Ms. Willis

Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment

How Electronics Can Make Your Hotel a True Comfort Zone

By Kalen Willis, Senior Interior Designer, Hatchett Hospitality

In our gadget-obsessed world, technology has grown from a convenient amenity to an essential element of every hotel’s design and services. The challenge is to blend high-tech with high-touch – namely, to use cutting-edge science in a meaningful and memorable way that enhances every guest visit.

Let’s look at nine ways you can meet that challenge, attract more guests, and justify higher room rates. Most of these are relatively easy and economical to consider for either new construction or renovation, although a few are more exotic, more expensive, and require considerable advance planning.

The Internet: Your First Impression

Guests used to get their first impression of a property when they arrived on-site and saw the hotel exterior or lobby. Today, opinions are formed much earlier and much quicker – typically on the web as travelers increasingly use their computers or smartphones to search for a hotel and to make a reservation. Your website must tell your story visually and “sell” your property effectively, so invest in professional photography. Shots taken by a relative or friend at no charge may turn out to be a very expensive favor if they cause you to lose rather than attract business.

In contrast, strong photos will give visitors to your website plenty of reasons for becoming visitors to your property. You can use still shots or you can create a more dramatic video tour. Whichever technique you select, your pictures should inform – by showing people what they can expect to see and to experience at your hotel, including:

• The exterior, lobby, and public spaces
  
• Various guest room types
  
• Special areas such as meeting rooms, lounge, pool, fitness center, and meal service
  
• Popular nearby attractions such as tourist sites, shopping areas, restaurants, beaches, and business districts
  
• Airport transportation options such as taxi and shuttle services, with schedules
  
• And be sure to include a map showing distances and transportation options to various destinations.

Your pictures should also reassure – by making people feel comfortable and confident about their decision to stay with you. This is especially important at resort properties when guests are typically spending their own money and traveling a long distance.

Technology can even help you build anticipation for a visit – for example, send a customized “welcome” e-mail message to confirmed guests a few days prior to their scheduled arrival as an assist with their trip planning. Preview the local weather so people can pack properly plus include information about upcoming sports, music, or cultural events – and how you can assist with tickets. Reinforce the value of your website by directing them there for details about airport travel options and about local restaurants.

Check Out a New Dimension to Checking In

Fumble for the light switch. Find the remote control and turn on the TV. Adjust the drapes and the thermostat.

Those are among the first things guests usually do when they walk into their rooms, but now all those tasks – and more – can be done more easily and more efficiently, right from the front desk.

For example, during check-in a person can request for the lights, drapes, temperature, and television in the guest room to be set at certain levels – and that’s exactly what the person finds when walking into the room. Once in the room, a guest can then operate all of these functions with just one remote control unit.

The answer lies in computerized systems that control or “link” a variety of functions through special wiring and programming. These “smart solutions” – which are similar to installations that are increasingly popular in luxury homes – are available at multiple price levels, depending on the specific equipment and programming that is required.

The Business Center Isn’t All Business Anymore

The traditional hotel business center is changing in look and in location. Now you may want to situate it in a more social setting, near the lobby. And you may want to include more than just computers – for example, consider game consoles or digital book readers. Or even video cameras attached to the computers so guests can conduct Skype conversations or send “good night” messages to their families at home.

That’s because many travelers, especially younger ones, use a computer as a recreational device not just a communication tool or an information resource. For them, using a computer becomes a social get together. While many people travel with personal computers, many others do not – so at least one public computer is strongly encouraged for these guests who want to check e-mail, print boarding passes, and record video greetings to family or friends.

Interactive Kiosks

In addition to public computers, kiosks are another high-tech amenity that get high marks with guests. They can be an effective way for you to share videos, slideshows, and custom messages; to provide interactive maps and printable directions; to describe area attractions; and to offer instant online reservations for local restaurants, taxis, and other services.

Connectivity: A Crucial Convenience

With today’s typical traveler carrying a laptop, smartphone, netbook, ipad, and e-reader – or some assortment of these devices – it’s essential to have convenient and continuous access both to the internet and to electrical energy.

Wireless internet access or “WiFi” is recommended throughout a hotel, including the pool and the fitness center. Many hotels are also increasing their available internet bandwidth to better serve guests who must conduct file-intensive activities.

More electrical and USB outlets are appearing in both guest rooms and in public areas, so guests can plug in to work or to recharge their devices.

Computer-friendly Furniture

The need for more connectivity is resulting in more computer-friendly furniture – for example, many lamp manufacturers offer models that feature either an electrical outlet or a USB port – or both – so guests have easy access without rearranging or crawling under furniture. Similarly, chair manufacturers offer models with tablet arms that make it more convenient to work on the computer, play video games, or surf the internet.

Flat Screen Television is Flat-Out Success

Replacing traditional tube televisions with flat screen versions will not only give your property an immediate updated and upscale look, but will provide you with the opportunity to provide a variety of innovative services. For example, flat screen TV’s can easily be connected into a network – and networked televisions enable a hotel to offer many valuable amenities at the push of a button, including but not limited to on-demand movies, expedited check-out, room service, and programmed wake-up calls.

In addition, manufacturers are now introducing television systems that give guests instant access to and control over electronic draperies and shades, air-conditioning, lighting, and music.

These systems – which also offer you the opportunity to display a personalized “welcome” message on the television screen with the guest’s name – are literally turning the television into the central hub of the guest room. In fact, with this proliferation of technology amenities, consider having tutorials available through the in-room television as a way of informing guests and encouraging them to try new features that they may not be familiar with.

MP3 Clock Radio: Small Upgrade With Big Payoff

For a low price, you can provide a high-tech amenity that’s immensely popular with travelers because they can play their own music and feel more at home. It also has an alarm clock feature – but be sure the model you install will charge while it is docked.

A few hotels have launched a particularly innovative guest benefit: local walking tours designed to be played on the MP3.

Smart Glass

Smart glass – also known as e-glass or switchable glass – changes instantly from transparent to translucent to completely opaque when electric voltage is applied. This means that a guest can have an unobstructed view of the outside world or can have complete privacy from the outside world, all with the push of a button.

While this glass costs more to purchase and install than conventional glass, savings can be achieved with lower heating, air-conditioning, and lighting bills plus with the eliminated need for any type of window treatments.

Technology can be the difference between staying ahead and being left behind – by your competition and by your guests. Use high-tech effectively and it will be high-fives all around.

At Hatchett Hospitality, Kalen Willis specializes in interior design for the hotel industry, with responsibility for project design, pricing, and management. She works with franchisers and franchisees on a wide variety of hotel brands, styles, and themes – from economy to luxury, from resort to business conference, and from traditional to modern. Her approach to the design of a project is driven by the target audience and by the end-use of the space. She believes that beautiful surroundings enhance our state of mind and enrich our lives. Ms. Willis can be contacted at 866-783-5980 or kalen.willis@hatchetthospitality.com Extended Bio...

HotelExecutive.com retains the copyright to the articles published in the Hotel Business Review. Articles cannot be republished without prior written consent by HotelExecutive.com.