Written by Sojern
It’s time that hotel operations embrace the digital age and all the benefits it can bring for both hotel guests and hoteliers. Here are four steps to get you started:
- Update your amenities: 25% of leisure travelers rank free WiFi as a deciding factor when choosing a hotel. 66% of US travelers think that travel choices make a difference to the environment. Consider, then, ditching features that aren’t meaningful—like valet parking—and instead pour your resources into great WiFi and Green initiatives.
- Go mobile: This year over half of travelers who book online will do so through mobile—it’s a necessity that your website and booking engine are mobile-friendly, then. It’s equally important to ensure that your marketing efforts are mobile-optimized as well. According to Google, in the last year mobile queries within travel have increased by over 50%. If your ads aren’t mobile friendly, they’re not appearing where your travelers are searching and booking.
- Use tech to make your day easier: Entering the digital age shouldn’t just benefit your guests, but also hoteliers’ day-to-day activities. When I Work, for instance, says it saves on average eight hours a week on scheduling. It’s mobile friendly and sends out alerts reminding employees about shifts. Consider offloading your taxing tasks to tech to save you time.
- Get smart about the last-minute booker: Sojern’s latest State of the Hotel Search and Bookings Report reveals that more than half of all hotel searches are conducted in the two weeks before booking and, with a reported 65% of same day hotel reservations being made from a smartphone, it’s time to make sure your marketing efforts are as smart as the phones they’re booked on.
Embracing these four tactics will bring hotel operations into the digital age and in line with tech savvy travelers.