Survey: Tech-Supported, Contactless Stay Desired by Guests

CONWAY, AR—Metova, a provider of custom software solutions for mobile, web, connected home and car and Internet of Things (IoT) for the private and public sector, revealed the results of a new blind survey of more than 1000 people in the U.S. who have stayed at a hotel, resort or casino in the past two years regarding their sentiment about COVID-19 practices, concerns, and technology in the hospitality industry. 

Notably, the survey found 90% say it is very important the facility they visit enforces COVID-19 safety policies, while almost 80% have avoided staying in a hotel, casino or resort specifically due to COVID-19. In addition, nearly 90% prefer that the hotel they visit has a mobile app offering the ability to completely manage their stay without having to interact with a person, and 86% would choose one hotel over another if one offered the option of a mobile application offering a fully contactless mobile check-in, concierge, checkout and facility reservation services.

“COVID-19 has accelerated customer demand for technologies such as mobile check-in apps, keyless entry and mobile concierge services that enable a contactless experience while adding convenience that did not exist in the past,” said Jonathan Sasse, chief strategy officer at Metova. “And not only are these technologies a deciding factor when a customer has the choice to pick one hotel, casino or resort over another, but the overall desire for them is here to stay.”

Fall Survey Results

  • 78% have avoided staying in a hotel, casino or resort specifically due to COVID-19
  • 90% say it is very or extremely important that the facility they stay at enforces COVID-19 safety policies
  • Nearly 90% prefer that the hotel they stay at has a mobile app offering the ability to completely manage a stay without having to interact with a person
  • 86% say, with other things being equal, they would choose one hotel over another if one offered the option of a fully contactless mobile check-in, concierge, checkout, and facility reservation app
  • 60% have stayed in a hotel, casino, or resort in the past six months
  • 82% feel the COVID-19 pandemic will bring about changes to the onsite lodging experience that will last well into the future 
  • Mobile check-in and alerts for on-site amenities (68%), access to room via mobile app (61%) and online concierge services via mobile app (55%) are the changes of most value to in a future hotel stay