Catering to the digital millennial during a refurbishment

According to reports, hotels are investing in refurbishments more frequently and the driving force behind this is technology and the overriding need to meet the demands of digital-savvy customers.

Love it or hate it, technology is evolving and creeping into everyday lives more and more. People are used to personalised connectivity at home and they are increasingly looking for hotels to satisfy this when they travel. Today’s travellers are not only digitally savvy but rely on their smartphones and mobile devices to perform a multitude of tasks, and often bring up to three devices which all sync up together – and they expect the hotel room to integrate in the same way.

Millennials, the generation born between 1980 and 2000 who were the first to grow up with the internet and smartphones, now make up more than a third of hotel guests worldwide and are expected to account for at least half of total guests by 2020.

So, to cater to this generation’s dependency on their mobile devices, if you are planning a hotel refurbishment you need to now look beyond robust connectivity and a high-quality online presence, but also factor in smart features which will meet, and exceed, guest expectations. For instance, Smart TV access which will enable guests to connect to their personalised show preferences, remote/wireless room check-in access which will allow them to pre-set the temperature of the room, open and close the window shades, pre-order room service or any other feature that can be dreamt up! To remain competitive you MUST remain vigilant of the changes in order to create a competitive edge and work with a refurbishment company who has links to technology providers,  otherwise you might be refurbishing again within a couple of years!