Giving Guests the Confidence to Return to the Hotel After the Pandemic

As the global pandemic continues, find out how hoteliers can restore confidence to their guests as restrictions ease.

Make no mistake—the global pandemic has caused the largest downturn the hotel industry and wider hospitality industry have seen since World War Two. A recent article by EHL Insights notes how in the UK, occupancy rates dropped by as much as 67% during the height of the outbreak. The rate is similar across Europe and the US, and with a second wave now being touted in the press, many hoteliers are anxious to see how governments will react to this seemingly never-ending saga.

But are government restrictions the only blocker to guests returning? It seems not. According to a survey by PWC, 38% of respondents said they will avoid flying, 37% said they would not stay in a short-term rental such as Airbnb, and 16% said they would not stay overnight in a brand-name hotel such as Marriott or Hilton. While these numbers will surely decrease as the pandemic subsides, it shows that there are factors other than enforced restrictions stopping people from traveling—namely their own anxieties about the virus. So, what can hoteliers do to reassure guests that their hotel is safe and get them to return? We’re going to show you how SuitePad’s in-room tablets can help you restore guest confidence so you can get guests returning sooner and in greater numbers.

Bridging the gap with digital technology

Guests’ threshold for returning to their regular love of summer vacation will be lowered if hotels ensure they’re putting efforts in to restrict the spread of COVID-19. However, putting in these restrictions will likely also decrease revenues for hoteliers. For example, the maximum capacity of the hotel restaurant will be lowered due to social distancing regulations, and more money will need to be spent on cleaning staff, PPE, and specialist disinfecting products. Managing this delicate balance between guest confidence and revenue management will determine how successful hotels are in the aftermath of the pandemic. Digital solutions such as SuitePad’s in-room tablets will help hotels close the gap, reducing logistical costs while providing a safer and therefore more reassuring hotel environment for guests and staff.

In-room tablets offer functions that are traditionally done face-to-face in hotels such as booking tables in the hotel restaurant, buying products from the hotel shop, and finding out information about the local area and activities that the hotel offers. Bringing these into an online setting will reduce your need to increase spending on extra hotel staff to manage the contactless service guests demand, while also ensuring you can provide the same great hotel experience they expect.

Using SuitePad to build guest confidence

The many functions available with a SuitePad installation make it the perfect solution for making guests feel at ease while staying at your hotel. Here are just a few of the key functions and how they can help you restore confidence to your guests:

Digitally ordering room service – At a time when guests are less likely to want to eat out due to the risk of transmission, the hotel room has become the ideal dining space. With SuitePad’s in-room tablets, you can offer a more detailed menu than paper alternatives complete with a chat function for guest inquiries and unlimited space for images of dishes. The SuitePad acts as a go-between for hotel staff and guests, essentially giving guests a digital waiter in the comfort of their own room!

The complete information point – When guests need to know something about the hotel, they typically ask at the front desk. With social distancing regulations and worries about spreading COVID-19, this kind of interaction should be limited. The SuitePad allows you to offer a level of detail that paper collateral cannot while letting those guests that are worried about spreading the virus keep their distance. The ability to change information about the COVID-19 regulations at your hotel whenever you need to is an important tool for ensuring guests are kept up-to-date and confident during their stay.

Giving guests control of their room cleaning schedule – Some parts of a hotel stay are out of a guest’s control and this may cause some anxieties about the spread of the virus. A classic example is housekeeping. Most guests don’t usually dispute the housekeeping regime of a hotel, but at a time when anyone could potentially spread the disease, it’s best to give guests complete control of their room’s housekeeping schedule in case they’re worried about people entering the room. With SuitePad’s Green Option, guests can choose the level of daily room cleaning they’d like or forgo it all together for better peace of mind. This point is also covered in more depth in our blog post Using In-room Tablets to Overcome the Four Biggest Obstacles for Hoteliers During the Coronavirus Era

Order your free SuitePad demo and restore guests confidence now

With the ongoing global pandemic seemingly here for a while longer, it’s a good idea to look for solutions that help your guests get back to some kind of normality. Here at SuitePad, we have the perfect solution for you. 

If you’d like to find out more about how SuitePad can ease the pandemic anxiety for your guests, contact us for a free demo of our product today. Our team of experts will show you exactly how the SuitePad can streamline your hotel’s processes at a time when things have changed quite dramatically.

_{- Published on August 27, 2020}