Beautiful, lushly landscaped pools or breathtaking outdoor terrace views are all for naught in the wake of inadequate guest service. Advancements in technology have brought us unlimited convenience, forever changing the way they we interact with resort brands. Every technology touch point is an opportunity to win or lose guest satisfaction, driving brands to invest in a range of technologies that extend their services to enable more immediate and personal engagement.

1. Starting with a reservations system, one that is truly interactive goes beyond allowing guests the opportunity to simply make a reservation. Guests want to select their preferred room and even preferred floor. And they want to select it all at the time of booking.
2. Automating communication with text messages can serve to confirm reservations and even notify guests as soon as their room is ready.
3. Data analysis is enabling hotels and resorts to create a personal touch to the total stay experience. Every time an on-property guest makes a choice, that information is curated and used to create personalized service. For example, when a guest orders extra towels this is flagged in the system to have extra towels left each time the bathroom is refreshed. Equipped with data, more hotels are able to ensure guest rooms are equipped with the special touches that guests are going to ask for anyway.
4. Many properties are satisfying the demands of eager guests with mobile POS technology, extending service offerings to more guests, whether at a crowded pool, on the links or at the convention hall. This increased attention to guests is already resulting in increased satisfaction and revenue.
5. In addition to the guest’s personal device, hotels are looking at tablet and kiosk options for mobile payments. Hotels should ensure their mobile payment options are not only diverse and secure, but also attuned to the guest segments they serve. Mobile payment technology can be made very secure. The important things to look into are securing data transmission from the handheld devices to Application Servers, securing data storage on the local handhelds, securing all web services and interfaces and protecting mobile device security in case of tampering, theft or loss.

On property, whether the guest chooses to self-serve or wants to be taken care of, delivering the entire spectrum of options helps to differentiate your property from others and create lasting connections with your guests.