5 Unique Predictions on The Future of Hotels Post-Covid
5 Unique Predictions on The Future of Hotels Post-Covid
The current pandemic situation has adversely affected economic growth especially that of Hoteliers. Hundreds of Hotels remain closed with occupancy down to 50 per cent across the US and most major global markets.
Tom Ito a Hospitality leader and principal at Gensler stated that Health, wellness, and making sure people feel safe and confident going back to hotels is now a major focus.
Whether they are banking on the swell of tourism that many predict will follow the introduction of a vaccine or are bound to open, hoteliers need to make plans that take new outbreaks and pandemics into consideration.
This is why Hotel executives, designers, and suppliers came together to rebrand the hotel experience taking into consideration people’s pain points, safety, and wellness in case of another outbreak and after the pandemic has died down. Five Unique predictions on the future of hotels were brought up. They include:
- Contactless room controls
A contactless and touchless room will not only provide a better in-room experience but also avoid unnecessary contact. Hotels have long been moving towards automation with self-checkout and keyless guest-room entry via mobile phone, especially at budget and mid-scale hotels. The pandemic has only heightened the importance of these features, which align with increased needs for social distancing and avoiding strangers.
2. Pop-up dining and robotic servers
Hotel restaurants cannot thrive with the capacity restrictions forced by social distancing requirements neither can they offer outdoor dining year-round. This is why personalisation and creating a unique experience is an important factor in future hotels. Spaces that are not necessarily in the restaurant can be converted to pop-up areas for private dining with robots as servers.
3. Bringing the outdoors inside
The use of plants and green walls is gaining traction in hotel designs. Designers predict travellers may see more greenery coming inside as hotels seek to capture the calming effects of nature. Redesigning boardrooms and event areas with plants, air-filtration systems, and germ-killing ultraviolet light is a physical sign that the inside space is safe.
4. Rooms designed for living
Before Covid, room service was not so nice as joining other guests in the dining room, now it is an important service people want. People are currently gunning for rooms designed to accommodate expanded roles that embody gyms, dining rooms, and offices with places to sleep and shower.
Hoteliers predict that guest rooms will no longer be just places to sleep and shower. Instead, they will multitask as gyms, dining rooms, and offices. Of course, travellers often use rooms for these purposes already. The difference will be designed to accommodate these expanded roles.
5. Mobile hotel rooms
As a result of the pandemic situation, North American travellers for example, rediscovered recreational vehicles as a means of taking their dwellings on the road. This birthed the idea of a hotel company that maintains a fleet of autonomous recreational vehicles – equipped with a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen – that could move from one location to the next.
The mobile hotel rooms combine the services of rental van companies with hotel services. It uncouples the hospitality experience from hotels and sets it out on the road. Guests would be driven from one hotel location to the next on a road trip parking at affiliated hotels to use the pool, dine, or have their car serviced. Now this is not for all markets in fact I cant see it really taking off here in Australia but certainly unique and worth a look for the courageous entrepreneur.
Research that was undertaken by SiteMinder, Revinate, IDeaS and Dr Peter O’Connor predicts that 11% of tomorrow’s guest will move to mobile, 11% will want unique experiences, 10% expects to be recognised, 10% have higher expectations, 8% have digital natives, 8% will be better informed, 7% will expect personalisation, 5% will expect less human interaction, 5% will be value-conscious and 3% will book last minute. The big question however is: Will hotels be able to match customer’s expectation?
References
- HOW WILL HOTELS REBOUND FOR COVID-19?
By Tom Ito
https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/blog/how-will-hotels-rebound-from-covid-19
- HOW RESTAURANT DESIGN IS CHANGING AS A RESULT OF COVID-19
By Laura Itzkowitz
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/restaurant-design-covid-19
- WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR HOTELS
by Elaine Glusac
https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/what-the-future-looks-like-for-hotels-20201027-p568xa
- FREE infographic: The Hotel Industry of 2020: Predicting the future of hotel tech is difficult
Posted in Hotel Insights