Why Guests Increasingly Expect Contactless Hospitality

What Is Contactless Hospitality?

Contactless hospitality refers to the practice of using technology solutions to augment the guest experience at a hotel. These solutions are commonly referred to as “contactless” because they do not require any in-person interactions between the guest and a hotel’s staff members. 

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Given the experience of consumers worldwide, it’s easy to see why contactless hospitality was a significant focus for many hotels during the height of the pandemic. However, what’s interesting is the degree to which consumers have adapted to this new way of engaging with businesses, including those in the hospitality industry. 

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Why Does Contactless Hospitality Matter Post-Pandemic?

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Once cemented, new consumer behavior can be a pretty stagnant thing. Generally people only adopt new modes of doing business in two ways: slowly over time through the normal slow course of technology progression, and quickly all at once due to some kind of earth-shattering event. COVID-19 was just such an event as outlined in the latter. 

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Recent industry reports and research make clear that these types of solutions are indeed increasingly popular with guests. For example, a July 2020 Oracle Hospitality and Skift Research Report indicated that 71% of guests are more likely to stay in a hotel that offers self-service technology. Additionally, a recent Deloitte study showed that 60 percent of travelers are more likely to stay at a hotel that allows contactless check-in and the ability to use a smartphone as a room key.

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Essentially, COVID accelerated what would otherwise have been a decade’s worth of tech adoption into only a year or two. And consumer behavior will never be the same.

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How Can Hoteliers Create a Contactless Hospitality Experience?

There are a variety of technology platforms and solutions available on the market today that enable hotel management teams to create a contactless hospitality experience. However, not all are created equal. 

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A truly wholistic contactless hospitality experience will include a few key attributes:

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• A contactless hospitality experience begins before a guest ever sets foot onto the property and enable them to check-in and request any upgrades remotely
• Contactless experiences leverage web-based technology to provide guests with a seamless way to engage with a property without the need to download a native app
• Contactless hospitality enables guests to be more independent during their stay and yet still engage with the property easily a key touchpoints in the guest journey

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What Technology Solutions Can Enable a Contactless Hospitality Experience?

There are a few key types of solutions that are essential for hotels looking to create a contactless hospitality experience. 

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These technology solutions include:

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• Contactless Check-In
• Contactless Checkout
• Guest Messages
• Dynamic Upsells 

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Each of the above types of solutions enable a hotel to accommodate the needs of their guests without the need to ever have face-to-face conversations. 

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Let’s now take a brief look at each one in a little more detail. 

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Conclusion

There are a wide variety of technology tools that can be used to create truly contactless hospitality experiences, which are still in high demand from everyday consumers. However, there are a few tech tools that are absolutely essential to the formula. These include, Contactless Check-In, Contactless Checkout, Dynamic Upsells and Guest Messages. These form the backbone of any strong modern guest experience and future-looking hotels would be wise to include them ASAP.