IoT solutions are the future of the hospitality industry. Skillful implementation of this rising technology can both increase guest satisfaction and improve the workflows of your staff. How, then, can hotels implement IoT technology? What, exactly, is IoT technology within the hospitality industry?
Read on to learn about what falls under the umbrella of hotel IoT solutions, why this rising technology is so important, and six key solutions hotels are already implementing within their property.
- What are Hotel IoT Solutions?
- The Importance of Hotel IoT Solutions
- 6 Key IoT Solutions for Hotel Guest Rooms and Beyond
What are Hotel IoT Solutions?
Hotel IoT solutions refer to the wide range of hospitality innovations using IoT — or internet of things — technology. Internet of Things encapsulates the entire network of physical objects (“things”) designed to connect other devices and systems to the internet. In turn, hotel IoT solutions include any number of solutions enabled by IoT devices.
The Importance of Hotel IoT Solutions
Hotel IoT solutions are already dominating the hospitality industry, and will only continue to grow in importance. According to Research and Markets, the global smart hospitality market is expected to grow from $14.3 billion in 2022 to $18.31 billion in 2023. As the market expands, hoteliers need to ensure their properties remain on the cutting-edge.
Beyond keeping up with other industry-leaders, hotel IoT solutions also offer immense benefits for hotel guests. Technology can both drive guest retention and promote future bookings, while stronger internet connection at large can enhance the guest experience in numerous ways. For both meeting industry standards and enhancing guest experiences, hotel IoT solutions are essential.
6 Key IoT Solutions for Hotel Guest Rooms and Beyond
There are endless opportunities for hotels to implement IoT technology, from front desk services to larger facilities. Here are a few specific IoT use cases found across hotels.
Smart Locks & Keyless Entry
Amidst the bustle of travel, guests can easily lose their metal or card-based keys for traditional room locks. In turn, front-desk staff need to scramble for extras — wasting staff time and hotel resources, while increasing hotel waste and costs. Worse yet, guests may lose their keys after hours, causing additional hassle for guests and staff alike.
Installing smart locks with keyless entry ensures that guests are never without room entry. Lock systems integrated with mobile entry allow guests to enter rooms with their phones, far harder to lose than a smaller keycard. Some smart locks increase accessibility even further by offering a passcode-triggered keypad, leveraging IoT technology to reset the code for each guest and requiring no physical device whatsoever to enter.
Contactless Check-In
Like smart locks, contactless check-in offers a technology-driven way to streamline guest experiences and reduce manual processes for front-desk staff. Rather than waiting in long lines, guests can check-in to their room via an email or text link. For rooms with mobile or keyless entry, check-in becomes as simple as click.
Increased Smart Room Sustainability
Guest room utilities impose a massive cost for hotels. According to Energy Star, the average American hotel room spends $2,196 per available room each year on energy — with a large chunk of that spend coming from wasted temperature and lighting costs when guests leave the room and forget to switch utilities off. Beyond expenses, unnecessary utilities also lower sustainability within properties, wasting resources and potentially dissuading guests looking for more environmentally-friendly options.
IoT-driven smart rooms cut down on energy costs and increase sustainability by shutting down utilities when guests aren’t using them. Hotels can install movement and temperature sensors that automatically turn off when detecting a lack of use. Additionally, via IoT integration, hotels can track exactly how much energy they save.
Streamlined Maintenance Processes
Maintenance in hotels tends to be archaic, manual, and inefficient. Traditional maintenance requests are often reported over the phone or in-person, rather than through a more structured system. Additionally, most hotel maintenance is reactive not proactive; issues are solved after they have impacted guests.
Automated maintenance helps hotels fix maintenance needs before they diminish guest experiences. Online systems can track when toilets, showers, temperature units, and more were last treated, and send updates to staff when it’s time for a refresh. Additionally, staff can use sensor devices to check various maintenance needs and send alerts as needed.
Guest Engagement Via Personal Devices
From smartphones to laptops, nearly every hotel guest carries some sort of IoT-enabled personal device throughout their stay. Skillful use of these connected personal devices can encourage use of hotel amenities & services by both passive and active means.
Carefully constructed hotel social media campaigns can entice guests to explore your property and take full advantage of your offerings. Marketing coordinators can implement amenity giveaways, hashtag campaigns, and photo opportunities to encourage guest interaction with both your account and your property.
Hotels can also directly interact with guests via push notifications sent across touchpoints in their experience. Booking reminders, check-in options, special offers, surveys — all can be sent straight to guest devices, keeping them connected throughout their stay on your property.
Overall Stronger WiFi Network Access
Although IoT devices require reliable internet access to function, they can also greatly help hotels improve the strength of their WiFi. Devices can help hotels track signal strength throughout their venue, detecting dead-spots and areas for improvement. IoT technology can also support hotel network security, protecting the information of hotel guests and staff.
Harness Reliable Hospitality Internet With Hospitality Network
Implementing IoT solutions within your property streamlines operations for hotel staff and encourages guests to take advantage of your amenities to the fullest. For these solutions to consistently function, however, hotels need to ensure they have reliable internet access, supported by powerful network infrastructure.
Hospitality Network is a trusted provider of WiFi solutions to hospitality businesses across the spectrum — including hotels of all sizes. Request a consultation today and prepare your property for the next wave of hospitality IoT technology.