What is hotel automation?
Hotel automation is a way of optimizing manual processes by relying on technology and software that allows you to get tasks done without having to invest your manpower in mundane tasks. In this way, you can reach cost efficiency and also increase guest satisfaction by reducing wait times at the front desk and being able to handle service requests more quickly.
There are many ways automation can increase guest satisfaction, such as through a check-in kiosk, in-room smart technology, and implementing a digital concierge, all of which allow guests to take the hotel experience into their own hands. As for your hotel team, automation can help with scheduling staff, overall task management, operational efficiency, and improving your housekeeping procedures.
Learn more about hotel housekeeping automation.
How can hotel automation benefit your small property?
We’ve already alluded to some ways a small property can benefit from hotel automation, but let’s take a look in more detail.
Improve employee satisfaction
Automation helps improve employee satisfaction because it helps remove the stress of time-consuming manual tasks. This way, employees can focus on the fun part of the job: creating memorable experiences for the people who stay at your hotel. Not only does helping guests give greater job satisfaction, but it also helps employees feel involved in the guest experience, knowing that they can make a direct impact on the guest’s stay.
Make operations run smoother
One of the main goals of automating processes is to improve operations. Improving operations means that everything runs smoothly from the time a guest checks in, to the time they check out. That includes housekeeping, front desk services, and the overall service while the guest stays with you. Automating your operations, you can provide faster in-room service with a digital concierge, and get control of reservations, revenue management, front-office and housekeeping.
Using the right software (which we’ll talk about in more detail below) you can avoid surprises, planning for all elements of a guest’s stay so that operations run like a well-coordinated dance. It’s a win-win for all involved, meaning that your staff will be happier when things run smoothly, and will provide better service, thus boosting guest satisfaction as well.
Learn more about the best ways to improve operations.
Improve check-in process
There are many ways to improve the check-in process through automation. There’s nothing like a long line at check-in to provide a negative first impression for guests arriving at your small property. This is why using automation to expedite the check-in process is key. For starters, by providing mobile check-in, guests can go directly to their room, no matter what time they arrive. It’s also a great opportunity for upselling and gathering data.
Discover the benefits of mobile check-in.
Another way to automate the check-in process is through check-in kiosks. Check-in kiosks allow guests to cut their own keys, check themselves in and out, make payments, and scan documents, expediting the whole process. It’s a great tool to put the hotel experience into your guest’s hands.
Data and market intelligence
When you don’t have a lot of time or resources as a small property, you need to be able to rely on automating data collection in order to better understand the market, pricing, and how your business is performing.
You can use data automation to better understand how well your hotel is doing with operations, finances and the overall guest experience to optimize processes and make data-driven decisions when it comes to revenue management and pricing.
Take control
By automating processes, you can not only make things run smoother, but you can also control all stages of the guest experience, empowering guests to be participants in their hotel stay. This means that while you can have a toolkit that allows you to do everything previously mentioned, you can also personalize the experience more easily, without added effort, and with limited resources and money.
By integrating automation tools into your PMS, you can handle everything in one place, including managing staff and tasks, handling guest service requests, and improving communication among staff and with guests by cutting out the middleman. Automating allows you control because you have the systems in place that you know will help improve how your hotel runs, so that you can focus on what really matters: the guest experience.
Mews’ hotel automation platform for small hotels
We mentioned that the right guest experience software can be a game changer for your small property. Mews is a hotel automation platform that has all the tools you need to create unforgettable guest experiences, smoothly managing the whole guest journey, while at the same time allowing you to take revenue management into your own hands. By controlling the whole operations process, there should be no surprises.
Smooth guest journey
A smooth guest journey means that you’re able to provide a personalized experience, and at the same time increase engagement through online guest services, self-service kiosks, and a booking engine. An online booking engine is key because it not only makes online reservations easier but also can boost direct reservations, and as a small property, reducing your reliance on third-party booking engines is a must.
Seamless operations
With the importance of operations, you want to rely on a tool that helps you to automate the process so that you can deliver the best guest experiences possible. With Mews, you can manage reservations all in one place, allowing you to better manage your availability, group reservations and room assignment strategies. You can also use the revenue management tool to maximize profits, optimizing inventory and rates with the help of automation.
Moreover, you can better manage housekeeping. Instead of an outdated Excel sheet or scribblings on a piece of paper, you can use the housekeeping app. The app will give you instant status updates and reporting, as well as smart scheduling and task management to improve efficiencies. Mews automation will also help you provide excellent service, improving communication among your team so that they can focus on making the guest experience impeccable.
Conclusion
In this article we’ve looked at what is automation in hotels and how it benefits small properties such as by improving employee and guest satisfaction, making operations run more smoothly, unlocking important data, taking control of all aspects of your hotel, and expediting the check-in process. With the right tool like Mews, your small property can take operations into your own hands, avoiding surprises and ensuring the best guest experience possible.
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