Tech Savvy Hotels Getting Smarter And Smarter
Content
32
Gulf Times Thursday, March 6, 2014
COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed Production Editor: C P Ravindran
P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) Fax 44350474
Tech-savvy hotels getting smarter and smarter
In the hospitality business, the world’s most service-led industry, hotels are taking to smart phone technology in a big way
GULF TIMES Afridi’s legend grows with Asia Cup heroics
When you think of pyrotechnics on a cricket ground, the name that first crops up in the mind is that of Shahid Afridi. The Pakistani all-rounder’s already legendary status soared as high as some of his sixes when he first blasted India out of the ongoing Asia Cup in Bangladesh and then repeated his feat against the hosts to put his team in the final where they take on Sri Lanka. In the process, Afridi not only gained a few million converts – cricket lovers who in the past were deeply suspicious of his talent and attitude – but also ensured that he will be a permanent fixture in the Pakistani side for some more time to come. It seems like ages when he first burst onto the international scene as a 16-year-old in 1996 when he blasted a world record One Day International century off just 37 balls against Sri Lanka. His record stood for a whopping 18 years and was only broken recently by New Zealander Corey Anderson who took a ball less to reach his century against the West Indies. That Afridi is someone blessed with supreme athleticism is not a matter of doubt. At the age of 34, he is still the fittest player in the Pakistani side and one of their best fielders. His leg-break bowling has proved more than handy, as his 378 wickets in 377 matches prove, but it’s his ability to provide some heart-in-themouth moments that attracts fans in droves to cricket grounds. It’s admittedly a risky proposition, and it beggars belief that nobody has so far died of a heart-attack when Afridi was on one of his countless hit-or-miss escapades. The match against India in the Asia Cup was tailormade for someone like Afridi who, like all Pakistani players, relishes the challenge of engaging their archrivals and neighbours. And considering the current situation between the two nations which doesn’t encourage more frequent cricket matches, it’s only natural that no quarter is given or taken when they get to clash at a neutral venue. As it turned out, Afridi came out a winner against India by clouting the last two balls of the innings from Indian spinner R. Ashwin for sixes as frenzied celebrations broke out all over Pakistan. He was not finished, however, as Bangladesh paid a heavy price a couple of days later when he knocked them out with a stunning assault during which he scored the second-fastest 50 in ODIs. The million dollar question on every cricket fan’s mind now is whether Afridi would cap the tournament with another blinder resulting in a Pakistani victory in the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Surely, there’s something called the law of averages, the Sri Lankans may be thinking. But do such laws apply to Shahid Afridi, who after all comes from a proud Pakhtun tribe that prefers to live by its own code? We will know in a few days.
By Updesh Kapur Doha
W
It seems like ages when he first burst onto the international scene as a 16-year-old in 1996
ithout doubt, after the advent of personal computers, mobiles have swept people off their feet with endless new features and applications for everyday use. Tech-savvy users are being bombarded with fresh apps on a daily basis. Aided by the dramatic rise of social media, the wave of new information is easily accessible at our fingertips. At the recent World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, the largest annual showcase of the latest in hand held device technology, leading manufacturers debuted their newest products and apps. Upgraded smartphones and smart tablets as expected stole the show. Not just communication gadgets but smart business tools to converge buyers and sellers in real time. And it is this business element that is making waves as companies across different sectors are looking to raise the bar by adopting unique consumer friendly mobile applications. In the hospitality business, the world’s most service-led industry, hotels are taking to smartphone technology in a big way. The irony is, however, in a service-led sector that relies on personal interaction between guests and employees in the quest to enhance consumer satisfaction, hotels are increasingly turning to technology to improve the customer experience. Hotels are investing in new tools allowing guests to experience a property like never before – ahead of arrival and during their stay. The Internet revolution has for sure made it easier to check out a hotel before making a booking. Appealing pictures, virtual tours, a mass of information on what to do both in and out of the property – all with the click of a mouse on a PC or through smart devices. A report in 2012 by PhoCusWright, a leading international travel research authority, revealed that 75% of USbased business travellers access the Internet via mobile phones, and 58% used such devices to accomplish the same tasks that they would typically complete on a computer. After years of speculation about when and how handheld devices would impact travel, the mobile platform is now influencing every stage of the travel process. Smartphone usage exceeds 50% in the US and Europe, with adoption increasing rapidly in emerging markets. “Mobile devices are quickly becoming an integral part of the travel lifecycle, essential tools for planning and managing trips, ” said PhoCusWright. “But there is still much to be done to drive transactions via both tablets and smartphones. Every serious player in the online travel space is prioritising mobile technology development and pushing hard to increase their share of mobile bookings. ” It is fair to make the assumption that the figures of 2012 would have risen since then, largely due to the fact that travellers are becoming more tech savvy and travel companies
setting aside investment in mobile technology. Every travel company, whether airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines and travel agents, has developed or is developing mobile travel strategies. Aside from providing an easy to use accommodation booking service direct through a mobile device, hotels are stepping up their offering with a vast range of apps to choose from. Imagine checking into a hotel without speaking or interacting with staff, ordering room service without dialing from the bedside phone, making an in-house spa reservation, ordering room amenities or even checking on the nightlife, shopping and where to eat without calling concierge?
Hotels are investing in new tools allowing guests to experience a property like never before
Well, all of the above are already possible. The US has always been the trend setter, creating a domino effect for others to follow. So it is to the US that I turn where hotel companies have taken technology to new heights by creating mobile online check-in solutions to make the travel experience less stressful and more seamless. Two of the world’s largest hotel chains – Starwood and Marriott – have injected significant resource into developing technology that bypasses check-in. The smartphone plays an integral role in the process. No plastic card or physical room key to open a door. The virtual key has arrived. If a magnetic card can be used to swipe open a lock, why can’t encoded data be sent to smartphones to open a door as well? A digitalised virtual key sent direct to a guest’s phone. Starwood, owner of established brands such as Sheraton and W, is to trial such technology in an industry first at two upmarket coast to coast boutique properties belonging to one of the group’s youngest brands, Aloft. The Aloft Harlem in New York and Aloft Cupertino in California’s Silicon Valley will feature in the trials. Guests will first check in through their smartphones using Starwood’s mobile app. No need to go to the front desk. This can be done on arrival at an airport or in the comfort of a limo on the way to the hotel. A text message with the room number and virtual key will then be sent to the guest’s smartphone that can activate the lock system by waving it over the door sensor.
The process involving bluetooth technology bypasses the front desk altogether. Starwood hopes to roll out the system to three of its brands – Aloft, W and Element – worldwide over the next two years depending on the outcome of the trials. The company says the latest technology “fundamentally changes the hotel business, changing the job of the front desk which then becomes the concierge desk.” “In a world where digital technology is only getting smaller, cheaper and more ubiquitous, we need to see how technology is changing what our guests want,” said Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen during a presentation at the recent annual American Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles. If the trials go well, there will be pressure on other hotel chains to follow suit. For the hardened business traveller keen to get to his or her room after a long flight, queuing up at the check-in desk to complete registration formalities is the biggest single complaint of these road warriors. Anything to bypass the arduous check-in process is greatly welcomed. Rival hotel groups will not have a long grace period. They will need to follow suit to avoid lagging behind and face the prospect of losing competitive edge. Hotel guests will be patient to a certain level, but will expect other hotel brands to match, if not exceed, Starwood’s move. Marriott, a pioneer in the use of technology, hasn’t gone down the virtual route completely, but it has allowed members of its Rewards frequent flyer programme to check-in through their mobile phones at around 400 of its properties. Guests simply pick up their pre-programmed room keycard at an allocated desk in the
To Advertise [email protected] Display Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Classified Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Subscription [email protected]
Marriott’s mobile check-in
Mobile check-in for a hotel stay
hotel avoiding the need to queue up. Selected hotels belonging to the Crowne Plaza chain, part of Intercontinental Hotels Group, allow guests to scan their device at a checkin kiosk which will then dispense the room key. Again, the hotel front desk is avoided. But with all the feel good factor of the fancy new technology, sceptics argue security remains the single biggest factor to address for any technological advancement. Adopting virtual keys can prove to be an expensive process, requiring a potential revamp of a hotel’s locking system which some property owners may be reluctant to carry out. Hotel management companies however are likely to pressure owners to invest and are likely to share the investment to keep pace with consumer expectations. Hotels cannot ignore the fact that guests still want the personal interaction with the front desk and hotel staff in general as a comfort factor regardless of technological advancements. But the mobile revolution is making great gains among end users. Last year a survey carried out by leading US-based travel publication Travel Weekly revealed that the percentage of the American population using mobile devices to purchase an air ticket or hotel accommodation has not only grown, but risen significantly among different age groups. Typically, mobile users have predominantly been in the 21 to 34 age group, according to the report, but older travellers have grown accustomed to the mobile revolution to make that all important travel purchase. In the 35 to 54 year age band, 33% of respondents said they used a mobile device to make a travel purchase last year, up from 23% in 2012. An even bigger growth was reported among the 55 and over crowd, where the use of tablets or smartphones for travel purchases jumped from 14% in 2012 to 24% last year. The figures are set to skyrocket as more smart and sophisticated devices hit the market. According to another study by USbased Hudson Crossing, if prices remain attractive and devices more appealing, with speedier and greater accessible data downloading, 59% of US travellers will own a tablet by the end of 2014 and 89% by the end of 2018. With different demographics taking to mobile technology and travel companies stepping up their tech offerings to provide a smoother, easier and hassle-free experience, the US figures can only have a mirror effect on developed and developing markets around the world as smart technology sweeps the globe.
Gulf Times Thursday, March 6, 2014
COMMENT
Chairman: Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah Editor-in-Chief : Darwish S Ahmed Production Editor: C P Ravindran
P.O.Box 2888 Doha, Qatar [email protected] Telephone 44350478 (news), 44466404 (sport), 44466636 (home delivery) Fax 44350474
Tech-savvy hotels getting smarter and smarter
In the hospitality business, the world’s most service-led industry, hotels are taking to smart phone technology in a big way
GULF TIMES Afridi’s legend grows with Asia Cup heroics
When you think of pyrotechnics on a cricket ground, the name that first crops up in the mind is that of Shahid Afridi. The Pakistani all-rounder’s already legendary status soared as high as some of his sixes when he first blasted India out of the ongoing Asia Cup in Bangladesh and then repeated his feat against the hosts to put his team in the final where they take on Sri Lanka. In the process, Afridi not only gained a few million converts – cricket lovers who in the past were deeply suspicious of his talent and attitude – but also ensured that he will be a permanent fixture in the Pakistani side for some more time to come. It seems like ages when he first burst onto the international scene as a 16-year-old in 1996 when he blasted a world record One Day International century off just 37 balls against Sri Lanka. His record stood for a whopping 18 years and was only broken recently by New Zealander Corey Anderson who took a ball less to reach his century against the West Indies. That Afridi is someone blessed with supreme athleticism is not a matter of doubt. At the age of 34, he is still the fittest player in the Pakistani side and one of their best fielders. His leg-break bowling has proved more than handy, as his 378 wickets in 377 matches prove, but it’s his ability to provide some heart-in-themouth moments that attracts fans in droves to cricket grounds. It’s admittedly a risky proposition, and it beggars belief that nobody has so far died of a heart-attack when Afridi was on one of his countless hit-or-miss escapades. The match against India in the Asia Cup was tailormade for someone like Afridi who, like all Pakistani players, relishes the challenge of engaging their archrivals and neighbours. And considering the current situation between the two nations which doesn’t encourage more frequent cricket matches, it’s only natural that no quarter is given or taken when they get to clash at a neutral venue. As it turned out, Afridi came out a winner against India by clouting the last two balls of the innings from Indian spinner R. Ashwin for sixes as frenzied celebrations broke out all over Pakistan. He was not finished, however, as Bangladesh paid a heavy price a couple of days later when he knocked them out with a stunning assault during which he scored the second-fastest 50 in ODIs. The million dollar question on every cricket fan’s mind now is whether Afridi would cap the tournament with another blinder resulting in a Pakistani victory in the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Surely, there’s something called the law of averages, the Sri Lankans may be thinking. But do such laws apply to Shahid Afridi, who after all comes from a proud Pakhtun tribe that prefers to live by its own code? We will know in a few days.
By Updesh Kapur Doha
W
It seems like ages when he first burst onto the international scene as a 16-year-old in 1996
ithout doubt, after the advent of personal computers, mobiles have swept people off their feet with endless new features and applications for everyday use. Tech-savvy users are being bombarded with fresh apps on a daily basis. Aided by the dramatic rise of social media, the wave of new information is easily accessible at our fingertips. At the recent World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, the largest annual showcase of the latest in hand held device technology, leading manufacturers debuted their newest products and apps. Upgraded smartphones and smart tablets as expected stole the show. Not just communication gadgets but smart business tools to converge buyers and sellers in real time. And it is this business element that is making waves as companies across different sectors are looking to raise the bar by adopting unique consumer friendly mobile applications. In the hospitality business, the world’s most service-led industry, hotels are taking to smartphone technology in a big way. The irony is, however, in a service-led sector that relies on personal interaction between guests and employees in the quest to enhance consumer satisfaction, hotels are increasingly turning to technology to improve the customer experience. Hotels are investing in new tools allowing guests to experience a property like never before – ahead of arrival and during their stay. The Internet revolution has for sure made it easier to check out a hotel before making a booking. Appealing pictures, virtual tours, a mass of information on what to do both in and out of the property – all with the click of a mouse on a PC or through smart devices. A report in 2012 by PhoCusWright, a leading international travel research authority, revealed that 75% of USbased business travellers access the Internet via mobile phones, and 58% used such devices to accomplish the same tasks that they would typically complete on a computer. After years of speculation about when and how handheld devices would impact travel, the mobile platform is now influencing every stage of the travel process. Smartphone usage exceeds 50% in the US and Europe, with adoption increasing rapidly in emerging markets. “Mobile devices are quickly becoming an integral part of the travel lifecycle, essential tools for planning and managing trips, ” said PhoCusWright. “But there is still much to be done to drive transactions via both tablets and smartphones. Every serious player in the online travel space is prioritising mobile technology development and pushing hard to increase their share of mobile bookings. ” It is fair to make the assumption that the figures of 2012 would have risen since then, largely due to the fact that travellers are becoming more tech savvy and travel companies
setting aside investment in mobile technology. Every travel company, whether airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines and travel agents, has developed or is developing mobile travel strategies. Aside from providing an easy to use accommodation booking service direct through a mobile device, hotels are stepping up their offering with a vast range of apps to choose from. Imagine checking into a hotel without speaking or interacting with staff, ordering room service without dialing from the bedside phone, making an in-house spa reservation, ordering room amenities or even checking on the nightlife, shopping and where to eat without calling concierge?
Hotels are investing in new tools allowing guests to experience a property like never before
Well, all of the above are already possible. The US has always been the trend setter, creating a domino effect for others to follow. So it is to the US that I turn where hotel companies have taken technology to new heights by creating mobile online check-in solutions to make the travel experience less stressful and more seamless. Two of the world’s largest hotel chains – Starwood and Marriott – have injected significant resource into developing technology that bypasses check-in. The smartphone plays an integral role in the process. No plastic card or physical room key to open a door. The virtual key has arrived. If a magnetic card can be used to swipe open a lock, why can’t encoded data be sent to smartphones to open a door as well? A digitalised virtual key sent direct to a guest’s phone. Starwood, owner of established brands such as Sheraton and W, is to trial such technology in an industry first at two upmarket coast to coast boutique properties belonging to one of the group’s youngest brands, Aloft. The Aloft Harlem in New York and Aloft Cupertino in California’s Silicon Valley will feature in the trials. Guests will first check in through their smartphones using Starwood’s mobile app. No need to go to the front desk. This can be done on arrival at an airport or in the comfort of a limo on the way to the hotel. A text message with the room number and virtual key will then be sent to the guest’s smartphone that can activate the lock system by waving it over the door sensor.
The process involving bluetooth technology bypasses the front desk altogether. Starwood hopes to roll out the system to three of its brands – Aloft, W and Element – worldwide over the next two years depending on the outcome of the trials. The company says the latest technology “fundamentally changes the hotel business, changing the job of the front desk which then becomes the concierge desk.” “In a world where digital technology is only getting smaller, cheaper and more ubiquitous, we need to see how technology is changing what our guests want,” said Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen during a presentation at the recent annual American Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles. If the trials go well, there will be pressure on other hotel chains to follow suit. For the hardened business traveller keen to get to his or her room after a long flight, queuing up at the check-in desk to complete registration formalities is the biggest single complaint of these road warriors. Anything to bypass the arduous check-in process is greatly welcomed. Rival hotel groups will not have a long grace period. They will need to follow suit to avoid lagging behind and face the prospect of losing competitive edge. Hotel guests will be patient to a certain level, but will expect other hotel brands to match, if not exceed, Starwood’s move. Marriott, a pioneer in the use of technology, hasn’t gone down the virtual route completely, but it has allowed members of its Rewards frequent flyer programme to check-in through their mobile phones at around 400 of its properties. Guests simply pick up their pre-programmed room keycard at an allocated desk in the
To Advertise [email protected] Display Telephone 44466621 Fax 44418811 Classified Telephone 44466609 Fax 44418811 Subscription [email protected]
Marriott’s mobile check-in
Mobile check-in for a hotel stay
hotel avoiding the need to queue up. Selected hotels belonging to the Crowne Plaza chain, part of Intercontinental Hotels Group, allow guests to scan their device at a checkin kiosk which will then dispense the room key. Again, the hotel front desk is avoided. But with all the feel good factor of the fancy new technology, sceptics argue security remains the single biggest factor to address for any technological advancement. Adopting virtual keys can prove to be an expensive process, requiring a potential revamp of a hotel’s locking system which some property owners may be reluctant to carry out. Hotel management companies however are likely to pressure owners to invest and are likely to share the investment to keep pace with consumer expectations. Hotels cannot ignore the fact that guests still want the personal interaction with the front desk and hotel staff in general as a comfort factor regardless of technological advancements. But the mobile revolution is making great gains among end users. Last year a survey carried out by leading US-based travel publication Travel Weekly revealed that the percentage of the American population using mobile devices to purchase an air ticket or hotel accommodation has not only grown, but risen significantly among different age groups. Typically, mobile users have predominantly been in the 21 to 34 age group, according to the report, but older travellers have grown accustomed to the mobile revolution to make that all important travel purchase. In the 35 to 54 year age band, 33% of respondents said they used a mobile device to make a travel purchase last year, up from 23% in 2012. An even bigger growth was reported among the 55 and over crowd, where the use of tablets or smartphones for travel purchases jumped from 14% in 2012 to 24% last year. The figures are set to skyrocket as more smart and sophisticated devices hit the market. According to another study by USbased Hudson Crossing, if prices remain attractive and devices more appealing, with speedier and greater accessible data downloading, 59% of US travellers will own a tablet by the end of 2014 and 89% by the end of 2018. With different demographics taking to mobile technology and travel companies stepping up their tech offerings to provide a smoother, easier and hassle-free experience, the US figures can only have a mirror effect on developed and developing markets around the world as smart technology sweeps the globe.
