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Disruptors in the hotel industry | Colliers - 2 views

www.colliers.com/...y-disruptors-in-hotel-industry Hospitality hotel software business tech travel solution mobile green
shared by armanyleblanc767 on 26 Aug 21 - No Cached
  • 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. 
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • 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.  
  • svail001 on 26 Aug 21
     
    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.
  • acole066 on 21 Jun 22
     
    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.
  • armanyleblanc767 on 16 Jan 23
     
    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.
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What will ChatGPT mean for the travel industry? | PhocusWire - 1 views

www.phocuswire.com/t-mean-for-the-travel-industry travel industry AI chat technology hospitality hotel
shared by amcqu004 on 15 Jan 23 - No Cached
  • ChatGPT (which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a free artificial intelligence chatbot that has incredibly human-like communication skills (and a fee-based premium version in development)
  • Microsoft is reportedly considering a $10 billion investment in ChatGPT owner Open AI according to multiple media outlets.
  • Because of this, tech companies are seeing value in data-driven personalization solutions and ChatGPT fills that need. It can help save companies time and money to allocate resources to solve more complex and specific problems.  
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • With a large dataset already in place, integrating this technology into our platform could hyper-personalize search results for travelers and supports our vision of offering open-ended, flexible search options. 
  • saved more than eight million hours in agent time, allowing travelers to resolve issues faster with self-service. 
  • but the technology is still in a relative state of infancy
  • ChatGPT really captured everyone's attention when it launched,
  • - it's already dividing opinion with responses that can range from entertaining and creative to glaringly inaccurate
  • It's too early to say whether the likes of ChatGPT can truly emulate those very human instincts.
  • First, people need to recognize that it's not generating anything new as much as scraping and regurgitating the internet
  • Every single tour operator, even single hotel, every transport company now has the same opportunity to be as productive as a company much bigger than themselves. I see that as a commodity – everyone has access to it therefore, in some ways, where’s the value. But it’s the most productivity-enhancing thing I’ve ever seen. 
  • However I don’t think that’s the real impact. I think that’s just the start of the game. Once AI starts to get into the actual experiences – not just tour experiences but hotels, airports… the ability to speed up and enhance the actual experience, especially in something that is not a good experience at the moment like an airport, is going to be quite dramatic.And the real game changer... is once the general public has it, it changes everything. You are a tour operator, and you create itineraries. The consumer can now do exactly the same thing as you and do it in real time. And 1,000 people can create 1,000 different experiences tailored to what they like. So the creation of a travel experience on the ground, which tour operators have dominated, is going to be disrupted by travelers being able to do it themselves. 
  • it’s not the live data, it’s not up to date, the facts may not be 100% and it doesn’t have geolocation.
  • The weakness at the moment is it’s only scraping data through 2021. So
  • This could make entirely new businesses or it can destroy businesses.
  • will save hundreds of thousands of dollars on freelance costs, so there's big disruption to come.
  • For basic service copy – simple product descriptions, basic articles, email campaigns, that sort of thing, it's going to be very useful for brands and very painful for content creators.
  • There’s some interesting use cases that we hope to explore such as improving automation and responses for common customer service requests through chat (and eventually even speech and video), as well as concierge-like services to recommend travel destinations, create personalized itineraries and the like.
  • . So there are issues with accuracy and truthfulness, and it needs human expertise to fact-check the output.
  • ChatGPT might herald a revolution in automated content creation, but I also think it could create a new premium for genuine human expertise too.
  • ChatGPT has been trained with information existing until end of 2021. Travel is a super dynamic category where this morning’s information is no longer relevant a few hours even minutes later. Inventory availability, prices, category of rooms/seats/cars change by the minute. You need good old-fashioned technology like CRS, WBE, RMS, etc. to handle these dynamics, not ChatGPT.
  • Google can provide a much better AI-powered chatbot than ChatGPT that spews much better answers in milliseconds, but how are they going to make money?
  • Specific to ChatGPT, I believe that this technology will eventually be used in conjunction with a brand’s own content, in addition to the internet as a whole, so that it can be trained and customized by the brand to answer questions.
  • What’s also really interesting is how this once again demonstrates that the most disruptive innovations often come from outside the travel industry.
  • ChatGPT is gaining that trust in its ubiquity and daily usage, so I think travelers could be much more likely to accept its itinerary recommendations without nearly as much research and shopping around. This has implications for human agents too.
  • amcqu004 on 15 Jan 23
     
    ChatGPT is a new technology that is hoping to take over the travel industry. It is an AI product, similar to google, which will generate answers to questions that travelers may have via a chat service. It is meant to replace tour guides, travel agents, and concierge experts and can either save business time and money, or create chaos and the need to speak to an expert human instead. Like all technology products, there is always room to improve and grow in the initial stages, and not all roles are better off being completed by a computer, rather than a human. Although AI may have access to more information at a quicker pace, and may even be able to write better than most people, some companies believe that the possible errors and inaccuracy provided by ChatGPT will make content creators and human expertise way more valuable. ChatGPT accesses data from 2021 and prior, which means it is not current and up to date. This is a major flaw that will need to be improved.
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IATA - Radio Frequency IDentification - 0 views

www.iata.org/...rfid Technology hospitality software business tech travel solution mobile airlines
shared by henderson_goh on 24 Jul 22 - No Cached
  • henderson_goh on 24 Jul 22
     
    Highlights: -RFID for baggage tracking provides the data that allows airlines to efficiently track the bag through all airport processes. -With IATA's Resolution 753 now in effect, airlines have started to implement baggage tracking. -IATA recommends the use of the RFID technology, which is much more effective that the bar code technology mostly in use currently. -RFID also meets passenger expectations for real time tracking of baggage.RFID uses -Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data that uniquely identifies each bag. -RFID does not require line of sight to the bag, and so can identify many bags at once. -The most common type of RFID used in the aviation industry is passive Class 1 Gen 2 Ultra High Frequency (UHF).
  • henderson_goh on 24 Jul 22
     
    Summary: This article talks about Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system in the aviation industry. The aviation industry uses RFID system to track checked baggage throughout the airport. This system is endorsed and strongly recommended by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Many air travelers also appreciate this system because it gives them real time tracking of their baggage. They normally able to do so via the airline's application on their smart phones or tablets. The passive ultra high frequency RFID is the most common type of system used in the aviation industry.
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5 ways AI and robots will affect future travel | Flash Pack - 1 views

www.flashpack.com/...bots-will-affect-future-travel AI travel agent hospitality hotel software
shared by llibe010 on 08 Nov 22 - No Cached
  • We accepted driverless trains very easily – London’s DLR, for example, has been trundling around without drivers since 1987. Driverless cars we’ve been more sceptical about, but seem to have made peace with their inevitability (aids for human drivers like lane assist are pretty much standard in every new car). But if either of those concepts blows your mind and/or has you feeling a little uneasy in the pant department, just wait until you board a pilotless aeroplane! That’ll feel completely fine, right? But it will almost certainly happen – it kind of does now, to an extent
  • The Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas uses two robot ‘butlers’ to deliver room service. This Chinese company claims to have created an AI receptionist. Even hotel mega-giants Hilton experimented with a Watson-powered robot concierge called Connie
  • an omnipresent army of artificially intelligent travel agents who can find the perfect holiday for you, powered by deep learning and a vast collective knowledge of everything travel-related except what it feels like to get sunburnt
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  • recognition, be it facial or cornea or fingerprint, could soon be your way through passport control: it’s already being trialled at Changi airport in Singapore
  • You might have heard of smart cities. Super-connected, intelligently-planned urban conurbations aimed at making life an absolute dream, both now and in the future, through the use of technology
  • And while ‘more planes’ doesn’t sound very environmentally friendly, that AI technology can be used to make all kinds of transport more efficient. Fewer empty planes and trains, less stacking over airports, more intelligent planning of onboard catering (no more fish dishes = less food waste IMO – who eats them?) – it all helps the goal of green tourism
  • llibe010 on 08 Nov 22
     
    The article discusses 5 potential use cases of artificial intelligence with a focus on travel and hospitality. The first example is of driverless vehicles and airplanes and the second speaks of AI receptionists and robot concierges. Other examples include AI-powered travel agents that use deep learning and create customized holiday packages for guests in the future. Biometric recognition as a replacement for passports has also been discussed along with using AI for green tourism. In general, the article highlights the role of AI technologies in improving travel efficiency and sustainability while acknowledging that there are pitfalls and that these technologies still require years of development.
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Augmented Reality in Hospitality Industry - Augray Blog - 0 views

www.augray.com/...eality-in-hospitality-industry augmented reality hospitality technology
shared by ajean132 on 09 Nov 22 - No Cached
  • New technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality are reshaping the industry. The growing competition in the hospitality industry, as well as the need to stand out, is driving the industry to adopt cutting-edge technology.
  • Using Augmented reality technology in hospitality industry makes the customer experience interactive and immersive.
  • Not having a proper view of the hotel room can hinder their reservation-making process. Thus many hotels, resorts, and third-party websites now provide a 360-degree view of their rooms, properties, and various amenities, making the booking process simple and decisive
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  • Help guests find their way through the hotel with ease. Whether they’re trying to find the pool or spa, or choosing which restaurant to eat at, augmented reality enhances this experience by scanning an image of a map to find their way within the resort. 
  • When your guests are waiting to be checked in or out, awaiting their ride, or simply waiting for their food to arrive, you can keep them engaged and entertained by having them scan a QR code and transporting them into an immersive experience using Augmented Reality.
  • In the post-pandemic world, many restaurants and hotels avoid keeping physical menu cards to reduce the spread of germs and infections. Traditional menu cards have been replaced by 2D menu cards that can be viewed on smartphones after scanning QR codes. This reading of a simple menu card can be made fascinating by incorporating AR technology. Creating a mesmerizing menu card enables the customers to visualize the food they will eat before they place their order.
  • Give your guests the chance to know the history and meaning behind the art. This allows the visitors to learn about the culture and story behind the paintings and sculptures. By placing a QR code beside the painting or sculpture, the guests can scan it and view the story behind it in an attractive 3D manner
  • ajean132 on 09 Nov 22
     
    This article shares opportunities for the introduction of augmented reality in the hospitality setting. These modernized methods will allow hospitality properties to stand out from competitors. Guests will also have an improved experience with this technology in place.
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THE MATERIALS ECONOMY(A LINEAR SYSTEM) - 0 views

technologystudent.com/...matecon1.html
shared by CHARLENE ESCOE BARNETT on 16 Jun 22 - No Cached
  • The Materials Economy is a production system that dominates our manufacturing world. It is a system that starts with the extraction of raw materials from the ground and their processing into usable materials. This is followed by the refined materials being used to manufacture products in factories (called production)
  • The environment is damaged by the Materials Economy. The extraction of raw materials from the ground, damages the environment and causes pollution and physical scars on our planted. The manufacturing processes create further environmental damage, in the form of atmospheric pollution. The dumping of waste materials and the use of energy produced by fossil fuels, also contribute to environmental damage. The distribution of products, releases CO2 gases into the atmosphere, as lorries, ships and planes burn the fossil fuels, required to transport the products, from the factory to the retailer and then to
  • ed on renewable fuels, such as hydrogen or electricity (produced by wind, sea, solar and biomass). Local manufacturing rather than remote manufacture, dramatically reducing our carbon footprint / pollution. A system totally focussed on the long ter
  • CHARLENE ESCOE BARNETT on 16 Jun 22
     
    This article outlines the linear cycle of the Materials of Economy, explaining each step and bringing to a close the number one issues, the damage to he planet and ultimately the people.
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How Cruise Travel Is Sailing Into a Sustainable Future | TravelPulse - 0 views

www.travelpulse.com/...into-a-sustainable-future.html green travel cruise sustainable
shared by Danaisy Abascal-Yero on 13 May 22 - No Cached
  • Danaisy Abascal-Yero on 13 May 22
     
    This article emphasizes the different methods and approaches cruise ships are taking to become more sustainable in the future. They are doing so by pursuing innovations like renewable resources, regenerative travel, providing energy solutions, and more. They are seeking to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. One of the methods described in the article is that cruise ships are now integrating liquified natural gas (LNG) fueled ships which produce zero sulfur emissions and reduce greenhouse gases by 20% when compared to regular ship fuel. Cruise lines have already started to introduce this kind of innovation to newer ships. Ports are also taking initiatives to become greener by having solar-powered terminals, smart waste separation, electric transportation, etc. Cruise lines are also working with organizations like the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to make sure that culture, environment, and destination laws are enforced and protected.
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Is Sustainability Green Washing or Green Blushing in the Hospitality Industry? - 1 views

www.traveldailymedia.com/ng-in-the-hospitality-industry sustainability hospitality industry green
shared by mandalysha on 20 Feb 23 - No Cached
  • As more travelers have become aware of sustainability and its benefits, many sectors within the hospitality industry such as travel, hotels, airlines, transportation, retail, etc tend to modify their products to be sustainable
  • Annually, $218 billion of food is wasted in the United States. That represents roughly 1,250 calories per person, per day
  • the hotel industry annually produces 13.6 million tons of waste per year that including soaps, detergents, plastic bottles, and cups, etc
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Whereas hotels focus on efficiency and cost reduction on large scale, for instance, many hotels have removed their keycard systems for check-in and check-out because it’s a plastic card and replaced it with contactless check-in using guests’ smartphone apps
  • many countries have come up with recycling measures in place where hotels such as Marriott International, Accor, Hilton, IHG, etc are aware and adhering to recycling procedures. Hence, marketing campaigns and programs such as zero waste, and net zero by 2050 concepts have been introduced by many hotels
  • electric vehicle charging stations are added for guests with electric or hybrid cars which acts as a competitive advantage for many hotels globally
  • automation and AI are used significantly where hotels have become futuristic in big cities. For example, the hotel room automatically turns off all electricity if the guests leave the room, and smart showers limit the length of showers to a pre-set time, alerting users when their time is almost over
  • hotels have also introduced solar panels, energy Star-rated heating, and cooling systems, water recovery and recycling systems, etc
  • mandalysha on 20 Feb 23
     
    With travelers becoming more aware of sustainability and its benefits, many sectors within the hospitality industry are modifying their product to be sustainable. Using green computer technology like contactless check-in rather that key cards which overproduces plastic for the key cards used. Hotels are also using automation and AI like having an automatic power shut off when a guest leaves their room and smart showers limiting shower length.
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Experts at Davos 2023 sound the alarm on cybersecurity | World Economic Forum - 0 views

www.weforum.org/...ity-storm-2023-experts-davos23 Hospitality Technology Cyberattacks Internet
shared by deranique on 26 Feb 23 - No Cached
  • 2023 will be a consequential year for cybersecurity.
  • "There's a gathering cyber storm,"
  • "This storm is brewing, and it's really hard to anticipate just how bad that will be."
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • cyberattacks such as phishing, ransomware and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are on the rise.
  • Cloudflare
  • a major US cybersecurity firm that provides protection services for over 30% of Fortune 500 companies
  • "There's been an enormous amount of insecurity around the world,"
  • "I think 2023 is gonna be a busy year in terms of cyber attacks."
  • Experts warned that cyberattacks are increasing in sophistication and frequency.
  • “This is a global threat, and it calls for a global response,”
  • “This is a global threat, and it calls for a global response and enhanced and coordinated action,” Jürgen Stock, the Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL),
  • “The key to winning the battle against cybercrime is, of course, to work together to make it a priority across the geopolitical fault lines.”
  • This concern has been raised particularly around critical infrastructure sectors like energy, public transportation and manufacturing. SecurityScorecard, a US cybersecurity rating and analysis firm, reported recently that 48% of critical manufacturing companies surveyed were at significant risk of a cyber breach.
  • “Vulnerabilities within the critical manufacturing sector haven’t gone unnoticed by cybercriminals either,” said Aleksandr Yampolskiy, SecurityScorecard's CEO.
  • The Forum's report also notes that the potential targets for cyberattacks are increasing. Today, targets include not only government agencies or major corporations, but largely any organization that handles consumer data—no matter how small.
  • There is no such thing as a hundred percent security. It's about resilience in the face of insecurity.”
  • “
  • Consumers, too, need to increase their cybersecurity awareness in 2023, experts say.
  • As more things get connected to the internet there's just more risk. ”— Matthew Prince, Cloudflare CEO
  • Zero Trust approach to cybersecurity, which creates a framework that eliminates implicit trust and ensures that any user—even those who are supposed to be inside an organization's network—is authenticated and validated at every turn.
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The Top 6 Cyberthreat Actors: Today's Most Active Groups - 1 views

blogs.blackberry.com/...the-top-6-cyberthreat-actors
shared by mattiebell on 26 Feb 23 - No Cached
  • ALPHV is a relatively new and rapidly growing cybercrime group. First observed near the end of 2021, the ALPHV group gained attention for innovative extortion tactics, and unconventional attack methods.
  • To date, BlackCat ransomware has struck retail, financial, manufacturing, government, technology, education, and transportation, across a range of countries that includes the U.S., Australia, Japan, Italy, Indonesia, India, and Germany.
  • Some of the ransomware it utilizes includes Cobalt Strike, Mimikatz, and AdFind. One of the most dangerous aspects of APT29 is that they have been known to develop their own set of custom tools for hacking campaigns.
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  • TA505 is a significant player in the global cybercrime scene, and has been a driver of global trends in the cybercriminal underworld. The group targets education, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and retail worldwide. It is also known for its long-term cyberattack lifecycle, sometimes persisting in a target's network conducting reconnaissance for weeks — even months — successfully avoiding detection as it patiently identifies the highest-value targets in the victim’s environment.
  • mattiebell on 26 Feb 23
     
    This article discusses the most active cyber threats that exist today. I chose this article because it highlights a topic many industry leaders aren't aware of. Many view cyber attacks as crimes of opportunity, which they often are. However, we have to remember that there are also dedicated groups who are committed to acquiring data they shouldn't have. Knowing these groups, their signs, and what industries they target can help create a stronger team and plan to protect against them. These are especially common in hospitality and retail.
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Digital Transformation in the Hospitality Industry | Boston Hospitality Review - 0 views

www.bu.edu/...on-in-the-hospitality-industry hospitality software technology
shared by mmoutsatsos on 31 Jan 22 - No Cached
  • We are now experiencing the fourth industrial revolution, a period marked by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and fifth-generation wireless technology.
  • The recent Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this digital transformation resulting in a widening technology-mediated customer experience.
  • Service robots are “system-based autonomous and adaptable interfaces that interact, communicate, and deliver service to an organization’s customer” (Wirtz et al., 2018, p. 109).
  • ...46 more annotations...
  • The core interactive and communicative features differentiate service robots from other self-service machines, which result in unprecedented human-technology interactions in the hospitality industry.
  • he service production process, disinfection robots, which emit UV light to kill viruses and bacteria, were announced to be used in airports and hotels worldwide to ensure a safe and clean environment (Greg, 2020).
  • The robots drive around autonomously in high-touch public areas and select rooms at the hotel, removing all airborne viruses and bacteria. As an extension of the hotel’s “SmartStaySafety” operation, the use of UVD robots not only provides a safe environment but also assures guests that they are being protected. 
  • In
  • the service delivery process, service robots assist frontline staff in a sequence of service encounters. For instance, the robot concierges assist employees with guest greetings upon arrival, transporting luggage, guiding guests, and delivering room service.
  • service robots can effectively respond and interact with guests, even in multiple languages. 
  • While robots make significant contributions to operational efficiency, they also raise concerns.
  • Service robots are still novel in hospitality. Their ability to cope with unexpected, dynamic conditions remains to be fully explored.
  • If guests do not follow the pre-set route, service robots may fail to respond, which can lead to a service failure.
  • AI-powered online chatbots are also employed to provide swift answers to customers via live chats.
  • provide customers with immediate responses 24 hours a day, significantly improving customer engagement.
  • customers believed VR simulations would be the best tool for hospitality operators to create a compelling customer experience.
  • VR can make a huge difference in a customer’s booking stage.
  • Through the digitally accommodated environment, customers can have a much clearer sense of what they are expecting, thus attracting more prospective customers.
  • VR application is the virtual tour video,
  • This not only offers customers a chance to experience prior to booking, but also allows the hospitality business to benefit from the “try before you buy” marketing strategy. 
  • Unlike VR, which puts customers in a completely virtual environment, augmented reality (AR) is about enhancing the physical environment and the experience of exploring one’s surroundings in real-time.
  • The current applications of AR in hospitality are largely for entertainment and practical purposes.
  • One example is the Best Western Hotel Group’s experiment with AR and Disney stars.
  • Another application of AR is indoor navigation
  • Internet of Things (IoT) refers to “an ever-growing network of connected devices which communicate with a central server as well as with each other” (Car et al., 2019, p. 163).
  • IoT provides integrated services, such as automated door locks, light switches, electric blinds, and voice-assistant devices, which are connected on a network.
  • These allow customers to control or monitor their devices from a central server, such as a mobile phone or a tablet. 
  • For example, customers can use their mobile phones for self-check-in and check-out.
  • Rooms also become “smart” with the help of IoT, which is also called the “connected room” at Hilton hotels.
  • Customers can also use voice-controlled assistants, for example, the Amazon Alexa, to control those in-room features, and order food or drinks, which can be delivered by autonomous delivery robots.
  • In addition, devices, such as luggage carts with GPS function and sensors in the parking lot, can help customers to locate their luggage and cars. Thus, IoT helps improve service processes and makes customer experiences smoother.
  • It obtains real-time data through continuous tracking from various devices, as well as a collection of customer information that was previously unavailable, such as preferences, routines, and habits (Marek & Woźniczka, 2017).
  • there are several emerging issues that hospitality practitioners must take into consideration when embracing digital technologies, which include security, privacy, costs, and human touch in hospitality. 
  • IoT with locational information can send real-time personalized recommendations to customers based on their stored preferences.
  • IoT can collect customers’ preferences for in-room features, and the data can then be used to customize the room settings for their next stay.
  • Security is a fundamental issue in digital transformation in any industry, including hospitality.
  • Also, t
  • he broad connection of various devices brings vulnerability to digital networks.
  • Thus,
  • hospitality managers must prepare for security implications of digital transformation, which can be accomplished by adopting high-security technologies to reduce software vulnerabilities, building resources to mitigate risk of cyber-attacks, and training employees on cyber-attack prevention.
  • Privacy is another important factor as highly personalized services rely on storing and tracking customer preferences and behavior through digital technologies.
  • a transparent, strict, and clear privacy policy clarifying what data can be collected and shared, and who can own the data, is necessary.
  • Another challenge is associated with the high costs of employing these digital technologies.
  • For small businesses, using digital technologies in their daily operations may require significant upfront investments.
  • it is becoming critical for hospitality businesses to consider what digital technologies would most benefit their business.
  • for small hospitality businesses, they need to prioritize what works best for them when adopting digital technologies.
  • the paradox between digital convenience and in-person experience.
  • hospitality, particularly in fine dining restaurants, customer-staff interaction is highly valued by customers.
  • it is important for hospitality businesses to strike a balance between digital convenience and in-person experiences
  • Key considerations include judging what services cannot be replaced by digital tools, preservation of the choice for customers to decide between digital or human services to maximize customer experience, and incorporation of interactive digital features in the process.
  • mmoutsatsos on 31 Jan 22
     
    This article talks about the current applications of 3 innovative technologies and how they are used in the hospitality industry.
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