Posted on: 18/02/20 Posted by: Mark Barber
The hospitality industry is changing faster than ever before, with technology, sustainability and social media changing consumer behaviour. From smart hotels to dark kitchens and meat alternatives, you’ve got to stay ahead to stay profitable.
Imagine being able to switch off the lights from bed or not having to pick up a phone to order room service. ‘Smart hotels’ integrate technology, like mobile keys, voice assistants and chat bots, with traditional hotel offerings to improve guest experiences.
Consumers use technology in every aspect of their lives and expect the same with their hotel stay. Smart hotels allow you to streamline operations, providing cost savings and increased revenue.
Replacing your staff with robots might not be the answer. Japan’s robot hotel, Henn-na Strange Hotel, laid off half its robot staff last year after finding they weren’t a suitable replacement for human staff, as they were unable to operate a photocopier or provide answers to guest queries.
Integrating technology into your offering allows you to free up staff to do what they do best - provide memorable experiences for guests.
Mobile now makes up 50% of web traffic worldwide. Hotels are having to optimise their booking sites for mobile, as consumers do more and more on their smartphones.When was the last time you checked out your mobile experience? 57% of internet users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile experience. That translates to lost sales if you haven’t created an easy to use mobile site. Your mobile site also needs to cater to several languages in order to encourage overseas bookings.
How many of us have planned holidays based on what we’ve seen on our Instagram feeds? 40% of under 30s prioritised how Instagrammable their holiday would be when making travel plans.
It’s the reason we turn into influencers while on holiday, needing to take the perfect shot and curating the puniest caption possible – user generated content is king (so are bragging rights).
Finding the right balance between sponsored and organic content is key in attracting visitors as consumers increasingly crave authenticity. 86% of us become interested in a specific location after seeing user generated content.Are you creating experiences that your guests want to share?
8 in 10 travellers read reviews before booking a place to stay. Online reviews can make or break you. 280 reviews submitted to TripAdvisor every minute, not to mention Google, Facebook, Booking.com or Trivago. Consumers have an endless source of feedback to access.
The easiest way to generate positive reviews is making it easy for your guests to do so. Have you set up Google and Facebook accounts? Are you reminding your guests to leave a review throughout their stay?
Negative reviews don’t always have to be a bad thing. It’s the easiest way to get feedback on what you could be doing better. It’s also a great opportunity to show that you’re receptive to feedback by crafting a well worded response.
Non-alcoholic drinks
Known as a nation of drinkers, it may come to a surprise that our alcohol consumption is the lowest it’s been in 50 years. Why? Consumers cite health reasons, cost, family and changes in the law as reasons for abstaining from alcohol. A study conducted by La Trobe University found that one-third of 120,000 Australians surveyed reported that they had reduced their alcohol intake in 2019.
In response bars are leading the uptake in non-alcoholic drinks from zero alcohol cocktails, spirits, beer and wine. The focus is now on craftmanship and flavour rather than alcohol content. Sparkling water cocktails are providing popular and are simple to make when you can carbonate water onsite with a Purezza system.
With 20% of Aussies not on the booze, serving non-alcoholic drinks not only makes sense to your bottom line but lets you create an engaging social experience for non-drinkers.
Craft brewers are targeting an emerging demographic rather than traditional beer drinkers. Roy Morgan has identified craft beer drinkers as ‘hip, young inner-city dwellers’ aged below 50, who are "cashed up, clued up and cultured’. Rather than going out to get drunk, these beer drinkers are more interested in flavour and drinking local.
Craft brewers are best position to provide a local experience, popping up in popular tourist areas as well as suburban areas. Creating a strong local presence is key to success in this market, and bars can capitalise on this by offering local brands.
Dark kitchens and food delivery
What can’t you get delivered these days? Dark kitchens are popping up all over the world in response to the rise of food delivery services. They operate similar to co-working spaces, with a number of restaurants operating out of the same facility without a dine-in experience. Food is made to order to be delivered direct to customers. Dark kitchens
How is your establishment embracing the rise in food delivery? Modern customers want personalisation and convenience. Providing memorable dine in experiences while creating quality delivery experiences is key.
Sustainability is a trend shows no sign of slowing down. The Michelin guide now awards sustainability clovers to highlight restaurants “who have taken responsibility by preserving resources and embracing biodiversity, reducing food waste and reducing the consumption of non-renewable energy.”
Veganism and vegetarianism diets are becoming mainstream as consumers embrace sustainability and wellness. The global conventional meat supply is estimated to drop by more than 33% with meat alternatives replacing classic meat products. Meat alternatives are already becoming mainstream in America, with major fast food chains such as KFC, Burger King, Subway and Carl’s Junior embracing the trend.
Venues are also ditching single use plastic in favour of recyclable and compostable packaging, as the amount of 86% of us become
interested in a specific location after seeing user generated content.Consumers expect to see paper straws and compostable coffee cups in their favourite cafes. Eliminate single use bottles with a Purezza system, allowing you to chill and carbonate your water on site and serve in re-usable glass bottles. Keep your customers coming back with their own re-fillable Purezza bottle - they already have a Keep Cup so why not offer a reusable option for their sparkling water as well?
You can now find Purezza in over 8,000 venues across North America, Europe, and Australia. The key to our success lies in our extensive range of Purezza products that allow restaurants, cafes, function centres and hospitality venues to turn a healthy margin by selling premium still and sparkling water on-site.
Contact us to find out more or talk to a Purezza expert today to find the right product for your venue.
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