Eighteen months ago, before Covid, when hotels and resorts were pushing occupancy to its upward limit and enjoying soaring ADR‘s that were a hotelier’s dream come true, there were many new and emerging hospitality tech solutions that were on many a hotel’s wish list….things that were very much wanted, but not of the highest priority. These included 2-Way Messaging, upgraded Guest Engagement, AI Chatbots and Check-in protocols that allowed guests to bypass the front desk and go straight to their rooms. And even more cool was Keyless Entry. However, like most wish lists, the day by day demands of running a hotel, and other priorities often resulted in limited adoption.
In the winter of 2020 the hospitality industry ….. and the World …. was devastated by COVID 19 and those hotels that were able to stay open now urgently needed many of the solutions that were merely wished for prior to the Pandemic. 2-Way Messaging could now help ease health concerns by keeping guests apprised of safety protocols, facilitating Contactless Check-in, and helping generate desperately needed new Ancillary Revenue ….. all while enhancing engagement with guests. Keyless Entry added another layer of safety and further assuaged the concerns of the intrepid travelers that ventured out during Covid. During this difficult time, hotel staffing was, out of necessity kept to a minimum, and 24/7 AI Chatbots greatly reduced the calls to, and demands on the front desk and housekeeping.
Now, as Covid appears to be winding down, the hospitality industry is experiencing a more robust rebound than most industry analysts predicted. Even in-person meetings and conventions are seeing an unprecedented and unexpected resurgence. Now, the tech solutions that were initially wished for, then urgently needed, have emerged as indispensable! Hotels need to scramble to make up for almost a year and a half of lost revenue, and even more pressing is the challenge of staffing up as bookings soar!
And as example, answering the most frequently asked questions and requests for service, VenueLytics 24/7 AI Concierge significantly reduces calls to the front desk and to housekeeping and reduces staff costs. This new efficiency results in lower staff costs and satisfied guests.
The VenueLytics platform of guest facing solutions can pave the way for an effortless and lucrative stream of ancillary revenue. 2-way Guest Messaging can engage guests prior to arrival, upon arrival, and during their stay and is the ideal, non-intrusive, way to stay in touch and, using this “extended booking window,” send on-property offers as well as offers for attractions and activities outside and around the hotel. VenueLytics’ 24/7 AI Concierge can manage these offers, provide and handle the purchase transaction and fulfillment and send out coupons for specials and discounts. To provide a near turnkey Ancillary Revenue solution for hotels, VenueLytics has also partnered with tour and activity providers in virtually all visitor and business travel destinations worldwide.
While not on as many wish lists a couple of years ago, and not as urgent during Covid, the new indispensable tool for hotels as travel ramps up is Actionable Analytics that optimizes all facets of a hotel or resort, reducing costs and maximizing revenue using a full range of analytic tools including, Descriptive, Diagnostic, Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics.