Each day there’s a new smart product out on the market: phones, watches, appliances and cars – and thanks to voice assistant smart speakers, more and more people are beginning to reap the benefits of upgrading to a smart lifestyle.
The introduction of smart rooms is not just changing consumer expectations – it’s changing the entire industry in ways that benefit not only guests but hospitality management as well.
Smart TVs
Whether it be a day of back-to-back business meetings or an itinerary packed with sightseeing and museum visits, most guests can’t wait to get back to their hotel room, take a shower, order room service and hop in bed to binge on their favorite shows. Without a smart TV in the room, guests resort to their laptops or smartphone screens, which isn’t anyone’s preferred way to watch a show or movie. With smart TVs in each room, you’re letting visitors know that both their comfort and nightly routine are things your brand values.
Smart-Room Functions
A few hotel brands have started to experiment with ways to streamline guestroom activities. Some are testing with voice-controlled devices like Amazon Dot and Google Home, but many are wary of how this may affect their guests’ privacy. One option is for guests to use their very own smartphones. After downloading your hotel’s smart-room app, guests will have control over their stay at their fingertips. The possibilities are practically endless, but some of the most popular ones would be the ability to check-in, unlock your suite, control the thermostat, adjust lighting, control blinds, order movies on demand, set alarms and more
Hotel Staff Benefits
By introducing these features, hotel managers will be able to maximize their staff’s efficiency more now than ever before. Instead of having poolside servers run back to constantly check if their guests need anything, guests will be able to call on a server with the press of a button. Whether it be to order cocktails or request extra utensils, your staff will know beforehand what the guests’ needs are, allowing staff to quickly assist guests and spend more time on other duties. The same goes for the housekeeping staff and concierge services – if your guests are planning to sleep in and want housekeeping to come back during a specific timeframe, they can manage that through the app. Your housekeeping staff will know in advance exactly how many rooms they’ll have to turn over and at what times, allowing you to schedule your staff more efficiently.
Sustainability
Sustainability has become a huge concern to consumers – it’s especially important to millennials, the largest demographic of travelers. By placing motion sensors throughout a room, a hotel can conserve a lot of energy. When a guest gets out of bed in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, the motion sensors can activate small guided lights to avoid turning on brighter room lights that could disrupt the sleep of others in the room. A smart room will give guests more convenient access to temperature control – they can choose to schedule the temperature to rise in the morning when they wake up and then to cool back to down to a comfortable setting when they’re ready to settle back in for the evening. Sensors can also be used to detect a dripping faucet or toilet which not only wastes water but could also become a disturbance and cause complaints.
These are only a few of many ways on how smart rooms can cause lasting benefits for a hotel; A great first step can be to allow the experts here at Guest Supply to install smart TVs in your guest rooms. If you’re looking for small changes that can make a huge impact on your business, now is the time transition your guest rooms to smart rooms, while this concept is still new.
