Today’s hotel guest experiences are fantastic in many ways, with attention to detail that makes a stay memorable or even luxurious. From the personal greeting and chocolate on the pillow to exquisite amenities, the industry has excelled at creating a welcoming environment where guests feel both taken care of and valued.
However, as a frequent hotel business traveler, there is still room for significant improvement when it comes to the end-to-end guest experience. The actual stay itself is usually top notch, but when it comes to checking in upon arrival and personalization, the processes within the hotel industry leave room for improvement. This is where biometrics come into play, with the ability to revolutionize the hotel guest experience from home to lobby, like the cherry on top to a wonderful stay, thereby truly creating a next-level experience for guests. Biometric technologies can help to delight a guest and increase their chance of return or writing a positive review in three main areas.
First, the part of a hotel stay that is most tiresome is the check-in process, creating a perfect opportunity for improvement through modern technology with biometrics and digital identity verification.
Checking in at hotels usually means standing in long lines, creating unnecessary stress for both guests and staff. Since check-in times are also pretty standard across all guests (3pm check-in time, for example), this causes a further bottleneck with guests sometimes waiting 30 minutes or longer in our larger cities. Adding to that figure, a study by the Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality found that just a five-minute wait at check-in causes guest satisfaction to drop by almost 50% among U.S. travelers.
With the aid of digital services, guests can instead be allowed to complete their check-in remotely, before their arrival. This means no waiting in line at the front desk and no photocopying of credit card and ID. The room key could be automatically placed digitally in the guest’s phone, allowing them to start enjoying their time as soon as they walk onto the premises. Not only would this provide a much smoother arrival for guests, but it is also a substantial cost-saver for the industry itself. The front desk would need fewer staff members and would be able to redirect their energy and focus on attending to guests and providing outstanding service.
Second, the growth potential for guest experiences through innovative digital services does not end with a smoother check-in for guests and saved costs for the hotels. Automatically collecting data directly from guest IDs unleashes the power of KYC-driven decisions for hotels. By collecting and analyzing guest data through digital check-in, marketing departments can achieve dramatically higher ROI when making data-driven decisions on where and when to spend their budgets.
Over time this will offer clear trends that can be capitalized on. If data, for example, shows that a lot of Europeans visit their hotels during July and August, but not the rest of the year, marketing campaigns can be executed to incentivize them to visit during other months of the year. At the same time, this data enables hotels to offer tailor-made and exclusive guest experiences by automatically recognizing and personalizing services to their guests’ preferences.
Third is the always relevant matter of security and trust. Hotels generally feel secure, but from the industry’s perspective, how certain is it that the guests checking-in actually are who they claim to be? And what could happen if bad actors are allowed to book rooms with deep fakes and stay at their chosen hotels in the shadows?
How does the hotel know every time a person from special lists such as Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), sanctions or politically exposed persons check-in, providing the opportunity to put relevant security measures into place? And with digital keys on the rise, how do they make sure that only authorized individuals gain access to their rooms and services? All these security concerns could quickly, easily and at a low cost be a thing of the past with already existing technology within the digital identity space.
In a world where guest expectations are always on the rise, embracing the latest advancements in technology is not just an opportunity—it’s a necessity. As the hospitality industry strives to deliver superior experiences, integrating modern technologies can bridge the gap between the seamless service guests are starting to expect and the operational efficiency hotels need. By focusing on smoother check-ins, personalized services and enhanced security, hotels can ensure that every guest not only feels valued and cared for, but also enjoys a stay that is both effortless and memorable. I am convinced that the future of hospitality lies in embracing these innovations, ensuring that the guest experience is one that wants to be lived over and over again.
April Rae Mallord is Checkin.com Group’s GM for the U.S. market. She has extensive experience in the digital identity and verification space. She was previously VP, sales and business development for Zenwork, a tax and identity compliance software suite provider, where she managed Compliancely, a real-time identity verification platform.
This is a contributed piece to Hotel Business, authored by an industry professional. The thoughts expressed are the perspective of the bylined individual.
