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Pros and Cons of Booking Hotel Facilities Online
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, technologies have urged to its extreme level to support the hospitality industry. Online Booking is not something new. In fact, the system had even existed before the pandemic started. But what comes with COVID-19 is that Online Booking started to build attraction among managerial teams. The question to ask is Online Booking is in favor of hotel owners and hotel managers?
There are many debates surrounding Online Booking for different hotel facilities.
Disadvantages of Online Booking for Hotel Facilities
1. Internet Access! Internet Access!
Maintaining internet access is still quite troublesome for some hotels and guests as well, depending on the location. Apparently, not all the guests have internet access on the go. Having this in mind, what happens if guests come in without advanced booking? Are they on the losing end?
2. Update the hotel management system
The fact is having great technology does not mean that hotels are able to cope up. Updating the system from an older system to a new one takes time, effort, money and much training involved to have the system in place.
3. Education. Training and Training!
Yes, hotels have a big budget to advance their hotel management systems but then, there comes the hotel staff. Not all hotel receptionists, hotels sales, hotels marketing are tech geeks. It could be a few weeks. It could take months, and years to learn if the system is complex. In some cases, hotels also need to hire a new technical staff. So, giving up on adopting a technology might be the preferred option.
4.General Misconception: Tech Replacing Humans!
Hotel staff might be worried “I am gonna be replaced by this automatic system.” Imagine a world with all robot receptionist machines and “Siri” online booking facilities. So there comes a belief that hotel staff is no longer needed. Bam! “You are fired!”
But in reality, it does not simply happen that way. Many guests still love the hospitality service and the warm welcoming gestures that hotel staff offers. Therefore, whether or not technology will replace humans is like “When is Elon Musk going to take us to Mars?”
Advantages of Online Booking for Hotel Facilities
1. Maximize Reservations
One cannot deny the fact that hotels can have better management of hotel reservations for all services from restaurant bookings, room services, to gym and facilities booking. Online Facilities Booking can help to avoid overbookings.
2.Increase Productivity of Staff
Hotel staff does not have to do manual booking arrangements. With no more data entry or phone calls to confirm booking, hotel staff can focus more on other tasks. Find out how to increase staff productivity here.
3. “Contactless” Bookings
Obviously, in this COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene and safety come first. Online Bookings do give hotels the privilege of keeping these protective measures under control. Furthermore, this is a great way to impress guests on how conscious the hotels are to care for them.
4.Utilizing Tech to Leverage Traditional Hospitality
Some hotels have utilized technology to leverage their hotel services. Having an Online Booking System enables them to cater to the vast majority of travelers. By using technology as one of the tools for hotel services, guests have more choices in line with the new era of travel.
All in all, the stories of Online Booking Systems, Hotel Technology do not end here. A long way still awaits for this hotel technology journey when Covid-19 is recovered. What hotels can really do now is adapt and learn. Learning and updating are never out of date; moreover, it helps hotels to be more resilient. Even my late 85 years old grandmother who lived in China was learning how to use the internet, and smartphone to keep herself relevant. There is no reason for us to maintain the status quo.
Written by: AirHost Marketing Team.