In the highly competitive hotel industry, customer engagement is everything. Most travellers are aware that they have options when choosing accommodation and are quite discerning when making their choice. Often their decision ends up being heavily influenced by the experiences of others and the quality of customer reviews.
The good news is that travellers are also usually very loyal. If they find a property they like and enjoyed staying at, they are very likely to stay there again. They are also highly likely to recommend that property to their friends and family.
As such, the quality of the guest experience your hotel delivers can have a major impact on its success. Acknowledging this, many hotels are embracing the power of digital signage to create positive, tailored guest experiences. Here we look at some of the ways digital signage is used by hotels and the benefits this is providing.
How Digital Signage is Being Used By the Hotel Industry
As it’s quite a versatile technology, digital signage is suitable for use in a number of locations throughout a hotel. It can also be used for a wide range of purposes, including to:
Speed Up The Check In Process
Check in is one of the most important, and labour intensive, guest services. Digital signage can help streamline this process, pre-emptively answering most of your guests’ questions (e.g. check out times, luggage storage arrangements, etc.). Interactive digital display boards can also be used for self-service, enabling your guests to check themselves in.
Provide a Digital Concierge Service
An interactive digital display board can answer all manner of guest queries. They can help your guests find out everything from the weather forecast to local transport options and popular attractions. This can free up your reception staff to focus on higher touch concierge activities, like booking tours and restaurants.
Help Manage Events
While hosting big events can be financially beneficial for a hotel, they can also require a lot of management. But with digital display boards welcoming attendees and helping them find their way, this can be made much easier. A digital wall can also be a key selling feature for your conference and event facilities.
Promote Hotel Services
Whether it’s in the elevator or throughout the public spaces, digital signage provides great advertising space. Here you can show off your luxury facilities, like your gym, pool, restaurant, or day spa. You can also promote any special offers currently available and tailor the display to match the time of day.
Promote Local Businesses
Most guests will be actively looking for suggestions on what to do and where to go. You can fulfill this need by using digital signage throughout your property to advertise local businesses. This could be the hottest restaurant, a popular tourist attraction, or an upcoming local event.
Personalise the Guest Experience
Many hotels are now using digital display boards to tailor the in-room experience. In addition to displaying personalised welcome messages, these screens can act as an interactive guest directory. They can also be used as a room service digital menu, possibly even allowing orders to be placed through the system.
Support Emergency Procedures
If something goes wrong, hotels need to be able to get messaging out to all guests as quickly as possible. Dynamic digital signage displays are great for this, allowing you to quickly switch from regular content to emergency messaging. This can then be used to update your guests on the situation and provide any critical information (e.g. evacuation procedures).
Create a Visual Impact
Digital walls are increasingly being used to display dynamic artworks. In a hotel, they can help show off some of your city’s best sights or works by local artists. They can also promote social media engagement, providing photo opportunities and sharing guest posts.
The Benefits of Hotel Digital Signage
Depending on how it’s used, hotel digital signage can provide a number of benefits. This includes:
Reduced Wait Times
When used as a self-service information source, digital signage can reduce the lines for important services, like check-ins. A good digital display will also keep guests entertained while they wait, significantly reducing the perceived wait time.
Reduced Workload for Reception Staff
Often staff get caught up answering simple questions and providing easily available information. Digital signage enables guests to look things up themselves, freeing your staff up to focus on higher value tasks.
Increased Guest Satisfaction
In addition to practical improvements in the guest experience, digital signage creates a slicker more professional image. Most guests react positively to this, feeling that the experience was higher quality and more valuable.
Increased Guest Engagement
Digital signage can be used to share the property’s social media feed. This allows guests to see their comments being read in real time, promoting further engagement.
Increased Advertising Revenue
Allowing local businesses to buy digital advertising space in some of their highest traffic areas could create another revenue stream.
Want more information?
Wondering what digital signage could do for your hotel or hospitality business? Give Amped Digital a call. We’re leading suppliers of bespoke digital signage solutions and can help you design a system that suits your needs and your budget.
