How can small independent hotels, with limited resources, survive in the world of hospitality where the big are getting bigger and the small are being eaten up?
“Technology is the answer,” says Jack Tan of IdeaWeaver Consulting, who shared 10 tips at the recent WIT Indie in Penang on how independents need to get smarter with technology.
1: Have a website, make sure it’s mobile responsive
Make your website mobile responsive (Image credit: Daviles’iStock-Getty Images.
“If the website is not mobile responsive no one can read it; therefore no one will book on the hotel’s site. It’s cheap and easy to fix this problem. And it helps with your Google search and ranking too,” says Tan.
Keeping the contents up to date, especially pictures, are important too.
2: Promotions and rate parity
Manage your rate parity properly
“Get a channel manager that works. Reliability is better than how many OTAs it is linked to,” says Tan.
“Some say they have their own channel managers. Be careful as some are white labelled, meaning they use someone else’s technology and just brand it as their own.”
As an example, he illustrates in the above photo how many hotels don’t manage their rate parity properly and “they complain OTA is getting all the bookings.”
3: Be Instagram-able
The Insta360 ONE – simple solution to create story with 360° views
“Don’t just create content, create story with 360° views,” and it doesn’t need to cost the property an arm and a leg to do that. Citing the Insta360 ONE, described as “the world’s easiest-to-use and most versatile 360° camera”, he said this was a simple solution for independent hotels to create their own stories without having to pay an entire film crew to do it.
4: Don’t waste money on apps
No value in apps for independent or small chain hotels (image credit: Grassetto/iStock-Getty Images
Tan’s advice to independents is not to waste money creating apps. “For an independent hotel or very small chain, there’s no value to this. You end up not using it, you waste money promoting it, no one downloads it, you can’t keep up with OS version changes, and no one is able to maintain it with the relevant content.”
5: Use technology that’s currently in your hotel
Use WiFi login screen to pomote services
An example is the WiFi login screen. Use the splash page to promote the property’s room service, or your spa. “It’s free advertising space”, Tan points out.
6: Smart TV as a sales tool
The room’s smart TV can be used a marketing tool (Image credit: milindri/iStock-Getty Images)
The smart TV in the guestrooms is another avenue to sell. Tan advises hoteliers to look outside of Malaysia or the region for the best solutions.
He cites Zafiro, the IPTV system for hotels, as a marketing tool to transform boring hotel channels into something that’s interactive.
“And if linked to your PMS it can become a tool for a specific target audience (personalised advertisements) based on the guest’s profile (in the PMS). For example, showing the appropriate content based on time the TV is switched on, the gender of who is in the room, the nationality, etc. You create those rules.”
Among the hotels using Zafiro to enhance their TV offerings and get additional ancillary revenues are Hotel ICON in Hong Kong and Double-Six Hotel Seminyak in Indonesia.
7: Digital room controls
In-room digital controls make guests happy (Image credit: scyther5/iStock-Getty Images
Have digital controls for the rooms. Guests will be happy as they don’t have to search for the switches. The end result is also good reviews for the hotel.
8: Use of robotics
AURA in M Social Singapore delivering room amenities to a guest (Image credit: Millennium Hotels and Resorts)
Many hotels are using robotics for cleaning, room deliveries, etc. The 293-room M Social Singapore, part of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, introduced the first Front of House Autonomous Service Delivery Robot early last year to its guest services team. AURA (Automated Room-service Associate), as it is called, is a robot that is able to find its own way around the hotel to deliver room amenities such as linens and bottled water to guests. Developed by Savioke, it is a robotic solution to the hotel industry’s manpower shortage and a great way to increase productivity within hotels.
Jack points out that using robotics will give the property a lot of media attention and Instagram/Facebook posts. “It’s totally gimmicky. That’s what you have to pay for free press releases these days. Be the first or among the first to use robotics.”
9: Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality
AR or VR – hoteliers decide which technology best suit them (Image credit: NicoElNino/iStock-Getty Images)
There’s a lot of hype over these two technologies. Hoteliers must decide which one better suits their needs, but Tan says AR does a better job exposing the product well as there’s layering of information against an existing image.
10: “Re-use your towels” message is so yesterday
Go beyond the dirty towel reuse message and go green (Image credit: franz12/iStock-Getty Images.
That “towel” message belongs to the past. Guests know you’re doing it to save costs too. Instead, use ecologically sustainable products and solutions.
“Take advantage of using such messaging for your hotel besides promoting comfortable beds. Be different.”
Bonus Tip: Excellent customer service
Concludes Tan, “The last tip is a low-tech tip. Actually, it’s a no-tech tip that can help you increase revenue. This is a simple solution, hard to do but achievable — and that is to invest in training and provide excellent customer service.”
