A few years ago, the idea of being able to run your own hotel at a distance would probably have seemed like an impossible dream, perhaps even a preposterous notion.
These days, however, ground-breaking innovations in technology mean that operating a hotel using a range of virtual tools and techniques is entirely possible. Almost every aspect of the hotel can be managed digitally, from the booking process to automated check-in, room service delivery, and, of course, marketing.
Still not convinced? Read on to discover the various benefits – to both yourself and your guests – of introducing virtual innovations to your hotel so you can operate your business remotely.
Attract New Guests With Digital Tours
Once upon a time, guests had to rely on word-of-mouth or static advertising images to determine whether or not a particular hotel would be the right choice for them to stay in.
These days, however, a growing number of hotels and resorts now offer virtual reality tours of their rooms and facilities. While prospective guests would enjoy these virtual tours best by using a VR headset, many of these tours can still be reliably enjoyed without such equipment, and provide an authentic taste of what guests can expect to experience.
These tours can give potential guests peace of mind when it comes to making a booking, which will hopefully lead to an increase in the number of confirmed bookings – and more revenue for your business.
Take Online Bookings
As well as using virtual tools to demonstrate your hotel’s advantages, you can also automate your booking process, if you haven’t already. Many hotels now take online bookings using their website or via online travel agents.
Not only is this process simple and convenient for guests, it also helps to eliminate the potential for human error. That’s not all; online booking is more straightforward for you as you can clearly see all of the new bookings in your system as soon as they are confirmed.
Employ A Virtual Front Desk
While you may find it easy to get on board with online bookings and virtual reality tours of your hotel, you may feel that a virtual front desk is taking it one step too far.
However, the truth is that this kind of innovation can be surprisingly straightforward; all you have to do is look at Japan as an example. The country made headlines around the world with the opening of its first ‘robot hotel’, Henn na, which was the first establishment to employ robot receptionists, making the check-in process entirely technological.
Of course, there is always the possibility that a fully automated hotel will run into problems which call for human assistance, so you may wish to maintain a skeleton staff to make sure everything runs smoothly. You will also probably want to maintain human security guards to keep your guests physically safe during your stay, in addition to automated security systems such as CCTV.
Arrange A Separate Virtual Address For Business Mail
Having an automated hotel with few or no staff present at any given time could mean that you wish to set up a virtual business address using a cost-effective and convenient service such as PhysicalAddress. That way, if no one is physically on hand at the hotel to receive mail, you can be certain that all necessary letters and packages will be picked up, and you can manage your mail online using your laptop or smartphone.
Having a virtual business address also comes with a range of other benefits, including unlimited mail storage, no third-party mail handling, and real-time alerts.
Creating Smart Hotel Rooms
The development of the Internet of Things (IoT) has made the introduction of ‘smart’ hotel rooms a reality; an innovation that has already been seized on by many world-renowned hotel brands, including Hilton and Marriott.
By equipping your hotel rooms with ‘smart’ features, you can ensure a more personalised and, therefore, more pleasant stay for your hotel guests. Using these features, they will be able to ensure that their room is just the way they like it, with the right amount of lighting, the right temperature setting, and even access to their own online streaming accounts so they can watch the programs they prefer.
Having a ‘smart’ hotel is also beneficial for you as the hotel owner, as you can use the Internet of Things to assess the performance of the different tools and devices you are using. As a result, you can invest in any precautionary repairs or updates that may be needed. Because ‘smart’ rooms use energy more efficiently, you will also be able to cut down on bills – for example, by customising lighting and heating so you never use more than is necessary.
Conclusion
As you can see, the latest technological innovations have made virtual hotel businesses an accessible reality, rather than the fantasy they once were. While it may not currently be possible to eliminate all human staff from your hotel, you can still streamline your business processes and cut down on bills by incorporating some of these virtual innovations into your hotel.
