The Indian hospitality industry is going through some truly exciting changes.
With more and more Indians choosing to travel domestically, the hotel industry is flourishing like never before. Now, the market volume isprojected to reach US$10.53 billion by 2027, with new hotels springing up all the time.
This growth has been accompanied by an explosion in technology — Indian hotels are now embracing tech in all kinds of fascinating ways, delivering better experiences to their guests while improving their own performance.
In this article, we’ll look at how the Indian hospitality industry is embracing technology and what that means for hoteliers and customers alike.
How has the Indian hotel industry changed?
The last few years have been tumultuous for the Indian hotel industry.
Factors like the recovery from COVID-19, emerging technologies, and a growing Indian middle class have all converged to drive massive changes in a short space of time. Here are some of the biggest changes the Indian hotel industry has experienced:
- The COVID-19 pandemic forced hotels to adopt technology in many areas, from contactless check-in to more efficient management tools. Now that the pandemic is a fading memory, this technology is here to stay.
- Mid-level hotels are growing especially fast. Hotels have noticed the success of platforms like Airbnb and are meeting that demand with a new wave of affordable, mid-range properties. Of the many thousands of new hotel rooms being added to the Indian market in recent years,almost 50% were in the mid-range category.
- Hotels are failing to personalize their customer experience. Asurvey from Medallia found that, while 61% of customers are willing to spend more if they get a customized experience, only 23% of customers said they received high levels of personalization during their recent hotel stays.
What’s the solution?
It’s clear that hotels are facing a series of challenges. On top of logistical issues like staffing and technology, hotels also have to deal with changing expectations from guests.
The good news here is that travel has bounced back. People still want to go on vacation, see the world, and stay in hotels that provide a comfortable, rewarding, and memorable experience. And hotels that take the right steps to deliver will stand out even more in this new space.
The key to success is technology. Hotels that can tap into the wealth of tools and solutions out there will be the ones that thrive in the post-pandemic era. Here are some of the steps hotels can take to succeed.
Embrace automation
Hotels now have access to a range of automation tools to make the guest experience more rewarding and enjoyable. Things like online check-in, remote room access, and AI-driven customer service are all common examples here.
Automation, however, is not without flaws. Don’t make the mistake of trying to switch to a fully-automated model all at once — use these tools to support and augment your human staff and don’t rely on them 100%.
Better online experiences
Nearly two-thirds of hotel chain revenue now comes from online bookings, and the trend looks set to continue. Today’s guests want the convenience and ease of booking from their smartphone or laptop, and many will consciously gravitate towards hotels that make this possible.
The message for hotel owners is clear: do whatever you can to make the online booking experience as friction-free and rewarding as possible. Build a strong presence across online platforms like OTAs and metasearch engines, and make your own website and booking process as streamlined as it can be.
Make the most of hotel tech
Hotel tech refers to the range of solutions and products that are specifically built to help hotels manage their services, drive more bookings, and deliver better experiences to their guests throughout the entire customer experience.
This includes a channel manager to build a wider presence across all the right online platforms, a booking engine to build and deliver the best possible booking experience to your guests, and a central reservation system to ensure your guests have a smooth, stress-free, and memorable stay while taking the pressure off your staff.
A new Indian outlook
In India specifically, the pandemic ushered in an entirely new era for the hotel industry. Many hotels which had previously been hesitant to adopt technology were forced to do so, and transformed their business operations forever.
Today, Indian hotels are more tech-focused and forward thinking than ever before. Now, hoteliers see technology as an exciting potential tool rather than a source of cost and stress, and look forward to embracing new technologies as they emerge.
Work with Hotel-Spider
Hotel-Spider’s online distribution platform offers all of the above features, along with a ton of others aimed at helping you drive more bookings and build stronger relationships with your guests.
The pandemic changed the world of hospitality forever. But you shouldn’t see this as a negative — instead, it’s an opportunity for forward-thinking and tech-savvy hotels to pull ahead of the competition and make their mark in an exciting new world.
If you’re ready to seize the benefits of hotel tech,book a demo with us.
