Revolutionizing Hospitality: Exploring Innovation's Impact on Business Objectives

Introduction

The hospitality sector is being improvised day after day and the sector is being influenced by the local cultures, habits, and needs. Hospitality business objectives are identified to be serving people to its core and gaining a competitive advantage. As a part of the analysis, it can also be mentioned that the industry needs adequate support from its workers to generalize the profit margin and inject money into the venture. In short, innovation in the hotel industry is highly related to delivering business and allowing logical ideas to count upon a positive change. The study is going to shed the lights on main three points which are identified as concepts of innovation and the importance to business performance. The key factors in the hospitality industry is going to be analyzed furthermore. Roles of innovation in hospitality industry is also going to be discussed since business performances are improving using innovative ideas.

1. Concept of innovation and its importance to business performance

Concepts of innovation are explained in terms of managing all sorts of business performances to their core. While the business performance KPIs are applicable within the hospitality industry, innovation works as a method of adding values to the business. Importance to business can be identified in terms of managing the globalization and rapid changes that the market is observing (Tai, Wang, and Luo, 2021, p.667).

Products and services

Some innovative concepts are identified as:

• Phone-as-key-cards and Wifi
• Mobile self-check-ins and mobile booking
• Electronic luggage tags
• Self-service kiosks
• Robots as services boys
• Smartphone boarding passes (RIES, 2011, p.23)
• Uses of AI-based chatbots
• Used of big data for cloud storage of guest information
• Guest device connectivity tools and mobile assistant as a tour guide
• Using sink water to flush toilets as a part of sustainability
• Eco-friendly and edible cutleries as an alternative to plastic

It is observed that the hospitality industry has helped the business with day-to-day operations while improving customer experiences. The importance of hotels, airlines, and restaurant trends with the travel industry. To improve the interpersonal services, guest services it is important to ensure that luxury meets with convenience. These helps innovative concepts to come alive and ensure the visits of guest are never stopped for a particular organization.

Explanations and sources of innovation

Innovation is helping in the replacement of the expensive human labor with technology and it provides the guests an ultimate convenience. Innovation helps in market penetration while developing a better connection to the guest both the existing ones and the new ones. For example, one can take the Marriott hotel which is providing the guests a global solution and adds one of the innovative features of mobile access. Mobile key solutions check-in the process and allow access to the smartphones as their room keys (RASHEED, 2012, p.150). It is also becoming a trend to use smartphones as boarding passes.

Mobile bookings have become quite common in the case of hospitality and most of them are applied as a source of innovation by high-end organizations like the Holiday inn, the Marriotts, and even local hospitality sectors. Both the mentioned hotels are also using electronic baggage tags, which enables them to segregate the different baggage and due to the high schedule of guests, the hoteliers are providing complete information on the internet. Promotional marketing and collaboration with other firms are valued by the customers. High-end room designs are not enough; there is multiple tech assistance provided (Marasco et al. 2018, p.154). For example, Lanesborough is one of the top hotels in the UK that has these features enabled. Self-service kiosks are something that is being implemented in every other hotel.

The Heckfield place is identified as one of the most remarkable hotels of recent times in the UK, that is using locally sourced material for decoration to work for showing the utter sustainability components. It has a sustainable biodynamic farm and uses sink wastewater as a form of flushing the toilets (Nieves, and Quintana, 2018, p.83). The hotels also provide customers with edible cutleries to enhance the serving beauty and save plastic spoons in all events that they conduct. It reduces plastic waste to a great amount and enables minimum impact on the landscape while showing innovation. They also use one-time biodegradable pouch packs for their bathing purposes.

The innovation comes in the right format while RFID-based magnetic keys are inserted the right ways in hotel rooms for unlocking. The RFID concept is also utilized by some of the hotels as a part of wrist bands. These can be used for checking in different places of the hotels to unlock doors by the guest in a hassle-free manner (Joshi, 2018, p.61). Hotels are using AI-based chatbots as a part of guiding the guests in any issues while booking on their website. To ensure the security of guest data cloud storage is being used. One of the famous hotels Hilton is using robots as their service boys as well as a part of innovation.

Exploring the importance of innovation on business performance

Innovation has its underlying significance in the hospitality industry since it can transform the industry positively. Service providers are mostly working their best to keep up with the rapid changes that are occurring while the industry has seen best-ever growth. It is important because:

Cultural aspect: Different types of guests come from different cultural backgrounds. Some prefer being innovative and others are happy with traditional methods. However, both the categories can manage the hotel’s and they need technological adjustments to be done for them in the hospitality industry (Horng, et al. 2018, p.125). The innovation has become important since they want their customers to keep coming back and entertaining them with different cultural programs, allowing them to wear different cultural clothing and participate in photoshoots that can manage innovation in the business.

Technical aspect: The hospitality industry is working on a technicality that is user-friendly and gives marketing benefits to the hotel. Innovation is important since it enhances the chances of reaching towards change and discovering new opportunities (Ferreira, 2019, p.125). Technology is helping the business to ensure that it becomes streamlined, costs are reduced and staff workloads are managed. AI, virtual reality, and blockchain are suggested for the management of specialized travel experiences in hospitality and attracting more traffic to the sector.

Improved marketing: Hotel technology is expected to enable superior services that can mark the presence of the hotel. Tourism in general addresses the demands of people by justifying sustainable choice. Marketing is improved via innovation since the hotels are becoming proactive (Hassi, 2019, p.126). Offering freebies and complimentary services while providing adequate communication is part of managing customers and it entitles innovation. Using robots as service boys reduces human labor and serve with continuity without the extra maintenance of human resources. This innovation also attracts guests in the industry.

2. Analysing the key factors driving innovation in the hospitality industry

Technology and establishment of smart hotels

Technology is associated with big data and robotics. Hotels are allowing wide-angle network coverage inside and outside rooms so that guests can fully enjoy the pleasure of internet connectivity (RIES, 2011, p.20). There is the emergence of robots within the hospitality industry. The emergence of robots is identified to be trendy in the hospitality sector. For example, a hotel In japan named Henn-na hotel has been identified as the first and foremost hotel to have robots as staff. The hotel is entirely staffed by robots handling the front office, delivery service and even serving as a concierge. AI-based query resolving has already taken over the market and become a market sensation. Robots are equipped with AI and chat functionalists that are preloaded in their systems and customers are given a chance to choose from the options available to get a solution to their issue. However, some of the hotels are having online portals where customers can have their questions answered. Technology is also working as a tool to control the room temperature or the lighting of the rooms.

Internet marketing and distribution of wide network

Big data is also moving parallel to the usage of robotics in the hotel industry. Big data is solely identified to be assisting owners with accurate finding out of hotel room demands and improving the guest experience (TROTT, 2012, p.52). Big data also allows us to find out what is trending and what to incorporate. The use of social media is one of the major aspects of delivering the distribution of a wide network and gaining popularity. An example is Wiki friend, which is a voice-assisted device that is set up in hotel rooms and can even guide a person through a new city to travel. Voice assistance is important to encourage learning compatibility and drive holistic innovation to save energy and reduce energy. Organizational culture is being developed to create consistency within the business.

Consumer connecting with an entire hotel community

Consumers these days are not looking for just a comfortable stay. In the hospitality industry, they require more amenities. Like, choosing room attributes, floor levels, balcony, and housekeeping frequency. Food and beverage are most important that can not be missed out. Personalizing customer experiences like giving them chocolate and wines helps in getting better reviews and feedback from customers (VALIKANGAS, and GIBBERT, 2015, p.65). Now that one person is getting a positive stay, the customer is going to urge a few others to come and visit the actual hotel. An example is the Limendo application which can be easily installed into a hotel's original system This is an innovative way to find out regarding food and drinks which customers can order and empowers customer intelligence over food.

Business objectives are met with the pleasure of travel

Nowadays hotels serve as an important aspect to meet the needs of business meetings. Practices of co-working space and offering meeting packages are often observed in remarkable hotels. For example, WeDesky is a platform, which allows the hotels to share their free space such as breakfast rooms by converting them into coworking space. Engaging guests is the most important aspect and an unforgettable item. 24*7 rapid response and queue-free experience is something that allows them to get their maximized experiences. Hotels are nowadays providing economical options to explore the authentic local diversity and the growing demand of customers of travel safari is fulfilled. The system is to encourage luxury and room comfort by managing energy and room comfort.

Sustainability

It is so far the most important item to encourage in the hotel industry. “Sustainable travel experiences with low impact on the environment will become more and more popular(Gürlek, and Tuna, 2018)”. E-mobility solutions are ideal in terms of taking initiatives of renewable energy and reducing water consumption. Lahhentagge is an example of sustainability which is a small drinks manufacturer that increases recycled sourcing (bighospitality.co.uk, 2021). Lahhentagge has a product called Spruce tonic that is a recycled version of old Christmas trees. Moreover, the meat consumption is reduced by another company which is Rebel meat as they have patties with a mixture of 50% organic beef mixed with mushrooms and millets and spices. Going sustainable is possible with a reduction in plastic cups and plates.

3. Assessing the role and importance of innovation to hospitality businesses

Innovative concepts allow one to manage the competition to become the best organization. It is observed that "the organized and ubiquitous use of innovations is required to ensure the growth of enterprise and about its performance” (Gürlek and Tuna, 2018, p.468). The innovative concepts discussed earlier can be reviewed in a tabular format as follows:

In general innovation, sources are a necessity, market structure, and demographics, unexpected as well as comes with a changing perception. For that, organizers need to become innovative and produce innovative ideas (Bowie, 2015, p.337). Therefore, the audience's attention is caught and they are influenced by the eye-catching theme. “Innovation in Hospitality and Tourism identified as the methods of measuring the market-based applications of new processes, products, and forms of organization” (MATTHEWS, and BRUEGGEMANN, 2015, p.61). 40% of the firms are heavily investing in marketing tools by valuing customer satisfaction (Gürlek, and Tuna, 2018). Economic implications of hotels are providing sustainable solutions on the improvement of business solutions.

Combining the critical knowledge and expertise invests in business solutions and game-changing mechanisms of customer service. Online brand communities, new loyalty programs, or social media analytics help in generating a direct profit and value the customers with significant loyalty services (Nieves, and Quintana, 2018, p.72). Environmentally-friendly hotels offer a harmonized environment to the customers. Eco-friendly accommodation helps in minimizing the consumption of materials and the importance of innovation is preserved. Movement sensor-controlled and low-energy lighting system has been used in the hotel to save energy which attract more guest and hold a sustainable market position for the company.

Conclusion

To conclude it can be explained that hotel industry is entirely based upon its innovative idea implementation and managing challenges. This assignment has given an idea of how the hotel industry is being changed over time. B2B marketing, product marketing, team growth strategy is important to focus on hotel management aspects. Hotel firms are supposed to be adopting innovation in technology to contribute to the development. Continued services need improvement on daily basis. The services are RFID based technology that allows guest to queue free check-ins and key less room entrance. Uses of technology is identified to be essential in terms of providing quick services to customers and make them feel valued. Guests always welcome hassle free stay and appreciate benefits that are provided at hotel’s end. Hence, innovation helps in customer satisfaction as well as it develops a loyal bond with customers.

References

Journals

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