
Industry leaders will surely agree, 2019 has
represented an exciting time for hospitality. On what seems to be an
unrelenting path to innovation, hotels around the globe are implementing
critical operational make-overs, while guests are leading the charge for
enhanced convenience and personalization. Modern guest loyalty is earned, not
given, and despite any initial challenges associated with ever-evolving
traveler demands, the momentum felt across the industry is undeniable. In fact,
it’s now been a decade since the economic recession, and over the last decade, US hotel gross bookings grew from $116 billion to over $185 billion. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, travel and tourism is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
As emerging technology and trends continue to transform our policies,
processes, and platforms rapidly, we can’t help but notice that the hospitality
industry of today is a far cry from that which existed decades ago. This positive
momentum begs the question, which of today’s technologies will shape tomorrow’s hospitality? Which pivotal shifts, have
positioned us to reach heightened standards of service? What key trends have
steadily reshaped our industry, and will continue to do so as we head into a
new decade?
The 3 Most Influential Tech Trends
1. The Era of Mobile Connectivity
The demand for mobile functionality, across both guest-facing and staff-facing hotel platforms, has reached a fever pitch. The convenience and autonomy associated with mobile applications is paramount to a hotel’s efficiency, success, and approval. That being said, digital technology that simply scratches the surface, isn’t enough. Guests have high expectations for all interactions spanning across their travel experience, whether delivered through offline or online channels. Let’s consider the following:
– 81% of travelers want greater digital
customer service from hotel brands
– 66.7% of millennials (who will account for more than 50% of all global hotel
guest by 2020) plan their trips on mobile devices
– Up to 64% of millennials book hotel rooms on their smartphones and 97% of
millennials post their holiday pictures on a social media platform
– 60% of consumers are more likely to choose a smartphone-enabled hotel
Even further, Skift reported that the most important conclusion from the J.D. Power and Associates North America Hotel
Guest Satisfaction Index Study was for hoteliers to “pay more attention to
mobile.” Hoteliers are tasked not only with the responsibility of providing
guests a unique, memorable travel experience; but also an experience that is
closely intertwined with each guests’ accustomed lifestyle. Ultimately, this
should come as no surprise. Technology has long since disrupted our lives, and
as such, it becomes a vital component of the hospitality experience. Hotels
that utilize mobile apps and functionality have higher guest satisfaction.
The same proves to be true for staff experience. Although historically, the
emergence of new technology has made hospitality staff nervous, it’s
increasingly imperative that hotels provide their employees with the
technological support required to keep pace with guest expectations. Staff
members who are accustomed to navigating user-friendly, convenience-driven
mobile apps are likely to adopt mobile-centric technology that serves to
simplify their job and enhance productivity with ease. After all, if we have
abandoned manual, cumbersome processes across all other aspects of our lives,
why should those still apply within the context of the hospitality experience?
The use of mobile technology can truly streamline the guest and staff
experience in equal measure.
2. Artificial Intelligence and IoT
As our industry becomes increasingly influenced by emerging technology trends,
hospitality requires a unique mix of person-to-person interaction,
tech-supported automation, and self-service formats. Considering the many
repetitive tasks and operations at work behind the scenes, it comes as no
surprise to witness the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT
(Internet of Things). As described in a recent report by Deloitte, robotic and cognitive automation (R&CA) processes can range from
simple bots that perform high-volume, repetitive tasks to machine learning
functionality that helps hoteliers to automate subtle, complex, and often
broken processes.
IoT, in particular, refers to internet connectivity within everyday devices and
appliances that have not typically had such capabilities. Leveraging IoT
functionality, hoteliers can turn standard hotel rooms into ‘smart rooms’ that
offer guests a variety of connected devices, including thermostats,
voice-activated assistants, and more. This breeds an environment of
personalization and preference-based service, as the guest can control many of
the room’s
features from their mobile phone or a provided tablet. It also means that every
electricity-powered device in a hotel will be able to provide information on
its health, durability, usage, and efficiency.
AI technology, on the other hand, can not only help to automate operational tasks (such as answering frequently asked questions), but can also engage in meaningful conversation in the form of digital chat-bots, or AI-powered concierge. Studies show that 70% of guest requests are now handled automatically by AI-enabled technology in hotels where it has been implemented. Even further, AI-enabled technology has shown to improve guest response and problem resolution by 33%. Not only that, but 89% of hoteliers agree that AI significantly reduces operating costs in the customer support function.
Beyond service improvements, this technology also provides hoteliers unprecedented access to valuable, data-driven insights. With the increasing demand for hyper-personalization, getting to know each guest on a more personal level through their digital behavior is undeniably essential.
3. Blockchain: An Emerging Advantage
At seemingly every hospitality event this year, industry leaders exhibited a vested interest in the discussion of blockchain technology. Blockchain is a public ledger, or list of encrypted digital records, where transactions are recorded anonymously and permanently. This technology allows the highly secure transportation of information from one point to another. In short, it’s a way to move information from one point to another in a highly secure manner. From a hospitality perspective, the use of blockchain could empower heightened security standards and fraud protection for hotels while helping to eliminate third-party costs.
Although the technology is still in the early
stages, 2020 will represent a pivotal time for the implementation of blockchain
solutions.
The 3 Most Impactful Partnerships/Acquisitions
2019 has also been a momentous year for partnerships and mergers which directly
influence the hospitality sector. Following a rather tumultuous 2018 for
M&A, leaders expected the focus would shift towards more private deals with
smaller platforms.
1. Shiji is Leading the Acquisition
Charge
Since 2016, Shiji has spent $141 million on acquisitions and investments across ten tech companies, including
StayNTouch, Snapshot, ReviewPro, MyCheck, and more. Most recently, Shiji paid
$13.5 million to wholly acquire IcePortal, which helps hoteliers manage the
digital imagery of their properties and display them correctly on distribution
partners like online travel agencies.
2. Ctrip & TripAdvisor Partnership
Trip.com Group Limited, which was formerly
known as Ctrip.com International Ltd., and TripAdvisor recently announced an
expanded partnership and joint venture. The two companies have also reached an
agreement to offer TripAdvisor’s content on Ctrip’s major products, including
Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar.com.
3. Airbnb Acquired HotelTonight
This May, Airbnb made its biggest purchase to date in order by acquiring HotelTonight, a last-minute boutique hotel booking platform. This marked Airbnb’s effort to branch directly into the hotel space and cover more ground. Airbnb also achieved a record milestone in 2019, exceeding Expedia in booked nights.
Airbnb also made headlines recently by partnering with the International Olympic Committee to expand the availability of
housing in host cities. The deal means that Airbnb housing will be made
available for visitors and workers, reducing the need to build new hotels in
anticipation of the worldwide event. The Olympic Village, however, won’t be
replaced with Airbnb housing.
The Tipping Point for the Experience Economy
2019 marked the onset of a hospitality landscape that is largely dominated by
experiences. Around the globe, prospective travelers are actively seeking out
one-of-a-kind experiences, and it is now the responsibility of hotels to
provide guests precisely that. Ultimately, guests expect more than merely a bed
to rest their head; they crave a complete, unique experience within the
destination they’re visiting. However, the trend doesn’t end there.
On the heels of the experience economy, we realize a new, ever-relevant shift in the guest perspective: the expectation economy. Within this new economy, we are introduced to an influx of experienced, well-informed and undeniably empowered travelers, made unique by their increasingly high expectations from those brands which they frequent. When it comes to industry-wide norms, guests hold the power to move the needle, and they’ve inspired a customer-centric approach in which hoteliers have to manage their service quality closely.
This is where service quality optimization and management technology comes into play. As hospitality collectively shifts away from dated, legacy models which were often used as a limiting ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, hoteliers are instead building comprehensive technology stacks. With a shift in standardized infrastructure, hoteliers are aptly recognizing the benefit of utilizing management applications and platforms that are specific to each service department. After all, what good is a modern check-in platform if the housekeeping department is still relying on processes that date back decades ago? In this regard, the age-old ‘divide and conquer’ approach is effectively delivered through the enhanced functionality of new-age technology applications built specifically for each subset of the hospitality experience.
Finally, hoteliers can compile a suite of
hotel optimization software applications, specific to each department (housekeeping, service, maintenance,
etc.), that boost efficiency and enhance guest service across all aspects of
the guest experience. These applications are hosted on an open API, ensuring
seamless integration across other hotel platforms, cross-department
communication, enhanced data aggregation and reporting, and timely response
measures.
At Knowcross, we are committed to playing a pivotal role in the ongoing
innovations set to transform the hospitality experience and help hoteliers to
meet and exceed demands. Even further, we empower our clients to remain ahead
of needs and trends by leveraging cutting-edge applications that streamline the
process of monitoring guest service requests and complaints, enhancing service
and guest engagement, and so much more.
Hoteliers, the future of hospitality is here. The only question that remains is this – Are you ready to embrace it?
About the Author

Karen
O’Neill is a thought
leader and hospitality industry veteran with over twenty years of experience
working with top tier hospitality and restaurant clients. She spent fifteen
years with MICROS Systems where she held various positions in project
management, major account management and sales and strategies. In her last role
as Vice President; Hotel Sales and Strategies, Karen worked closely with
leading global hotel chains, independent properties and management companies on
their technology strategy, system selection and deployment. Karen also founded
KnockOut Hospitality Consulting, LLC. to assist hotel clients in streamlining
and managing key operations. In October 2015, Karen joined StayNTouch, a
leading SaaS property management system provider as the Vice President of Sales
and Marketing. In this role, Karen managed the company’s global sales and
marketing initiatives, contributing to their aggressive growth.
Most recently, Karen assumed the responsibility of President, Americas for
Knowcross with a focus to grow and manage the company’s operations and sales
initiatives in the Americas region. With the evolution of technology,
Knowcross’ game-changing products for housekeeping automation and workflow
management are a must for hotels globally, to meet the growing needs and
expectations of customers. The Americas is a key market and an engine of growth
for Knowcross.
Karen is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of
Science from the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management.
About Knowcross

With a global customer base across 40+ countries, Knowcross is a trusted partner to some of the world’s most well-known global brands including Aqua-Aston, Capella Hotels & Resorts, Cheval Residences, Hoxton, Hyatt, Hilton, IHG, Kempinski, Minor Hotel Group, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels, Rosewood, Sydell Group, Taj, The Doyle Collection , Sutton Place Hotels and Shangri-La; as well as marquee independents and hotel collections such as Angad Arts Hotel, Dolder Grand Zurich, Grand Pacific Resorts, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, Le Bristol Paris, Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Royalton New York, Sixty Soho, The Century House, The Curtain London, The Mark New York, The Ned London and The William Vale Brooklyn.