Excuses Abound

Hoteliers have become laggards in adopting new technology in their hotels.  Why aren’t hotels keeping up with the times?  Excuses I have heard include:

- We don’t have the money to invest in technology

- We would invest, but good technology is not available

- Guests don’t care about technology.  They want better mattresses and fluffier towels.

- Hospitality is a people business.   Guests don’t want to interact with a computer

- Technology is changing so fast we don’t want to invest in something that will be antiquated in 2 years

- Guests bring their technology with them

These reasons are all absurd.    Hotels that provide a better experience to their guests will retain and attract more customers.  And by using new technology hotels can increase both room and ancillary revenue.  By postponing or forgoing technology investments hotels are losing potential revenue, disappointing guests, and increasing their operating costs.

The good old days

Back in the day, people used to look forward to staying at hotels in part because hotels had better technology than people did in their homes.  For example, hotels had pay-per-view movies in guest rooms decades before on-demand TV was broadly available in the home.  On an even more basic level, hotels had color TV with remote controls before many consumers could afford their own.

Hotels should be embarrassed by how far they have fallen from technology leaders to laggards

Outmoded Hotel Rooms

- In 2010 it is impossible to buy an analog CRT TV in a store – yet most hotels still have them in their guest rooms.  Even 4 and 5 star hotels.

- Yes it is true that hotels have started to install HD LCD TVs, but in most cases the properties are connecting the TV via an analog coaxial cable.  This is just dumb.  Not only are hotels wasting the money they spent on HDTVs, the picture quality is actually worse than on Standard Def CRTs that were replaced.

- Internet access at hotels is still spotty.  This is bizarre when wireless access is available in every diner and bookstore in the US.  Hotels:  stick a few more 802.11N routers on each floor (they cost all of $75 each these days) and eliminate those dead spots.

- I have encountered two different versions of  in-room entertainment systems, both of which haven’t changed noticeably in 5 years.  At home I can choose from thousands of movies to watch, at any time, on my computer or TV.  Some of these are free and others come at a cost.  Why haven’t hotels upgraded their in room entertainment systems?  As everyone knows, pay per view is extremely profitable for hotels.  The better options they have, the more people will spend.

- At this year’s HITEC show, many vendors were showcasing IP phones that integrate with a room’s entertainment system as well as other on-property systems (housekeeping, room service, spa, etc).  I have never seen one of these phones in a hotel.  I’m not convinced that a high powered phone is a good investment for an average hotel, but I would think for some high end properties this investment would make sense.

- Does any property enable guests to order room service online?  I’ve never seen one that does.  Many restaurants support online ordering; hotels should be able to do the same.  How many times have you called room service only to either wait forever for an answer or worse yet have the kitchen mess up your order?  Online ordering is better for the guest and the property.

- You can check in for an airline flight via a computer, mobile device, or kiosk  but to check into a hotel you still need to wait in a long line and speak to a human being.  Hoteliers say “we are a face to face business, and guests don’t want to check in with a machine”  In my opinion this is complete hogwash.  Every business traveler I know wants to get into his or her room without delay.  There is no reason to wait for an agent to stumble through a check in process for 15 minutes before handing over a key.

- If hotels insist on greeting guests with a human being, for goodness sakes arm these agents with a wireless check in device.  We can make video calls on our cell phones now, but hotel check in must be done from a desktop computer hard wired to a PMS?

- Why don’t hotel rooms have bar code scanners on room doors that open using a unique bar code the hotels sends to our cell phone?  Airlines are using bar code technology to replace paper boarding passes.  Wouldn’t hotels save money if they didn’t have all those plastic room keys around (not to mention the fact that it would be better for the environment)?

Wake Up Hoteliers!