before they arrive. They also help with brand experience as they create mental imagery and presence. Going Contactless: Contactless check in, mobile keys, and digital payments all increased by 66 percent due to the pandemic. This however, is here to stay as this decreases staff dependency. Chatbot as a Digital Concierge: Chatbot is a simple way to meet guest demands 24/7. With FAQ, guests can get an answer to their question in a matter of seconds at any time of the day without needing to leave their room. IoT for Room Control and Customization: IoT allows guests to have a home away from home by personalizing their rooms by changing the color of the lights, temperature, etc. Location-Based Services: With location based services, travelers are able to find activities and amenities wherever they are staying. This can offer more intuitive local recommendations without needing staff assistance.
  •  
    Hello Alejandra. I really enjoyed reading this article, thank you for sharing! Although I am a germaphobe, and number three (Going contactless) appealed to me on a certain level, the points that stood out to me the most were; number two (Virtual reality tours) and number four (Chatbot as a digital concierge). I am one of the individuals who check reviews of places before I make a reservation but taking the virtual reality tour would give me more assurance of the property because individuals have different expectations and standards so what may be appropriate for them, may not be for me. The Chatbot as a digital concierge is quite convenient for both guests and hotels, hence it will ensure a more comfortable and relaxing stay.
emilywest5

Employees' perception of robots and robot-induced unemployment in hospitality industry ... - 4 views

  • As service paradigm and customer expectations shift from conventional customized and personalized services towards a digitalized service environment, such customer orientation may favor using service robots at scales that could render service employees redundant.
  • Beyond digitalization, other service concepts, such as contactless services with highly reduced human interaction, are becoming more prioritized by hoteliers and consumers
  • The notable exception, Ivanov et al. (2018) denoted that employees might resist working with the service robot as they might see them as a threat, while Lu et al. (2019) believed that collaborating with a service robot can have adverse effects like frustration, discomfort, and confusion for service employees.
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  • However, researchers and practitioners have emphasized the essential role of robots in the service industry have a positive impact on productivity and customer satisfaction (Lu et al., 2019), which directly affect the organization’s structure, culture, decision-making processes, and employment (Xu et al., 2020).
  • Hospitality 5.0 may influence the hotel industry’s high-tech adoption, and during COVID-19 technological use was increased dramatically in hospitality service (Zeng et al., 2020) due to contactless services and safety in customer journey touchpoints (Pillai et al., 2021). Specifically, COVID-19 enhances the use of service robots as a helping hand to provide necessary services to consumers and employees
  • On the other hand, the existence of robots in restaurants may induce some risks (privacy, financial, time, performance, psychological) that can negatively affect the attitudes and intentions of customers (Hwang et al., 2021). Furthermore, robots are perceived as a threat that may lead to unemployment (Vatan and Dogan, 2021) and adverse outcomes due to job insecurity (Koo et al., 2021, Lu et al., 2020).
  • They also showed that employees prefer to work with human colleagues because they should be replaced by human communication and colleagues. However, employees select robots as a replacement when it approaches their employment.
  • According to former studies, robotic advancement directly impacts unemployment; directness’s negative and substantial influence on unemployment is comparatively more significant, specifically during and post-pandemic periods (Du and Wei, 2021). According to Keynes : p-325) (1930), “We are being affected with a new disease of which some readers may not have heard the name, but of which they will hear a great deal in the years to come – namely, technological unemployment.” COVID-19 is one of the main reasons for decreasing employment, whereas increasing the use of robots (Parvez et al., 2021). Therefore, the robot that induces unemployment is a challenging concept.
  •  
    Good Morning Emily, Thank you very much for sharing this article! It is a rather interesting one which will certainly generate varying opinions. Me, from a management standpoint, I believe that robotics does have a place in the workplace (a greater presence in manufacturing and less in customer service). Dealing with humans on a luxury vacation tends to enhance my experience. Honestly, I cannot possibly imagine going on a vacation and not having the opportunity to converse with an employee!
  •  
    This article comes in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and originally stems from keeping people safe by having contactless service. With service robots being so popular during the pandemic they started to take the place of actual humans. This can cause issues in customer service where people would prefer human to human interaction. This article also discusses how humans feel about having jobs replaced by robots and their perception on how they feel about working WITH robots.
armanyleblanc767

Disruptors in the hotel industry | Colliers - 2 views

  • Underpinning this is an intermeshing of technology development, shifts in demographics, and globalisation which has also brought about rapid urbanisation
  • This in turn has led to a change consumers’ expectations and needs
  • Although disruptions are commonly perceived by incumbent players as threats to their businesses, disruptors could also be sources of significant opportunities for incumbent players to create newer and better services as well as experiences for their guests, hence entrenching themselves even more within the industry. 
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  • In addition, whilst this may well serve high volume and ‘business’ hotels,
  • consumers’ increasing desire for personalised experiences is expected to continue for years to come.
  • use of biometric technology such as the facial recognition technology to speed up guests’ check‐in time and thereby improve the customer experience, make processes more efficient and enhance security.
  • By eliminating the process of performing manual checks on travel documents, the amount of check‐in time is expected to be reduced by up to 70%.
  • its use in luxury hotels, where the personal touch matters, may well have to be adapted to ensure it is seamless and less impersonal.
  • use of hotel robots may yield operational and cost efficiencies to hotels, it is however critical that a balanced approach is adopted by hoteliers to ensure that automation does not supplant quality service hence alienating hotel guests as a consequence
  • Voice assistants ‐ such as Amazon Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant – are one of the fastest growing technological fields today, becoming commonplace as a feature of the internet of things
  • According to Hospitality Technology’s 2019 Lodging Technology Study, nearly eight in 10 respondents named voice‐enabled technology as the top choice when asked to identify technology that has the most potential in the near‐future, and 62% of the respondents listed voice technology as a transformative technology that makes an impact.
  • voice assistants could potentially be used by hotels to gather actionable insights and feedback
  • the data gathered can be analysed and utilised to enhance the hotel offerings
  • Separately, hotels could potentially streamline operations processes and thereby improve operational efficiency and achieve cost‐savings through automating some of the daily hotel operations via the voice assistant.
  • The use of robots within the hotel industry is a form of automation that is becoming more prevalent as hotel chains and individual hotels have become increasingly cognizant that the concept of automation and self‐service is playing an increasingly vital role in the customer experience
  • pop‐up hotels have the agility of providing on‐demand accommodation in locations that traditional hotels could not and/or travelers would not necessarily have access or ease of access to alongside customisable accommodation settings, thereby delivering an entire bespoke guest experience.
  • New technologies, online platforms and markets are seen manifesting in new initiatives of all sorts ranging from metasearch engines evolving into one‐stop reservation options, chatbots, and robots providing butler services to alternative accommodation options. 
  • In Asia, Singapore had its first shipping container hotel in operation in January 2020. Targeting millennials as its primary consumers who are more adventurous and looking for an experience
  • Key players of the pop‐up space are predominantly boutique groups although major brands such as Marriot and Accor have started to experiment with pop‐ups
  • applicable
  • it is imperative that hotels recognise and make it a top priority to address these privacy concerns and adhere to the applicable regulations concurrent to ensuring the quality of the stored data and system
  • Check‐in and check‐out services; provision of tourist information; butler service to deliver amenities such as towels; transport luggage; and meal deliveries.  
  •  
    This article discusses some of the technological disruptors in the hospitality industry and provides a couple examples specific to hotels. Some of these examples include pop-up hotels, facial recognition, and robots. The article provides a couple reasons why each of these innovative technologies could be beneficial or negative for hotels. Overall, the article provides some good insight into the future of technology in hotels.
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    This article covered various disruptors in the hotel industry from the check in process down to automation & self service for guests. Implementing facial recognition to speed up check ins for guest, using voice assistants to substitute daily hotel operations, & using robots for automation are all things that can become more prevalant amongst the hotel industry as it may seem more cost efficient.
  •  
    Every year, technological advances are made in each industry, including the hospitality industry. These advances are often seen as threats according to this article, however, they might also pose as great opportunities for the industry and its stakeholders. The article highlights some of the major disruptors in the hospitality industry. Trends such as facial recognition and robots were among those mentioned. I found that both of these trends have negative and positive aspects to them. Facial recognition would reduce the time spent checking in significantly, however guests would still be concerned with the storage of their personal data. Additionally in regards to robots, they aid in operational efficiency in check in and check out services also but they could possibly omit the human touch factor of certain roles that guests appreciate.
shineal

Hospitality Digital Technology: Challenges, Priorities and Buzzwords | - 4 views

  • With the explosion of the “digital way of life”, the customer journey has become increasingly complex, forcing hoteliers overhaul not only their corporate and marketing strategies, but also their technology stack in order to engage, acquire, service and retain these digitally-enabled travel consumers across multiple digital touch points and across all digital channels and devices.
  • Today’s hospitality is being transformed into a 100% digital technology-enabled industry powered by online, mobile, cloud, IoT, AI and blockchain tools and applications.
  • there are two categories of guest-facing digital technology:
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  • Today, the vast majority of hoteliers are primarily focused on and investing in Guest Services Technology, while underinvesting in Guest Engagement, Acquisition and Retention Technology.
  • Guest Services Technology
  • Guest Engagement, Acquisition and Retention Technology
  • cloud hosting and CDN (Content Delivery Network) provides far better server response times and faster download speeds.
  • In other words, hoteliers’ technology focus and investments end where the OTA focus and investment begin.
  • With nearly 59% of online travelers now visiting the hotel website from mobile devices,
  • a mobile-first website design is a must.
  • Mobile-first responsive website with
  • Today’s hoteliers must create and manage a robust digital presence and engage, acquire, service and retain travel consumers in this increasingly mobile-first world.
  • Quite often different teams at the property use different sets of data in their day-to-day operations, creating a total “data integrity mess,” which directly affects the property’s guest acquisition and retention efforts.
  • They must understand and invest in digital technology and marketing that enables the best possible user experience, provides the best customer service, increases efficiencies and boosts revenues.
  • From a technology perspective, the challenge to hoteliers is to create a hotel and room environment that at least matches but preferably exceeds their guests’ home environment. In other words, hotel and room technology, amenities, and features should be the same or better than what guests already enjoy at home. These include:
  • The future of this technology is the Smart Guestroom which will be completely personalized to guest preferences and loyalty member profile.
  • “Imagine a world where the room knows you, and you know your room.”
  • Hoteliers are overwhelmed by the amount of technology, data, and digital marketing silos and the need to work with multitude of vendors in their guest acquisition and services efforts.
  • Each team has its own technology tools, databases, and vendors which are not in communication with the other teams.
  • These are the major impediments to the industry becoming a digital technology-driven and technology-savvy industry:
  • Reluctance to invest in digital technology:
  • Antiquated accounting in hospitality:
  • The technology and data fragmentation in hospitality
  • Unlike hoteliers, the OTAs are focused exclusively and investing only in Guest Engagement, Acquisition and Retention Technology since they do not have to worry about on-property technology and guest experiences.
  • Recently, an independent hotel introduced room service delivery robots, which would have been great if the rest of the hotel tech stack were in order, and if it weren’t for the 6-year old property website, and absence of any CRM technology.
  • Hotels should first focus on the fundamentals of the technology stack before implementing more advanced things.
  • The U.S. hospitality industry is a $155 billion industry. This provides endless opportunities for smart technology vendors to thrive and service the industry with state-of-the-art solutions.
  • The industry needs fewer, as opposed to more, technology vendors servicing the industry.
  • The industry has a “vendor deficit disorder” in the sense of being overwhelmed by the number of tech vendors and solutions out there.
  • Hoteliers need to monitor, proactively inquire about and familiarize themselves with the Next Generation Technologies that are already making their way into hospitality, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Voice Assistants, Chat Bots, Robotics, and Blockchain.
  • Over the next 3-5 years we will witness wider adoption and implementation of the following next gen technologies:
  • Hoteliers must wake up to the fact that by being primarily focused on and investing in Guest Services Technology, while underinvesting in Guest Engagement, Acquisition and Retention Technology, they are allowing the OTAs more visibility to engage, acquire and retain the online travel consumer.
  • Unlike hoteliers, the OTAs are focused exclusively and investing only in Guest Engagement, Acquisition and Retention Technology.
  • Digital technology is making its way into every aspect of the industry: hotel operations, guest services and communications, revenue management, distribution, CRM and marketing.
  • Today’s hotelier must understand, know and use digital tech solutions in their everyday environment, and be able to assess, evaluate, recommend and acquire technology solutions to improve guest satisfaction, operational efficiencies and productivity, customer service and revenue.
  • Website Technology: The property or hotel brand website has become the gravitational center of all hotelier’s efforts to engage, acquire and retain the customer. Any marketing efforts of the hotel today lead the potential customers to the hotel website. Today’s website technology includes cloud-based Content Management System (CMS), comprehensive merchandising suites, reservation abandonment tools, personalization pricing and content, technical SEO, cloud hosting, and robust analytics suite
  • The goal here is very clear: bridge the guest data and technology silos in hospitality and create an end-to-end solution, empowering hotels to acquire new guests, engage current guests, and retain past guests by combining digital marketing, website, and CRM data into one cohesive marketing and personalization platform.
  • The “digital way of life” adopted by today’s tech-savvy travel consumer is forcing the hospitality industry to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies and become a 100% digital technology-enabled industry.
  •  
    The article covers a great deal of the technology products in all of the hotel aspects. it also focuses on the fact that hotels are investing a lot in offering technological tangible services to the clients where must shift its focus a bit and invest more in the guest engagement technology to close the gap between them and OTAs.
  •  
    Hospitality is being transformed into a 100% digital technology-enabled industry; however, it is very challenging to maintain. Employees are overwhelmed by the amount of technology they need to lear to do their job efficiently
  •  
    This article focuses on the fact that technology is now being used in almost every aspect of the hotel industry. This is because hoteliers are beginning to understand that guests are expecting to enjoy the same level of technology used in the comfort of their homes when they are at hotels. Therefore, hotels that are more technologically advanced are more empowered to satisfy guests' technological needs, but the information collected by the hotels' systems also enables the hotels to acquire new guests, engage current guests and retain past guests; as such, there are benefits to both the hotels and guests when the level of technology offered is updated.
emilywest5

Automation and artificial intelligence in hospitality and tourism | Emerald Insight - 0 views

  • Human knowledge, services and robotics applications were the most significant factors influencing automation and AI implementation. Practitioners and researchers in the hospitality and tourism industry could apply the proposed framework to develop sustainable strategies for implementing and managing automation and AI. The proposed framework may also be useful in future studies examining AI implementation in the hospitality and tourism industry.
  • Smart technologies like automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have become important elements of hospitality and tourism
  • Hospitality and tourism firms use smart technology to dynamically enhance consumer experience (Buhalis and Sinarta, 2019). Smart hospitality and tourism have provided opportunities for firms to enhance their operations and productivity, resulting in higher quality products and better processes for delivering services to customer
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  • Although hospitality and tourism organizations have already implemented smart technologies such as AI and robotics into their business activities (Epiknetworks, 2018), the companies adopting them are still limited owing to the individual, organizational and external environment barriers.
  • Researchers still need to engage better, investigate and understand these nascent developments (Murphy et al., 2017), and limited studies have examined the implementation challenges.
  • Technological development plays a vital role in tourists’ decision-making processes. Digital technologies and cyber-physical systems may even act as extensions of a tourist’s self (Stylos, 2019). Several researchers have focused on the importance of including AI in tourism education (Murphy et al., 2017) and to be prepared for technology shifts in their industry
  • They also suggested that employees in the hospitality and tourism sector should study robot design and machine learning to link changes in technology to the international tourism industry.
  • In future, tourism will take place in a robonomic economy and tourists will demand a high-touch service experience
  • The use of smart technologies such as chatbots usually receives positive feedback and the benefits of this technology outweigh the challenges (Buhalis and Yen, 2020). The advancement of novel technologies involves a process of knowledge management, including maintenance, disruption and change. This needs the integration of technologies and institutions and results in the growth of new values and services (Vargo et al., 2015).
  • Service providers need to think critically about how AI applications in hospitality and tourism might affect people’s use of the service. They should also consider what needs to be changed to ensure that robots and employees work together seamlessly to augment the service experience (Buhalis et al., 2019). Smart technologies and AI could disrupt services in the hospitality industry, altering customer engagement plans and expectations (Helkkula et al., 2018).
  • Hospitality software has moved from local to server-based to Web-based to cloud-based platforms (Leung, 2020). The future smart infrastructure with high-speed networks enables efficient data exchange amongst databases in real time and therefore immediate service (Buhalis and Sinarta, 2019)
  • Technologies tested in previous studies have been improved by highly interactive systems, increased capability and a more user-friendly interface, so examining perceived interactivity of technology has become more important for advanced robot acceptance models (Go et al., 2020). Ivanov et al. (2019) stated that robotics was not introduced early to the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, because of the complexity of human reactions to customer needs.
  • Customers must experience feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction interacting with the robot. Customer attitudes are shaped by experience, and employee skills depend on education and training, as well as the company’s needs (Ivanov et al., 2019). Robots are expected to eventually overtake humans for cognitive tasks, with human input only required for duties requiring empathy and emotion
  • Intelligent agent technology is one of the most useful methods for supply chain management because it combines social ability, intelligence and collaboration (Alsetoohy and Ayoun, 2018). Alsetoohy et al. (2019) claimed that current procurement practices lack coordination and proactivity between suppliers and buyers, intelligent tools for finding suitable suppliers, performance evaluation and automation
  • By pairing robots and humans, service delivery can be optimized, leading to increased productivity and reduced costs
  •  
    This study was about adoption and automation of AI in hospitality. It gives great insight on the process as well as what people think of AI and their opinions. In addition to that, this study goes into different techniques that were used to understand how and why AI should be implemented. Human interaction cannot be beat, along with personal touch and humans can't remember everything a computer can, but if you have robots and humans working together you can get the best of both worlds. Smart technologies are now and the future.
peacejj22

Tipping your server makes sexism worse, whether you intend to or not | Mashable - 0 views

  • Tipping your server makes sexism worse, whether you intend to or not
  • Federal tip minimum wage has been frozen at $2.13 since 1991, even with raises made to non-tipped wages.
  • Though some states mandate a higher minimum wage for service employees, many servers are stuck living on this extremely low wage, often left with few paycheck dollars after taxes.
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  • While there are laws in place meant to ensure that servers get at least federal minimum wage by requiring employers to make up the difference if a server isn’t tipped enough during their shift, workers often report this isn’t the case.
  • And, even if it is, even federal minimum wage isn’t a livable wage in the majority of states.
  • “Any tipped employee, male or female, is on a stage,”
  • “[Servers] have to act in a certain way in order to receive those tips," Kitterlin says. "That being said, of course that opens an opportunity for women and men in our industry to feel that they have to accept certain levels of harassment -- be it sexual harassment or any form of rude behavior from guests.”
  • “We need to be careful of how we go about doing that because we have historically been a country where tipping culture serves as a huge motivating factor for employees. Our employees feel more driven to give good service in order to make a good tip.”
  • For many women in the restaurant industry, the fastest way to prevent only barely making bills is to enhancing their “performance” through appearance. Jessica tells Mashable servers “wear what we can get away with wearing,” because a push up bra and tight shirt often means more tips. It’s service industry sexism at work -- and Jessica knows that.
  • I don’t want you to grab my ass. I want you to tip 20% or 25%
  • 90% of women in the restaurant industry report experiencing some form of sexual harassment while on the job.
  • “I’m spending all my day helping people who have $70 to spend on food, but I can’t barely afford my own,” Jessica says. “How messed up is that? I watch people go out, eat and they will spend $30 on an entree. I got paid $30 all day in wages -- and you just spent that on one entree.”
  • “People will be like, ‘I thought we just raised minimum wage? Don’t you get 10.50?’” she says. “No, not us. We got left out. We always get left out.”
  • “It’s to get more tips, but it’s kind of opening the door -- especially in our industry and culture,”
  • “There is definitely value in considering the elimination of tipping,”
  • Without the "motivating factor," your server may not have nightmares about serving a too-cold-entree.
  • “I don’t think it’s right that people in America are getting paid $2 and change to do any job,” she says. “I don’t think it’s right. I didn’t have to live with it being in California -- I could just kind of forget that most of the nation is making nothing.”
  •  
    This article is in essence about the broken tipping system within American culture today. The title in my opinion is a bit exaggerated but is truthful nonetheless. People within the service industry are being horribly mistreated by being underpaid and forced to rely upon tips for wages. The issue with this is that specifically women are being forced to dress skimpy and act a certain way (possibly flirtatiously) In order to possibly get better tips. With their salary being on average around $2 an hour, without tips they are being forced to live far below the poverty line. So, it's not tipping that makes you inadvertently sexist, it's that tips contribute to woman acting in a more appealing way to male customers in order to pull the standard tip percentage (20% to 25%).
mguzm071

2022 Top Hospitality Industry Trends - 1 views

  •  
    "Major technology firms will replace most hotel brands, because they can offer technology solutions and create markets to attract customers. The traditional hospitality industry will evolve into niche markets..." -> This quote from this article is able to summarize where this industry is headed in just a few sentences, but the article as a whole was able to pinpoint the top trends that this industry will have faced in 2022 due to the rapid changes that had to be made due to the COVID-19 pandemic which we still face today. Such as sanitation and other safety protocol that is still enforced. Companies have had to adapt because of this to make up for their lack of revenue. For example, "This means that hospitality venues are being used as make-shift offices for bleisure travelers, as well as locals seeking a change of work environment. This is a great opportunity for hotels and F&B venues to capitalize on the trend and adapt their offering to meet the needs and wants of this emerging segment; ample plug sockets, free high-speed WIFI and great coffee are good starting points." The author of this article stated that the number of guest book long term trips have decreased, but when it comes to reserving hotel conference rooms as office space, staycations have increased with this transition. "Videos providing 360-degree views of restaurant ambiance, café terraces enveloped in greenery or hotel beachfront locations, for instance, are just the ticket to make an establishment stand out this year. As ever, keeping the access threshold low is key to reaching as broad an audience as possible with virtual reality material: making content accessible on a variety of devices, without the need for a VR headset." Another point made in this article mentions how virtual reality is now being used to enhance the customer experience. As a personal observation this has also helped with the transition post Covid-19. The changes that have been made and implemented and have opened the door fo
jsmiranda22

The Future of Restaurants in 2022 & Beyond | SevenRooms - 1 views

  • what’s next for the restaurant industry? Which innovations and restaurant consumer trends will we see next? What will guests expect from restaurants, bars and nightlife venues?
  • Guests will expect moreThe digital experience will be more important than everConvenience will be a top priority for dinersOnline ordering is here to stayAutomation will be key to scaling hospitality effortsData will be critical to retaining guests
  • Guests will have high expectations, but restaurants will have a difficult time meeting them due to rising food costs, shifting pandemic-related situations and labor shortages. 
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  • 54% of guests believe that an online reservations system is the most important technology feature a restaurant can offer.
  • customers crave convenience, and they will continue to expect it in the years to come.
  • Personalized convenience is a restaurant consumer trend the hospitality industry will see in 2022 and beyond. Future-proof your restaurant:
  • Future-proof your restaurant
  • Online ordering is here to stay. If your restaurant doesn’t offer convenient takeout and delivery options, you can bet that your customers will satisfy their cravings with your competition.
  • In the very near future, automation will not only help restaurants keep up with demand and daily operations, but it will also help them do things that just aren’t possible otherwise
  • When you have information about your guests – such as their dining history and preference
  • You will be able to attract them with targeted marketing offers that speak to those habits and preferences.
  • Diners will crave a level of hospitality that not only gives them what they want, when they want it, but that also personalizes offers and makes it easier for them to decide when to make a reservation or what to order
  •  
    This article briefly describes predictions in trends for the future of restaurants in 2022 and beyond. The most commonly used trends to implement are: -Higher expectations in guest satisfaction -Digital platforms for things such as online reservations -Personalized convenience to feature relevant products to the consumer -Online ordering that offers both takeout and delivery -Automation in operations and marketing such as the usage of customer relationship management (CRM) -Guest data to target market offers
sherylehlers

IRIS Launches New F&B Solutions to Personalise the Digital Ordering Experience and Leve... - 0 views

  • According to the findings of the 2022 report by Oracle and Skift, “Hospitality in 2025: Automated, Intelligent…and More Personal” the majority of hoteliers (81%) expect to see a strong shift in the service model. In reality this means an increase in guest demand for operators to adopt mobile-first technology that offers choice and convenience.
  • Now operators have the option to build and manage their own digital wine lists which can also be used with the IRIS Flat Menu layout, removing the need for a physical menu.
  • Guests will also be able to see how much has been paid by each person in the Order History, making it easy to split amongst large groups.
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  • ”These features focus specifically on improving staff efficiencies and personalising the guest experience. Whether that's reducing the need for physical staff presence, providing guests with clear answers to common questions, or making it easier to manage bills and payments, our goal is to provide F&B ordering solutions that satisfy the guest’s needs and add value to their stay.
  •  
    The enhancements of ordering food & beverage by this improved app will help to reduce the need for staff and provide a more personalized experience for guests. It offers the ability to manage new revenue streams for example wine sells can be sold as a glass that were not a previous option unless ordered with a staff member. There are endless possibilities of using this app with other hotel departments as well.
cborregomarsh

Cloud Computing Continues to Transform Hospitality - RTInsights - 1 views

  • Just like databases in the early 90s allowed hotels to manage large numbers of reservations and requests efficiently, cloud solutions offer the chance to remove common frustrations and frictions across the entire ecosystem.
  • Reduce cost: Cloud services allow hospitality industries to pay only for the services they need. Cloud computing also puts smart building management into reality, as well as facilitating projects and maintenance.
  • Improve experiences: Cloud services also provide flexibility in services by allowing staff to operate from anywhere, as an example. Guests also receive the same flexibility to manage their needs from anywhere.
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  • Build responsive infrastructure:
  • Cloud Security
  • Cloud reliability The hospitality industry wants to know that they aren’t adopting another solution that will prove obsolete in just a few years.
  • Even if it’s no fault of the establishment, customers will remember frustration reconciling a bill or having to wait a long time for check-in. The cloud adds a layer of protection against minor hiccups in their experience.
  • Personalize guest offers: Captured data offers a wealth of information. Cloud computing helps hoteliers and other hospitality organizations provide customized experiences and responsive, convenient services.
  • Cloud computing can offer a seamless experience to customers while reducing obstacles to service from the staff side.
  • The Airline was able to improve customer service by providing an instant response to various customer requests and reducing wait times.
  • Pre-arrival: Cloud services capture data from the moment guests first interact with the company or service. The hotel, for example, can make a note of what services or rooms the customer looked at and offer suggestions for upgrades.
  • Arrival: When guests arrive, their information is saved and ready for each member of staff. This offers personalization right from the beginning.
  • The stay: Knowledge of previous stays provides insight into customer preferences. A hotel may address mistakes right from the beginning or identify missed opportunities. Personalization continues with upsell offers that happen as the customer continues to interact with the business.
  • Departure: Not only does the cloud enable a frictionless checkout experience with no surprises, but it can also follow up afterward to continue to nurture relationships and reward loyalty.
  • Preparation: Following guest stays, businesses can enable targeted follow-up. Cloud computing can also handle things like predictive maintenance to reduce downtime, especially during peak seasons.
  • The Hilton made use of cloud computing to monitor all locks within its properties.
  • It’s only one instance of the Hilton’s shift to cloud computing. It has digitized rooms and created a type of mission control for everything from entertainment to ordering room service.
  • Cloud services can offer the full security expertise with automatic updates that the hospitality industry needs to keep information secure.
  • The cloud provides a real end-to-end solution for hospitality that brings back the excitement of travel. In an industry facing stiff competition, this type of solution could be a differentiator for success.
  • Companies can choose a provider familiar with the nuances required for hospitality excellence and reap the benefits of an end-to-end experience.
  • Cloud services allow hospitality industries to pay only for the services they need.
  • Cloud services also provide flexibility in services by allowing staff to operate from anywhere
  • Moving to cloud operations also allows the hospitality industry to scale.
  • In that case, cloud services allow a smooth transition with a central line of communication.
  • Cloud computing helps hoteliers and other hospitality organizations provide customized experiences and responsive, convenient services.
  • cloud solutions offer the chance to remove common frustrations and frictions across the entire ecosystem.
  • rigidity causes issues in connectivity and service. When the internet goes out, or a system goes down, operations cease.
  • Staff can work from anywhere, change devices if necessary, and mitigate the risk of lost or unsecured information.
  • The Hilton’s Room Lock Problem
  • The American Airlines Integration Challenge
  • The space continues to evolve, offering new ways to ingest, process, and protect customer data. And it’s this free flow of data that will allow the hospitality industry to move into the new era of the industry.
  • Use of cloud computing in hospitality continues to evolve, offering ne
  • w ways to ingest, process, and protect customer data.
  • cloud solutions offer the chance to remove common frustrations and frictions across the entire ecosystem.
  • Cloud services also provide flexibility
  • Cloud services allow hospitality industries to pay only for the services they need.
  • operate from anywhere,
  • cloud services allow a smooth transition with a central line of communication.
  • provide customized experiences
  • Staff can work from anywhere
  • he cloud adds a layer of protection against minor hiccups in their experience.
  • security is built-in.
  • Cloud computing can offer a seamless experience to customers while reducing obstacles to service from the staff side.
  • personalization right from the beginning.
  • address mistakes right from the beginning or identify missed opportunities. Personalization continues with upsell
  • handle things like predictive maintenance to reduce downtime
  • this type of solution could be a differentiator for success.
  • It has digitized rooms and created a type of mission control for everything from entertainment to ordering room service.
  • reducing wait times.
  •  
    Cloud computing has come a long way. The hospitality industry is quickly incorporating cloud computing services for guest satisfaction and productivity of employees. The article shares several real life examples where cloud computing were beneficial.
  • ...2 more comments...
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    As we know, cloud computing is becoming the new norm and is the future for technology but is also transforming the hospitality and tourism industry. Cloud computing allows the hospitality industry to improve travel experiences, provide personalized offers, and also helps the industry reduce cost. With so many advantages, there are some cons of cloud computing that may pose as an issue such as the security and reliability that comes with using cloud computing. However, the pros outweigh the cons and if cloud services can overcome those barriers, the hospitality industry will reach new heights not seen in previous years. With the implementation of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, it will provide a travel experience like no other from start to finish, literally.
  •  
    This article discusses the impact that the integration of cloud computing has had on the operations and growth of the hospitality industry as a whole. Companies are optimizing their usage to help them carry out daily tasks while using data and sharing to provide the best guest experience possible. The article also goes into detail regarding the steps being taken by companies to prevent data theft and downtimes. One aspect of the post that I found to be extremely interesting was how it walked me through the integration of cloud computing in every step of guests' stay from pre-arrival to departure.
  •  
    Cloud computing is the future whether businesses want it to be or not. With the growth of technology, we need to embrace one tool that is become very developed, cloud computing. It gives more efficiency to businesses who need to know more about their clientele and also can provide information and data that humans could never do. It gives a more personalized experience to each guest while organizing data much faster than on a excel sheet that stuff have to manually update. It improves experience and reduced cost for business as well. It allows information to be reached anywhere and business can be taken home or traveled with. It brings a new level of security to businesses and customers and allows more flexibility in service in the hospitality industry.
  •  
    Cloud computing transforms hospitality by a offering seamless experience to customers while reducing obstacles to service from the staff side. It also offers individualized, quick solutions in an industry that is highly competitive.
smend120

Advantages Of Cloud Computing For Hotel Industry - 5 views

    • abroo041
       
      This article is discussing the benefits of using cloud computing in the hospitality industry, specifically, in hotels. With all cloud computing, the biggest overall benefit is that users no longer have to stress over attempting to maintain their data on their own. This article also goes into detail on how cloud computing can cut costs, improve guest experiences, promote direct booking, and allow industry professionals to work remotely.
  • Now, businesses don’t have to burden themselves by storing data in traditional in-house servers; rather, they can opt for a cloud service that would store their data in secured data centres.
  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS)
  • ...33 more annotations...
  • By making use of cloud computing, as a hotelier, you pay only for what you demand. It specifies that your upfront costs are kept low as you are only paying for the computing power and cloud storage which your hotel actually needs.
  • The need for hardware overload in your hotel is brought down, because of which your electricity bills are also reduced by a huge margin.
  • also shortens the project time resulting in costs cutting and higher productivity.
  • An added advantage of cloud computing is that it frees your staff from their otherwise fixed terminals and lets them work independently and even more efficiently.
  • increased in the speed at which the guests access the products and services, thus only creating seamless hotel experiences for them.
  • Also, one of the major benefits is the real-time update — it makes the process much smoother and cheaper, and saves a lot of time.
  • However, when you put your hotel process and management on the cloud, it provides you with the flexibility to access it and work on it from any part of the world — all you need is a steady internet connection and a smart device (a laptop, or a computer, or mobile phone or tablet.)
  • When it comes to the benefits of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, the list includes enhanced guest experiences, massive reduction in costs, faster services and their seamless access, software and service security, and more flexibility.
  • cloud computing has transformed businesses
  • hospitality industry, cloud computing has done wonders
  • reshaped the structure of the industry
  • from increasing operational efficiency to lowering the management costs.
  • better guest experience and increase the revenue of the property.
  • ringing down costs like energy, hardware and operations
  • increasing inclination towards the use of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, they don’t need to always rely on travel agents all the time
  • hotel check-ins can be done from smartphones or tablets
  • cloud computing has transformed businesses
  • cloud-based services are now replacing the old and traditional systems at all levels. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS) have all become the first choice of cloud computing services for many hospitality businesses. And they are all charged up with the amazing benefits of cloud computing.
  • Over the past few years, cloud computing has transformed businesses from across the world, irrespective of their industry. Today, the demand anytime, anywhere access has skyrocketed, and cloud computing is delivering just that — all you need is an internet connection with good bandwidth.
  • businesses don’t have to burden themselves by storing data in traditional in-house servers; rather, they can opt for a cloud service that would store their data in secured data centres.
  • There are several benefits of using the cloud and they have helped several hotels across the world to strengthen up their business — from increasing operational efficiency to lowering the management costs.
  • Advantages Of Cloud Computing For Hotel Industry
  • In the hospitality industry, Cloud Computing is a mixture of PaaS, SaaS and IaaS. It operates on the model of Use, Builds, and Migrate.
  • By making use of cloud computing, as a hotelier, you pay only for what you demand. It specifies that your upfront costs are kept low as you are only paying for the computing power and cloud storage which your hotel actually needs.
  • Hoteliers Can Cut Huge Business Costs With Cloud Computing
  • cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by bringing down costs like energy, hardware and operations. The need for hardware overload in your hotel is brought down, because of which your electricity bills are also reduced by a huge margin. Cloud computing in the hospitality industry also shortens the project time resulting in costs cutting and higher productivity. Hence, if you shift your software services to the cloud, your hotel business would witness a significant number of opportunities.
  • Cloud Computing Leads To Improved & Enhanced Guest Experiences
  • The two main purposes of an efficient and effective hotel PMS are: offer the hotel staff the best set of management tools assist you to ensure the top-notch guest experience
  • An added advantage of cloud computing is that it frees your staff from their otherwise fixed terminals and lets them work independently and even more efficiently.
  • Being on the cloud also means that hotel check-ins can be done from smartphones or tablets and not only through the hotel front desk.
  • Direct Bookings Are Made Easy With Cloud Computing
  • There was a time when hotels used to payout huge commissions for bookings to the online as well as offline travel agencies. However, with the increasing inclination towards the use of cloud computing in the hospitality industry, they don’t need to always rely on travel agents all the time. Hotels can upgrade their hotel website with cloud-powered services such as web booking engine that can be integrated to the hotel PMS. Also, one of the major benefits is the real-time update — it makes the process much smoother and cheaper, and saves a lot of time.
  • Cloud Computing In Hospitality Industry Makes Working Remotely Possible When you as a hotelier is not present in the property, managing the operations gets a little tougher. However, when you put your hotel process and management on the cloud, it provides you with the flexibility to access it and work on it from any part of the world — all you need is a steady internet connection and a smart device (a laptop, or a computer, or mobile phone or tablet.)
  •  
    Cloud computing makes sense to work business in a cloud setting. The article states that Cloud computing has "transformed businesses" throughout the world. We learned that a disadvantage of Cloud is the dependence of Internet connection. With Cloud computing, you can share and store data. This can be a better way to run business. We have learned that Cloud computing is more scalable, secure, and reliable. Cloud computing cost less, and you can pay for what you need. Cloud you can customize what you need, to your specific needs. The article even mentions it "lowers management costs." Unlike unintended PMS, which can require maintenance, and be highly costly. We discussed in our video lecture from this past week, how hotel check-ins are being done from smart phones- as this article includes. This is beneficial for enhancing guest experience, and increasing the speed of check-ins. Travel agents have their own way of how they conduct themselves, their business, and the services he or she provides. However, the article shows how with Cloud computing, you would not need to depend on travel agents. Furthermore, Cloud computing can increase sales and revenue for a hotel property. Cloud computing is replacing traditional PMS system's and have a multitude of benefits.
  •  
    Hoteliers today are joining in on the trend of the use of cloud computing. Some benefits of cloud computing include the increase of operational efficiency, lowering management costs since the hotelier only pays for what they demand. Energy costs and hardware operation costs are also decreased. It allows for hotel check ins to be done via smart phones and tablets and not just at the front desk upon arrival, and it also allows for hotels to not have to rely on travel agents all the time for bookings which saves them having to pay commission to travel companies.
  •  
    No matter the industry, cloud computing has changed organizations all around the world in recent years. Today's need for access at any time and from any location has soared, and cloud computing is supplying it. All you want is a reliable internet connection. Businesses might choose a cloud service that would store their data in safe data centers rather than burdening themselves with traditional in-house servers to store data. At all levels, cloud-based services are now taking the place of outdated and conventional technologies. Many hospitality firms now use cloud computing services offered by infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS). And they are all fired up with the incredible benefits of cloud computing. Cloud computing can benefit hoteliers by driving down costs like energy, hardware, and operations. Your hotel's requirement for hardware overload is decreased, which significantly lowers your electricity costs. The hotel sector uses cloud computing to speed up projects, which reduces costs and increases efficiency. An efficient and effective hotel PMS will help you to ensure that your guests receive a first-rate experience and will provide the hotel employees with the best set of management capabilities. Another benefit of cloud computing is that it frees your personnel from stationary terminals, allowing them to work more independently and productively. Due to the cloud, guests may now check in at hotels using their smartphones or tablets as well as the front desk. Working remotely is possible thanks to cloud computing in the hospitality sector. Managing the business becomes a little more challenging when you, the hotelier, are not on the premises. However, putting your hotel management and operations in the cloud gives you the flexibility to access and operate on them from any location in the world.
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