Can you imagine your bank choosing not to provide a way to check account status and transactions outside of your monthly paper statement? Can you further imagine a popular franchise restaurant only having paper take-out menus? You would be forced to contemplate what other aspects internally within the organization would make doing business with them complicated and archaic. There you find your own personal underlying immediate expectation of baseline service and operational procedures, where a decision is often made instantly to move onto the next provider. A decision to choose another provider that seemingly knows how to service customers with the utmost up-to-date standards. READ MORE

As with so many industries, the smartphone has transformed how organizations interact with their customers. Look at the automotive industry, the airline industry, and of course, the hospitality industry. You start your car's engine and set the climate control to the desired temperature, buy airline tickets and check-in on your flight and do the same with your hotel room, all from your phone. There is a slew of services that traditionally are offered by hotels via the “book” on the desk. The book is still there, but some hotels allow you to order via the television while others offer integrated tablets. READ MORE

A growing number of properties are implementing mobile access guest room locking systems and the apps that support them. Many chain standards mandate mobile access and independents are joining the trend. What few operators understand is that mobile access implementation has changed not only every aspect of hotel door locks but also many other areas of hospitality operations. More people are actively involved in the decision making process for hotel locks than before. Mobile access has integrated the lock process with numerous property and chain departments from sales to guest loyalty and brand marketing. The original purpose of improving guest door locks was exclusively loss prevention and security. READ MORE

Meeting data and technology have evolved considerably since the days of the bulky ,expensive mail ordered meeting planner guides and hotel catalogues. The ways in which hotels find and book groups is far different than the antiquated methods of not so long ago. As better technology surrounding meetings and events becomes available , hotels appetites for group business seems to also increase at a parallel pace making the need to keep the related technology evolving even more paramount. The companies that provide hotels with this meeting intelligence are continually developing new and more advanced methods of gathering this sought after data to keep up pace with the demand. READ MORE

In some ways, running a successful hotel comes down to a proposition both simple and sometimes complex: delivering service that exceeds the expectations of your guests. You need to provide comfort and hospitality, but also something extra to set yourself apart from other properties. Without differentiating yourself in the market, you risk becoming just one of many hotel options, rather than the preferred choice for your market. One valuable way to set yourself apart from your competition is through embracing technological opportunities available to hotels. If you leverage mobile technology, a wealth of options are emerging that can deliver new conveniences and services that enhance the guest experience. READ MORE

It's no secret that mobile technology has reshaped the consumer travel experience. Today's traveler can check in and out of a hotel without ever speaking to a human being. That lack of human interaction and direct communication is both a good and bad thing for the hospitality technology industry. From booking a reservation to leaving a review, mobile use continues to rise in the hospitality technology sector, and is not slowing down any time soon. Today, nearly 60 percent of travelers book hotels using a mobile device while 81 percent of travelers find user reviews important when considering which hotel to book. READ MORE

There's only one way to view this - we live in a mobile world. Almost any consumer product or service developed today, is most likely created with a mind-set that one day it will somehow be used in a mobile manner. Consigned to oblivion are the days when we need to return to a desk to do email, go to a fixed line to make a phone call, plug into a network port for internet connectivity, have a hard-wired antenna to watch TV, or wear a wired headset to listen to music. READ MORE

For many hotel guests, the most appealing hotels are the properties that offer instant connectivity with the bandwidth capable of supporting multiple devices. As our need for faster speeds and higher quality content continues to grow, hotel guests now expect uninterrupted service putting more pressure on hotel IT building designs. As more guests shift to the "always connected" mindset, hotels must be able to deploy technology solutions with minimum downtimes that can grow with the increasing dependence on mobility. Hoteliers must now meet today's guest technology expectations while preparing for tomorrow by installing an infrastructure in which the bandwidth and technology can be expanded. READ MORE

Cyber threats have seized the spotlight in 2016. From enterprise data breaches costing millions, to the emergence of fraud and hacking as an on-demand service, to the politically-inspired interception and disclosure of the US Presidential campaign's emails and, some have alleged, the hack of the election itself, cybercrime emerged from the realm of cyberpunk fiction and established its place as a mainstream social, economic, and political force in 2016. The rise of hacking has been driven by three factors: the pervasive use of network driven technology, the use of aggregated electronic data by companies, and the fluid resale market for stolen personal, financial, and healthcare information. READ MORE

Imagine for a moment, passing guests in queue at the hotel front desk waiting to check-in while you're heading straight to your room instead, or securing your favorite table and skipping the wait list, all without having to talk with a single staff member. No, you're not dreaming. The day of frictionless guest service is here. Guests are demanding it. How well is your hotel embracing it? The rapid evolution in mobile, social and cloud technologies combined with a monumental shift in guest expectations has launched us into what is one of the most pivotal transformations in hospitality. READ MORE

It used to be that a General Manager was tied to the front desk in order to solve issues or keep track or manage a hotel. With a cloud-based PMS, a GM can technically run the hotel from anywhere on a phone or tablet. A 100% we-based system allows two way communication at the hotel, and management can stay informed on operations from anywhere. The difference between cloud-based systems and server-based networks is as dramatic as the difference between an iPhone and a land-line. Traditional phones are like anchors—they're tied to a specific place, your home or office. READ MORE

Hotel technology is constantly trying to catch up and accommodate guests' interests compared to what they use at home. Each year, hotel properties are faced with evaluating and upgrading to the latest and greatest technologies to accommodate their guests, but at what cost? In an increasingly complex world, businesses need to adapt with shifting trends and technologies. The hotel industry's landscape has responded with corporate solutions that allow for minimal capital expenditures. Previous models required capital budgeting techniques to adjust to a larger margin when it comes to acquiring critical technologies. READ MORE

Managing mobile connectivity at hotels has become a cumbersome affair. From soaring mobile data trends to the growing number of devices guests bring on trips, winning over the hyper-connected consumer presents more challenges than ever before. By the numbers, mobile data traffic is forecasted to increase eightfold by 2020; 81 percent of the traffic will be done via a smartphone and 80 percent of data will be consumed on Wi-Fi. This analysis flags two key takeaways for the hospitality industry: the demand for seamless hotel connectivity will only continue to expand and Wi-Fi is a sure bet for powering digital experiences. READ MORE

Hospitality, traditionally slow to adopt new technology, is today everywhere threatened by it. There is physical competition in the form of a glut of new rooms provided, for example, by homestay networks like AirBnb. There is virtual competition in the form of difficult-to-manage online profile and review aggregators such as TripAdvisor—which can represent low-cost affronts to an expensively acquired and laboriously nurtured brand. At the same time, there is a new generation of customers that technology has trained to be fickle with their brand loyalty, impatient with waiting for services, impatient with wanting for access, impatient in general. READ MORE

Mobile technology by its nature limits face-to-face interaction between a hotel's service staff and their guests, thereby depersonalizing the guest experience. Yet service, especially in higher end brands, is a key differentiator in driving bookings and loyalty. So how will guest-facing automation impact service levels and pricing? And will any cost savings realized through technology benefit the guest or just the hotel? READ MORE