How To Use IoT Technologies to Improve & Secure Hotel Stays | CWNP - Guest Blog
By Walid Abdelkader On 02/28/2023
In the hospitality industry, guest satisfaction is the top priority for all hotels. For example, when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the hotel brands that knew how to react and adapt quickly started to take advantage of the Internet of Things (IoT) to meet their customer's requirements and ensure they would have a safe stay and a like-to-home experience.
Incorporating IoT technologies with a solid Wi-Fi network to provide travelers a safe, comfortable, and customized stay has helped hotels reopen and begin offering their services again to their customers.
Why should the hospitality industry consider the IoT now and in the future?
1. Contactless Technology
Contactless technologies help travelers to minimize in-person contact. Using IoT applications, guests can check in using their mobile devices, receive their mobile key, and communicate with the hotel staff.
The Mobile Key allows guests to use their mobile to access their rooms. The guest doesn't need to stop and get their plastic card from the reception during check-in. All they need is to receive the key on their mobile device, and they only need to hold their mobile devices near the door lock and wait for no more than two seconds.
A few years ago, there were some challenges in implementing the door key solution and other IoT services. There was a need for other networks to support the Zigbee and BLE applications and solid Wi-Fi network coverage.
Now, most access points come with IoT onboard, which supports Zigbee and Bluetooth to simplify the deployment and management of IoT applications.
The advantages of the Online Door Lock system are not limited to the contactless option only. It also improves the customers' experience; gone is the day when a guest needs to visit the reception to get a new key if they decide to change the room or request a late checkout. It could also improve security by configuring the system to alarm the hotel staff if a guest leaves the room and the door is not closed sufficiently.
2. Panic Buttons
Panic Buttons system is one of the significant IoT applications even before the pandemic. It's an employee safety device that can be carried by the hotel staff and provide security with the updated exact location if the hotel employee is subjected to an emergency or abuse situation. The device can be attached to the employee's clothing or belt for easy access.
The panic buttons are now mandatory in some states in the USA. However, the implementation requirements differ from one state to another. The table below shows a sample of the requirements:
3. Density Prediction and Social Distancing
Access to hotel facilities such as a swimming pool, restaurants, bars, and meeting rooms could be challenging if a hotel wants to maintain a specific density and keep a social distance between guests. Fortunately, the IoT came up with a solution for this challenge by utilizing sensors to calculate the density in a particular area. The hotel can also display this data on a screen to let the guests know if specific locations, such as a restaurant, could be accessed or if the guest should wait until it becomes available.
4. Mini-Bar Services
Adding sensors to the hotel's mini-bar minimizes in-person contact and allows the hotel's staff to check the status of the mini-bar, whether it was opened or not. More details could also be included to report the mini bar items' temperature and status.
5. Automation and Robot's Services Function
Reducing in-person contact and using the Robot's service functions add a safe and efficient experience for the hotel guest. Nowadays, some hotels use robots for Room service delivery, luggage delivery, Logistics, and support for the back-of-house offices. And to sanitize public areas and guest rooms. Using a solid Wi-Fi network, sensors, Machine Learning, IoT, and mobile applications, the guest can receive a message that their order is waiting in front of the door. The guest can get their customized order using a barcode or a passcode that opens its dedicated tray.
6. Location-Based Services
Location-based services are commonly used in resorts and big box hotels. The system sends a notification to the guest with the menu option, advertise with SPA and Gym Options when the guest is nearby, or sends a notification for the time and the location for a special event such as a night show. It could also notify the guest if a particular place, for example, the restaurant or the swimming pool, has reached the maximum allowed occupancy so the guest can hold the visit until they receive a good-to-go notification.
7. Energy and Cost Saving
Hotels are using IoT to save energy and reduce operating costs. IoT technologies allow hotels to adjust the occupancy of the guest rooms' lights and the temperature according to the room occupancy and whether it's occupied or vacant.
The hotel's engineering staff can also rely on IoT to predict equipment maintenance by monitoring the performance, which could give the staff a chance to solve the issues before the guest check in.
8. Enhance the Guest Customize Experience
As mentioned earlier, some amenities, such as the temperature and lighting, can be adjusted using sensors and IoT. The hotels also can use the IoT to customize guest preferences. Hotels also can save the guest's favorite channels, breakfast menu, and wake-up times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see that updated technology is an opportunity for hotel organizations to show that they are modernizing and thinking about the future of travel. IoT applications in the world of hospitality have increased significantly. Most of them are through the Wi-Fi guest network. A reliable Wi-Fi network will not only help the hotel's guests to browse the internet and watch their favorite shows, but it will also help to keep them safe.
Resources
MSA698 Paper 1.docx - How Has COVID-19 Affected the Hospitality Industry1.https://www.coursehero.com/file/130296742/MSA698-Paper-1docx/
Four Key Lessons That Hotel and Tourism IT Executives. https://hospitalitytech.com/four-key-lessons-hotel-and-tourism-it-executives-can-learn-covid-19
https://aethon.com/hotel-mobile-robots/
https://behrtech.com/solutions/occupancy-sensing/
https://behrtech.com/blog/7-cutting-edge-use-cases-of-iot-in-hospitality/
https://www.jethotelsolutions.com/solutions/hotel-panic-button-laws/
https://campaigns.assaabloyglobalsolutions.com/
https://hospitalitytech.com/four-key-lessons-hotel-and-tourism-it-executives-can-learn-covid-19
https://www.bu.edu/bhr/2021/05/31/impact-of-covid-19-on-the-hospitality-industry-and-implication-for-operations-and-asset-management/
Blog Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within these blog posts are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Certitrek, CWNP or its affiliates.