The hospitality industry is well-positioned to benefit from the Internet of Things (IoT) by integrating IoT technologies in their operations, which increases revenue, decreases expenses while simultaneously improving the customer experience.
Benefits of IoT for the hospitality industry
Increase optimisation and reduce operational cost
To save electricity, hotels can be equipped with smart sensors using IoT lighting technology that adjusts based on the amount of natural light in a room. Similarly, IoT connected thermostat adjusts the temperature to the preferred setting by detecting a room’s occupancy and number of guests. This in turn cuts back on energy costs of cooling or heating vacant rooms without compromising guests’ comfort.
Predictive Maintenance
Any issues within a piece of hotel equipment, for example, a swimming pool water filtration or an air-conditioning unit, can be detected ahead of time and addressed before it becomes a problem. The problems associated with last minute room shuffles to accommodate a guest with a broken air conditioner or having to close the swimming pool for maintenance can be avoided with IoT technology. Hotels which have the ability to perform predictive maintenance raise the level of service perceived by guests and increase good guest experience with them greatly.
Intelligent Fire Protection System
Smoke detectors should be ubiquitously installed throughout the hotels. Having IoT connected smoke detectors installed could increase the safety of guests and staff in the event of a fire outbreak. Upon detection of smoke, the smoke detectors will sound an alarm, alerting the hotel staff in charge or the fire control centre, via the internet, to either respond to the emergency or immediately alert guests and staff to evacuate from the building. Upon receiving the signal, one can also react to the smoke before flames begin to form.
Other Features
Some other value-added features of IoT could be keyless door that automatically opens when the guest arrives, to setting the TV in the guestroom to display the preferred channels, or the room could be lit as per the personal likes. This can be done though a device given to the guest upon check-in or through an application on the guest’s smartphone.
For the hospitality industry, the guest’s comfort and personalisation will always be at the heart of hospitality. By using IoT and automation intelligently, the guest’s experience and operational efficiency can be improved tremendously.