An excellent HospitalityNZ article on the future of accomodation

There is increasing pressure on availability of leisure time that is driving the desire for unique and personalised experiences. Guests constantly want connectivity and stories to tell friends about their ‘individualised’ experiences. This means the accommodation guest of the future will be able to tailor every aspect of their experience including technology, hotel services, the look of the bedroom, the activities, pricing and communications. The challenge for hotels is to understand and act upon these evolving requirements.

What can the accommodation provider deliver to provide this custom individualised experience?

There will be an entire spectrum of options which the customer could be offered a choice. The range of choices can extend to a selection of their own room type or size, choosing specific brands, type of pillows and even artwork on the wall. 

In the future a total service model will mean that you could have guests paying very different rates for either a totally immersive environment or a guest who just wants the standard offering.

Expectations around personalization are high - 86% believe that ‘By 2020, personalisation will have been embraced wholeheartedly by the sector and that ‘customers will have the ability to choose what they want!

So what does this all mean for the accommodation provider?

We need to be proactive in embracing and evolving our understanding of the relevant technologies.

Know your customer needs and wants:

    •    Develop service propositions, marketing messages, and pricing solutions that reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base.

Know your customer as a person and not a statistic:

    •    The technology is available now and enables us to capture and build up guest profiles so we can pre-empt our customer needs to give them a more personalised stay.

Despite the emphasis on technology, people will still be the ultimate differentiator ‘Highly trained staff backed up by technology will be key to delivering personalized service and experiences.