How Are Hotels Going to Change After the Pandemic?

Hearing that nothing is going to stay the same after the pandemic has become a sort of a cliché in recent months. However, what exactly does this sentence mean in the context of hotels and which changes are going to influence this field of business in the upcoming months and years?

Please Don't Touch

The first trend that has only been accelerated by the pandemic is the gradual shift towards touchless technologies. Although they – as we have already mentioned earlier – do not have to make sense in all cases, they can come as a useful help when focusing more closely on hygiene.

The bathroom is only one of many places where automation should at least be considered. An ever more popular feature of modern hotels is a touchless check-in (instead of a reception you only need a mobile application and instead of room keys you provide your guests with a chip card or a QR code). Larger hotel chains also let their customers control a variety of features in their room via their mobile – they can set up the room temperature, turn on the air conditioning or change the TV channels from the comfort of their own smartphone screen.

My Room, My Rules

The experience of being stuck at home during the pandemic has left a trace in all of us that is not going to disappear that quickly. What is more, it is also going to influence the way customers behave when staying in a hotel. 

They will put a larger focus on room facilities and will prefer smaller apartments with kitchenettes. They will also expect a larger deal of privacy from the hotel staff – whether during the already mentioned check-in (or check-out) process or during the cleaning of the room.

The World Is Outside

When the guests finally leave the comfort (and safety) of their room, they will spend significantly more time in the outdoor areas of the hotel. Again, this can be traced to the experience we all gained during the pandemic as well as a natural, almost subconscious reaction to the fact the virus spreads easier indoors (and unlike inside, we often do not have to wear face-masks outside).

This need of the customers should therefore also be reflected by the hotels. Instead of investing in large entrance halls and conference rooms, they should focus on making their outside premises nicer and cozier. An investment into a smaller patio with heating which can welcome guests even in winter seems like a good solution not only for the upcoming winter but for years ahead.