Have you ever pulled into a hotel parking lot, eagerly checked in, gotten to your room only to find that it was either hot enough to make woodfired pizza or cold enough to maintain the Arctic? My guess is, at some point you have. While each hotel is different in their workings of the thermostat, not one is consistent. Obviously, the point of hospitality is to please and many hospitality groups and hotels, alike, do a wonderful job. But a lot of those groups and businesses could be turning to YOU sooner rather than later to help make YOUR stay as comfortable as you would like it to be.
In recent years, the IoT (Internet of Things) has become commonplace in many industries. The hospitality industry is no different. That hot or cold room will potentially be controlled by you prior to even pulling into the parking lot. Your check-in information and data will all be interconnected, more so than it’s ever been!
If you have a favorite vacation spot and stay at the same hotel or resort, the IoT could help keep your dinner, drinks, and movie orders from previous stays. The next time you check in, your drink will be prepared, a similar menu of food will be available for you, and similar movie genres to your previous flick orders will be in queue just for you. Is your favorite spot to stay part of a brand-name chain? Well, the data and information collected from your favorite spot will transfer to each location in that brand. How about that for service? Not only will you be able to have your room set to YOUR ideal temperature prior to arrival, you’ll also have your favorite drink and food items ready to be presented to you, just like you like them.
The customer experience is what the hospitality industry is all about. The IoT and the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) continues to evolve. The above scenarios are already beginning to transpire. This is great for you, the customer indeed! But what about the exorbitant amounts of data that’s being gathered? Where is that stored? Is it in a safe place? What can a business do to protect the data that can make such a rich and robust customer experience come to life? Those are a lot of questions that need to be factored into the equation…we understand. Do you have these same questions? If so, don’t hesitate to reach out. We have a group of hospitality specialty team members who are dedicated to knowing and understanding the intricacies of the business…to include data storage and cyber-security.
I’ll be interested to see how the IoT continues to evolve in the hospitality industry. What about you? What are your thoughts? Does this worry you? Are you excited? What questions do you have? Let me know!
