The hotel industry, as any other industry on the planet, is slowly changing. It simply must keep up with the demands of a changing society and new customer expectations. To put it briefly, whereas hotels used to make sure their staff kept you happy, they now rely on people entertaining themselves, mostly with the aid of technology. These trends were discovered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, which surveyed more than 10.000 hotels across the United States.
The main change concerns the internet and the provision of WiFi services along with lobby-based internet cabins. Hotels have adjusted to the fact that modern people cannot even spend holiday time without being connected to the internet. The case of business-related guests is even more dramatic. Just 4 years ago, only 35% of American hotels were equipped with WiFi. Now, the figure has reached 91% and just 16% of hotels bother charging for this service. This shows how the internet is now taken absolutely for granted by both guests and hotel managers. In-room entertainment systems are set to follow even more in years to come in keeping with the technology boom.
Hotels now put more stress on offering healthier food. This trend began in the 90’s, when food giants started offering ‘diet’ goods. The obsession today revolves around BIO goods, which are now offered by 60% of hotels. Whether it makes sense to eat such goods or not is a matter of opinion. That people now demand their availability is a matter of fact. On a similar note, 79% of American hotels now offer something in the field of sporting facilities. These facilities range from gyms to swimming pools. Beauty salons are also gaining popularity.
Whatever the hotels need to do in order to assure a high level of guest satisfaction, it is of utmost importance to keep the guests in the hotel for as long as possible in order for the guests to spend money only on the hotel’s brands.