Photo courtesy Hilton Worldwide
Technology seems to be developing at an increasing rate as the years go by, and that wasn't more evident than in 2014.
Hospitality and travel companies have taken note, too, always looking to please the ever-evolving guest. From the increasing desire for free Internet to the explosion of social media and smartphone apps, there have been some eyebrow-raising developments in the past year.
Here are the six most important technology stories in the hospitality and travel industries in 2014.
Welcome, future.
Wi-Fi
The advancement of technology has made providing free and high-speed Wi-Fi more important than ever for hoteliers.
Numerous studies and surveys in 2014 found that free Wi-Fi was the No. 1 amenity for guests. In response, most major hotel companies either a) provided free Wi-Fi or b) established a tiered Wi-Fi system (free for standard speeds, a charge for high speeds).
The best model going forward may be offering free Wi-Fi to loyalty program members and travel agents who book through digital channels, exemplified by such companies as Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Check-In/Keyless Entry Via Smartphone
Starwood Hotels & Resorts became the first major hospitality company in the world to allow guests to check in and open their room door via their smartphone in November.
On the same day, Hilton announced keyless entry for Hilton HHonors members staying at U.S. properties of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Canopy by Hilton brands by late spring 2015.
It set a precedent. Soon, it's not out of the question that most hotel companies will be offering check and keyless entry for guests. Of course, you can still check by the front desk if you want.
Personalized Marketing
Like many people around the world, I used to think of Internet marketing as an invasion of privacy, but-like most people around the world-I'm beginning to come around.
First of all, personalized online marketing is fascinating once you really understand how it's done. Marketers not only use basic personal information to target travelers, but they also use the keywords and phrases travelers use through search engines, chat services like Google Chat and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
In that sense, hospitality companies know travelers better than ever, and that's apparent by the ads we now see while on the Internet. More travelers are accepting a breach in privacy as long as they receive amazing deals and offers on destinations they've had on their mind. We may still get bombarded with ads, but the difference is we're getting bombarded with ads we truly care about.
Beacon Technology
In 2014, Marriott featured beacon technology, or the placing of beacons within properties to send location-based offers to guests via their smartphone.
Beacon technology had already been popping up in retail stores, but installing it in major resorts takes a bit more work. The LocalPerks initiative for Marriott Rewards members-which kicked off in July-made Marriott Rewards the first major hotel loyalty program to offer geo-targeted mobile offers during a member's stay.
Companies not only track you on the Internet now-they track you where you stand.
Apps
Apps: They're awesome.
That may as well be the motto for apps.
Apps used to be nice little games or basic information sources for smartphone users.
Now there's an app for everything. And I do mean everything.
There are photography apps. There are booking apps. There are destination apps. There are apps that open your hotel door. There are apps that allow you to pay for travel products with your thumbprint such as ApplePay. There are even apps that allow you to fly drones around to capture stunning images and video of the surrounding environment. Personally, my app count has gone up exponentially in the last year, based on simple curiosity.
Apps have been around for a bit now, but-given the growth of apps in the past year-the Year 2014 may as well be called "The Year of the App."
Social Media
Social media also continues to grow.
Facebook and Twitter were well-known social media platforms before 2014, but they have grown at an even greater rate in the past year. The professional social site LinkedIn is also growing greatly in member count. And hospitality companies are finding more creative ways of using social media, from personalized offers through platforms to using GIFs and innovative video campaigns.
One social media platform that really boosted in popularity was Instagram, which recently announced a legion of members numbering more than 300 million (more than Twitter). The site-which is mainly based around photos-backs up the age-old phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Except, in this case, it may as well be: "A picture is worth 300 million loyal followers."
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