Guests can expect increased comfort, more innovative experiences, and even robots in the hotel of the future, according to a new report called “Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation” from Fast Future Research. The report also highlights new hotel models that may emerge, including invitation-only hotels, hotels co-branded with luxury brands, white-label hotels and ‘catch-all’ hotel chains that will deliver one-star budget hotels through to six-star luxury properties.
“What we see is a shift from neatly defined customer segments to a more fragmented set of service spectrums that will demand hotels act in a way that is guest-focused personal, connected, and informed,” says Rohit Talwar, CEO of Fast Future Research. “The right technology will be an increasingly important weapon in delivering on guest expectations and securing brand differentiation.”
Key findings of the report include:
1. Guests will be able to tailor every aspect of their hotel experience. Traditional customer segmentation is likely to die and will instead be replaced by personalized service spectrums and a “total service model.” This will mean that guests of the future will be able to tailor every aspect of their experience including technology, hotel services, the bedroom, the journey, pricing, and communications. Over two-thirds of survey respondents agreed that by 2020 traveler motivations will become increasingly fragmented and diverse and harder to segment into clearly definable customer groupings.
2. The hotel of the future will be more personal, connected, and responsive. With changing guest requirements it is likely to start seeing hotels that cater for multiple needs and demands. Innovations will include intelligent furniture, personalized nutrition, and responsive technologies that understand cognitive functions. More than nine out of 10 people questioned felt that by 2020 hotel guests will expect their stay to be personalized around a set of choices they make at the time of booking or prior to arrival.
3. Horizon scanning, anticipation, and rapid implementation will become some of the hallmarks of successful hotel groups. The report details the characteristics of successful hotel chains of the future, including the ability to spot opportunities and threats, develop effective strategies, and implement change programs quickly. The report highlights the central role of technology systems in helping hotel groups stay ahead and meet the needs of tomorrow’s guest.
