Empowering Guests With In-Room Technology
July 20, 2022
Most of us go on vacation to relax and make memories. A simple ambition maybe, but there are many parts of travel that can complicate this aim – from travel stress to sleeping in an unfamiliar place.
It’s the little things that can help us feel at home and relax into a vacation. So what solutions can you put in place to help guests reach that lay-on-the-beach-all-day kind of comfortability and feel at ease in your vacation rental?
Four ways to empower vacation rental guests with in-room technology
1. Digitized self-service
80% of customers demand faster customer service. With the increasing popularity of vacation rentals, growing another 6% this year, this guest expectation seems almost impossible for lodging providers to meet. But customer service isn’t the same as it used to be, communication, technological advancements, and guest trends have shifted – creating a unique opportunity for a new way of running your business operations.
Guests don’t expect a greeting at the door or reception, they want real-time resolutions to questions or issues without having to interact with employees. You can meet these new demands with in-room technology like Xplorie’s SmartHost, a voice-activated device created in collaboration with Amazon which enables guests to quickly receive answers through an automated communication system. Guests can even schedule services like a mid-stay room cleaning or add additional days of stay through the device.
Digitized self-service can also provide a more personalized experience and lodging providers will benefit from more opportunities to upsell, like offering discounts on local activities with their partners.
2. Control over the accommodation
Give guests the ability to treat your vacation rental as if it were their own home by installing smart home tech that allows control over property features, such as the thermostat or lights, easily from an in-room device or through their mobile phones.
There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to find something. But if guests are able to receive answers to queries like ‘where is the waffle iron?’ or ‘where can I find extra towels?’ instantly, they’re more likely to give your vacation rental a top review. Xplorie’s SmartHost answered 2.5 million questions like these last year alone.
SmartHost can currently answer over 4 million different questions, meaning this in-room feature can help guests with pretty much anything they require during their stay. A bonus is that SmartHost will be familiar to many guests, as statistics show there were already 4.2 billion digital voice assistants worldwide in 2020 – and this figure is estimated to double by 2024.
3. Contactless entry
The rise in short-term rental bookings reveals the desire for minimized human interactions and increased personal space while on vacation, which can be offered by adopting smart home tech solutions.
Direct entry technology, for example, removes the need for guests to time their arrival around employee availability and instead allows them to come and go as they please with a keyless lock accessed through a code or app.
This innovation allows guests to have the same enhanced privacy as they do in their homes, increasing comfort and lessening the feeling of being in a stranger’s rental. This can empower guests to treat the accommodation as if it were their own.
4. Access to sustainable options
Over 87% of Americans view sustainability in travel as somewhat or very important (that’s representative of almost 225 million people!) So, it’s likely those staying in your vacation rentals this summer season will expect accessibility to eco-friendly products, trips, and practices, and opportunities to live by their values.
There are many ways to help your guests achieve a sustainable trip, but research such as the 2022 Global Travel Trend report shows the majority of travelers (81%) want their spending to go back into the local community.
Appeal to this wider range of guests by showing your own initiatives and actions that support the local economy, and make it easy for them to do the same. A great way to do this is to establish partnerships with local businesses working in tourist attractions.
The best memories tend to be made when people are happy, fulfilled, and secure. Create the perfect setting for these moments by equipping your guests with everything they need to feel empowered, comfortable, and confident while staying in your vacation rental with the latest and hottest tech innovations on the market.
You can even use SmartHost to offer guests free passes to these attractions when signed up to the Xplorie program, meaning they get greater value from their stay! This means the same tech which allows guests to resolve issues quickly can also help them plan their trip, with pre-loaded recommendations and itineraries.
Xplorie
Xplorie is the leading platform in guest acquisition and retention solutions for leisure lodging providers. Since 1996, Xplorie has leveraged local and complementary activities to help lodging providers differentiate their properties, improve guest loyalty and increase top-line revenue. To learn more about how Xplorie enables lodging providers to deliver an unforgettable vacation experience to guests, visit xplorie.com/partner.
