As we saw at HITEC this week, improving the guest experience is key to creating a standout hotel. Hospitality professionals browsed the show floor looking for solutions: What do hotel guests want and how can we better provide it?
What do we know about today’s hotel guests? From our perspective we know that many are tech-savvy. They’re accustomed to incorporating digital technology into all aspects of their lives – from mobile phones, tablets and laptops, to smart TVs and voice-activated home assistants. They depend on display screens for information and appreciate the immediate gratification of a digital experience. And they bring this expectation with them when they travel.
To meet and exceed the expectations of these guests, hotels are making the most of multi-featured, commercial-grade hospitality TVs in the guest rooms, and innovative digital signage solutions in the common areas. The end goal is to make it easier for hotels to serve their guests and communicate the messaging that will make their stay more enjoyable.
Let’s start with the lobby. A hotel lobby makes a strong first impression. It’s the first thing guests see, and it’s where innovative digital signage displays can create a wow factor and help define the hotel’s brand by communicating its strengths, values and services. The latest display form factors are attention-grabbing, fit just about anywhere, and content can be easily managed from a central location. Video walls, touch screens, razor-thin screens, curved screens, stretched screens and transparent screens can all be incorporated into a property-wide digital signage network.
Digital signage can maximize opportunities for guest-driven interactivity that can result in requests for more information, reservations at the restaurant and booking of spa services. Common-area displays give the property a cutting-edge appearance and can engage and inform guests in many ways.
Next week we’ll dive into the types of content a hotel might want to run on digital signage throughout the property. Stay tuned.