Neelabh Chugh

General Manager, Renaissance Ahmedabad Hotel

None of us are certain about the current times, where the pandemic phase of COVID-19 has reduced but not completely vanished. Digitalization, during such occurrence has arisen as a savior for many industries, especially for the hospitality industry. While digitalization was a perpetual change that was happening in the market, a global pandemic expedited its adoption and made it pervasive across industries and functions.

While speaking specifically about the hotel industry, digitalization has taken a front seat and has become a key aspect of the daily operations and guest interaction. Digitalization is perhaps the only way forward for hotels during the pandemic and beyond. With digitalization, new non-contact solutions have evolved to help hoteliers resume operations and ensure they are better prepared for future crisis.

Consumers in today’s world have become more tech savvy than ever. A hotel guest expects its hotel to match the level of advancements of the digital world. Guests no longer prefers doing bookings via a travel agent or turn pages of a physical brochure to do their research. Rather, they want all the details to be on their fingertips i.e. on online booking platforms, review websites, etc. Furthermore, guests now prefer a contactless check-in which is much faster & safer along with a lesser in-room physical collaterals to avoid any human touch, which is only fair, given the global scenario. I would like to add that contactless check-in isn’t just a pandemic thing; guests like the convenience of managing their own arrival process and hence, it is here to stay.

We as a hotel, have altered our check-in processes and have made it contact-less as extensively as possible. All our rooms are equipped with digital menu that can be scanned via a QR Code. The hotel has several feedback and request forms in place like – laundry pick up, breakfast ordering cards, etc. to make the guest’s stay hassle free and at the same time, digital-friendly. Marriott has an app called – Marriott Bonvoy that fits in perfectly with the way that tech savvy guests like to travel. A guest can make a reservation for themselves, do online check-in, share special requests or preferences and receive local recommendations via the app itself.

I believe the app is an excellent initiative by the organization to enhance the guests’ experience and match the ever-changing trends of the current world.