Technologies

Technology in the hotel sector is constantly changing, offering a host of new systems and services to enable hoteliers to better manage their bookings, finance and more. Among the most important of these is reputation management. Every day, thousands of travellers write reviews and post their experiences of various hotels online and on social media forums. These reviews play a larger and larger role in influencing how and where visitors will book with your establishment. “Flip.to has been making strides to tap into the market of potential travellers’ family and friends, considering 70% of customers take recommendations from their family or friends when choosing a product, brand or business.” explains Robert Rauch, writing on www.hospitalitynet.org “TrustYou had made it their mission to influence travel decisions in a positive way, developing a technology and software making it simple to monitor, manage and market a businesses’ reputation.” Kendall College School of Hospitality Management agrees: ‘There are 3.3 billion brand mentions in 2.4 billion brand-related conversations within the U.S. every day, and the typical American mentions brand names 60 times per week in online and offline conversations.’ ‘The 21st Century is the age of digital referrals, and the power of what’s posted on the web via user-generated review sites – digital word of mouth – can drastically impact a business’ revenue.’ says www.hotelnewsresource.com quoting the School’s data. Any green tech will be vital too. ‘2013 marks the “tipping point” for sustainable hospitality, with eco-friendly practices becoming the norm, rather than the exception, so expect 2014 to see standard “green” practices, products, programs and packages.’ continues the School’s report into hospitality futures. And while it may sound obvious, Rauch also advises hotels look closely at their own websites. This may not seem like the ‘latest’ technology, but it’s actually more important than setting up...