The pandemic has pushed the hotel business to follow the digitalization path more quickly. A recent industry survey shows that in Europe, Asia and the US over 80% of travelers will now take great care to maintain social distancing in hotels, while 70% of hotels soon will or already have implemented contactless customer service practices.
However, experts believe that the Russian hotel sector is aimed at overcoming the crash rather than implementing expensive innovation. The sector is bleeding red ink.
Considering the consequences of the pandemic, hoteliers will have to contend with a new type of client that will demand extra-special treatment. Safety becomes the main focus, and this goal can be achieved with the help of digital solutions.
This is confirmed by an Oracle and Skift poll: with over 1.8 thousand various hotel industry leaders surveyed and some 4.6 thousand clients from North and Latin Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The survey showed that 84% of travelers believe that maintaining social distancing is the most important factor in choosing a hotel.
Some 70% of customers surveyed have expressed their preference for hotels that offer self check-in and check-out. Some 20% believe that extended room service (for instance, food delivery) is an important safety factor that helps to avoid visiting public spaces in the hotel.
Industry leaders have stepped forward expressing their readiness to comply with these requests. Almost 82% have either implemented or are in the process of implementing changes to the public spaces that will help maintain the required distance between guests and staff. Over 70% of hotel sector directors claim they have either implemented or are in the process of implementing contactless payments and digital information services, while some 60% are using smartphone-app-based room keys.
Two thirds (67%) of directors report having implemented or planning to implement self check-in and check-out. Over 60% of industry representatives have expanded or are in the process of expanding the room service, while 50% are developing new food delivery options.
