Hospitality Redefined

In a post-pandemic world, the hotel business is learning to speak a different language

- HARVEY CHIPKIN

Staycations. Single-sided buffets. Mobile concierge. Contactless technology. A whole new vocabulary has sprung up around hospitality as a result of the pandemic, reflecting just how much the lodging industry had to adapt to a difficult time.

Business travelers who had been used to spending a high percentage of their nights in a guestroom are now returning to hotels after more than a year at home. What they find may be unfamiliar or even surprising as hoteliers responded to the crisis with many changes – some profound and some cosmetic – and some of which may be here to stay. As many have said, a crisis might not originate trends but it may accelerate them.

According to a report called “Rebuilding Hospitality: Trends in Demand, Data and Technology That Are Driving Recovery,” from hospitality data provider Amadeus Demand360, travelers might find:

• Enhanced hygiene measures are here to stay: A third (32 percent) of hoteliers think that they will always need social distancing, sanitization and visible hygiene measures.

• Long-term reduction in guest contact and housekeeping: 20 percent of global hoteliers indicate they will keep interaction between staff and guests to a minimum, and 21 percent plan to reduce daily housekeeping.

• Personalization could help cross the contactless hospitality divide: 30 percent of respondents said that contactless technology to support personalized guest experiences was an exciting development.