Internet of Things (IoT) in the Hotel Industry
By the end of 2020, there will be 20.4 billion IoT devices which means IoT will show a high impact this year.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the future of many industries. Also, it is the next big thing for the hotel industry with AI.
IoT will make the guest experience personalized and brisk. On the other hand, it will make the hotelier and more efficient.
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)
As the name says, the Internet of Things is the network of things, which means all the appliances and devices around you.
It acts as a bridge between physical objects and the computer-based system. Hence a remote or mobile device can control them.
IoT has vast applications in the hospitality industry. Hotels are currently focusing on improving their features and amenities.
Hotels are implementing IoT-centric systems to better customer experience. It will also increase the hotel’s operation efficiency.
Let us discuss how the internet of things will enhance the Hotel industry
Increase Work Efficiency
IoT brings automation to your hotel business. It means time-saving and easy business processes.
It will not only increase the productivity of the hotelier but also allow him to concentrate on some more voids. That will save time, resources, and energy.
For instance, hotels are using this technology to conserve water. Water leakage results in monetary loss and damages the environment also.
IoT-enabled systems can detect these water leakages and can save the day.
The IoT Infrastructure
IoT-integrated infrastructure can increase revenue and decrease the expenses of a hotel. They can be very eco-friendly also.
Stamford Advocate’s day light harvesting system is one example. This system saves energy by automatically adjusting the indoor lighting according to the sunlight.
If a guest enters his room and finds it at a perfect temperature, then the satisfaction level of that guest goes on to another level.
For the above, hoteliers let their heaters or Ac work even if the room is vacant. It is an expensive process.
So the hotels can connect them to IoT and adjust the temperature at check-ins and check-outs.
Automatic Detection of Occupancy
After check-in, it becomes difficult for the hotel to check whether the guest is in his room or not.
Knocking is not an ideal option. It can disturb the guest and creates a lack of response can be confusing.
Internet of Things-integrated thermostats can serve the purpose in such situations. It can help the hotel in emergencies.
For example, in case of fire, there is no need to open all the doors and see if someone wants assistance. The occupied room gets an alert directly.
Customized and Personalized Services
For loyal customers, there should be a bond created between customers and the brand. And this bond is also beneficial for brand equity.
Now to curate this bond offering personalized services is very necessary.
If you know how a customer interacts with your product and how they are using them, then you can customize your product and services by them.
If in a hotel room, all the appliances are connected with wifi network. They are gathering data on the user’s behavior which will be very helpful for the hoteliers to generate personalized services.
IoT platforms help to analyze customer behavior. It helps to understand comfort preferences and automatically set up the room for their next stay. Like temperature, lights, TV channels & shades.
The TV could even greet the guest by their name. As soon as they walk in the door makes them feel special.
Manage Inventory
Inventory Management is an essential aspect of the hotel business. And if the inventory is not managed properly, then it will cause damage to the revenue.
IoT will change the way hotels manage their inventories.
The IoT-implemented system keeps inventory records and manages the changes in them automatically.
Hence there will be less scope for human error, and your staff can focus on other serious issues.
Maintenance
Hotels do preventive maintenance to help prolong the life of the equipment. Also, minimize guest complaints associated with unavailable service issues.
But predictive maintenance will take hoteliers one step further. It will use sensors to recognize the problems and alert them before the issue becomes hazardous.
Cross Hotel Linkage
Whether it is a hotel chain of multiple hotels or multiple hotels tied up in a business partnership, synchronization is needed.
With the implementation of IoT, the data flow between multiple properties will become very smooth. It helps in managing customer data and reporting.
These days hoteliers are spending money to increase direct bookings. For this, they are running loyalty programs on a large scale.
So if a loyal customer of a hotel chain revisits a hotel at a different place then with the help of IoT the hotel will be able to provide him the same personalized experience as the last visit.
A base for staffless Hotel
IoT will lay a platform for staffless hotels in the future. And today it can help hotels to depend less on staff.
It will save both time and money for the hotel and also make guests’ experience better.
IoT will eliminate intermediaries and make the whole process more speedy with the help of automation.
There is always a desire for guests to take control. Nobody likes to be dependent on anyone. “I’ll do it myself” has become the living style of approximately every single person walking on the surface of the earth.
And IoT along with automated self-service can provide them with exactly what they want.
Conclusion
Verily, the Internet of things will bring in a lot of features and pleasure. But its success will largely depend on gallivanters, that how they respond to it.
Thank you for reading this article. Please write your views in the comment box below.
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