The report suggests that 2010 is a critical year of transformation for the hospitality industry if it is to meet the challenges of the next decade.

The report highlights four key areas that will be vital drivers of growth for hotels in the future. These include the guest experience, globalization, brand value and performance agility and speed-to-market.

The report, commissioned by Amadeus Hospitality Solutions, was developed by John Burns, President of Hospitality Technology Consulting, the leading strategic consultancy to the sector.

The objective of the report was to provide insights into the major changes taking place in the sector and to better understand the hallmarks of success for global hotel groups in the new economy.

Jérôme Destors, Director of Hotel IT at Amadeus said: “We commissioned this report to further understand the strategic business issues facing our customers. It is clear that 2010 must be a year of transformation for hotels. We also believe it must be a year of transformation in hospitality technology.

“Whilst ensuring that technology is the handmaiden of business strategy, we are focused on providing hotels with the tools they need to leverage brand value across global business operations, to support them as they expand globally and transform the guest experience.”

Burns said: “2010 will not see a return to business as usual. We are entering a ‘new normal’ following the structural changes of the last ten years and the financial upheaval of the last eighteen months. This requires hotels to fundamentally assess their commercial strategy and consider all aspects of their business afresh.

“The dramatic convergence of market trends, structural changes in the sector and technology developments offer hotels the opportunity to reinvent how they do business. The hotels which will thrive in this new era will be those that demonstrate both business and technology agility.”

2010: A year of transformation

The report details how 2010 can be a year of transformation if hotels focus on how the industry and guest preference are changing.

The report dives into the relationship between guests and hotels, which is becoming more complex as guest knowledge and expectations increase. Globalization is also taking on a new course as growth markets influence the hospitality map; how can an hotelier capitalize on this trend whilst not losing control?

Further to this, the changing hotel ownership structures are impacting on the importance of brand value, and the ability to maximize it. Will this become a critical business issue and a core point of differentiation?

Finally, being able to respond dynamically to these changes in the market will be one of the most important attributes of a successful hotel group. The report investigates how hotels must look at ways in which they can future-proof their technology systems so that they can focus on getting the business decisions right rather than having to rely on the supporting technology.

To download a full copy of the white paper, visit www.amadeus.com/hotelit/white-paper.html

Photo: View of Singapore skyline from a room at the Marina Bay Sands, which will have its grand opening on July 23.

Featured image credit (set of Isometric Buildings): Ockra/iStock