Your Post-COVID Fresh Start Kit.
The epidemic is expected to cast a serious and lasting impact on the hospitality industry in the short term and is likely to recover in six months’ time. Due to the suppression of customer demand during the epidemic, the industry is expected to face a period of concentrated demand release after the epidemic. How to quickly and accurately capture the change in customer demand, how to turn a crisis into an opportunity, and how to seize the opportunity for development? These have become the key challenges for hoteliers to ponder. This is a fabulous time for hotels to reinvent themselves and infuse their operations with fresh thinking.
Here are some tips to help hospitality overcome the difficulties that COVID-19 brings.
Adopt cloud technologies
Remote working has become the norm for today. Thanks to innovations and technology, even such a people-centric industry as hospitality experiences an increase in telecommuting. In fact, hoteliers can manage all the hotel processes without even being there. With cloud-based Property Management Systems, they are able to control all operations at any time from anywhere.
Products like Udaya offer a fully cloud-managed experience for hotels and restaurants, allowing hoteliers to use a mobile app and control everything about their Wi-Fi experience. The Udaya series of products are all managed centrally from a public cloud including configuration, monitoring, captive portals, SMS sign-on, payment gateway interfaces, and analytics.
Use this time for hotel maintenance and renovation
The coronavirus outbreak doesn’t mean hoteliers are closing doors and are just waiting for this period to end. It’s a perfect time to catch up and improve. Whether it is a spontaneous renovation or completing your Property Improvement Plan, there’s no better time to do this. To begin, you can make a list of items, things, and everything that needs to be repaired.
It’s time to invest in Guest Wi-Fi. Guest Wi-Fi is a brilliant solution to the common problem hoteliers face – how to make Wi-Fi pay for itself. With Guest Wi-Fi, each person who uses your Wi-Fi becomes a marketing opportunity from the moment they first log on and give your business a ‘Like’. From that point onwards you have almost unlimited opportunities to communicate with them through email and social media to promote your business.
udaya is a scalable and cost-effective solution suitable for any hospitality deployment. It controls user Internet access, sets limits, engages users, provides powerful analytics, and helps hoteliers run different marketing strategies to maximize revenue from their Wi-Fi.
Sure, PMS systems are not something new. Hoteliers have been using them for years. But in these times, this system can bring even greater benefits. For example, if the PMS goes with mobile concierge apps, which can help engage with the guests without personal contact, starting from check-in to meal and service orders. Products like Inventum’s MSG gateways support leading PMS systems for seamless access for in-room guests using room numbers and guest names. Free or upgraded speed plans can be offered against payment to both guests and hotel visitors.
Focus on meal delivery from the hotel restaurant
Hoteliers can take steps to increase restaurant sales during the COVID-19. Remember about aggregator, delivery, and concierge apps that can help provide both hotel guests and non-guests with the option of meal delivery right to their rooms without even talking to someone.
Reconsider existing health and safety techniques
Plot the guests’ journey from the front door to the guestroom, and then to check-out. Can you simplify and reduce staff interactions so as to create a more contactless environment? It is crucial to have appropriate health and safety policies in place, especially for hotel business that relies on in-person interactions. In these contexts, hoteliers should promote proper health and safety measures, which may include self-service pay systems and orders through mobile apps.
Cut down on discretionary spends
The next 6 months are going to be extremely tough for business and only the ones who have operated with a tight leash on their finances and guest experience might survive. Independent operators who manage to survive and continue on this journey, should analyze their expenses and cut down on discretionary spending. Instead, spend this money on improving the client experience whenever business resumes, this would include ensuring top-quality linen and house-keeping, strict hygiene standards & better Wi-Fi experience.
Hotels/Resorts/Restaurants can also consider zero capex UNIFY™ cloud solution to get started immediately. The offering includes virtual routers as part of the subscription allowing any server (PC) on the facility to be used as a gateway router for the hotspot(s). All other elements are managed via the UNIFY™ Cloud platform with no additional on-site hardware required. All you need are Wi-Fi access points to get started!
Give it a go. Now’s the time to make the change.
