| Frequent hotel guests are becoming more familiar | | | | know that guest services, reservations and other |
| with the growing presence of digital signs in lobbies, | | | | helpful information is a remote click or screen touch |
| near hotel restaurants and bars and even outside | | | | away. |
| meeting rooms. | | | | According to a recent article in The New York Times, |
| That's not too surprising. A recent forecast from | | | | the hotel market in the United States currently is |
| market researcher iSuppli Corp. indicated the | | | | experiencing a boom. Quoting figures from Smith |
| indoor-venue market for digital signs, which includes | | | | Travel Research, the newspaper reported that the |
| hotels, will reach 683,000 units this year and increase | | | | occupancy rate for the first nine months of 2006 |
| at a 26 percent compounded annual growth rate to | | | | was 65.2 percent. |
| 1.7 million units in 2010. | | | | Boosting occupancy rates further may in large part |
| According iSuppli, a good deal of the growth will | | | | depend on how well guests are treated. A recent |
| come as hoteliers continue to transition from guest | | | | article in The International Herald Tribune, pointed out |
| room TVs to flat panel displays, like plasma and LCD | | | | that personalized services -everything from nursing ill |
| screens, and target guests with customized | | | | business travelers' back to health to delivering |
| information and entertainment. With the ability to | | | | guest-requested once-over fashion inspections- offer |
| deliver the same information displayed in lobbies to | | | | the industry a way to connect on a personal level |
| in-room displays, hoteliers can offer guests quick | | | | with its guests and induce them to return on their |
| access to what's happening in their facilities from the | | | | next trip. |
| comfort and privacy of guest rooms. | | | | The appeal of such services to guests is self-evident. |
| "How guests perceive their rooms can be more | | | | What might not be so apparent is how hotel |
| powerful than any other factors in terms of the way | | | | managers looking to minimize costs can deliver them |
| they view a hotel's overall value," said Sanju Khatri, | | | | without increasing staff. Based on the success of the |
| principal analyst for projection and large-screen | | | | Westfield Group with its interactive mall directories, |
| displays at iSuppli. "Delivering a variety of in-room | | | | digital signage might be the key. |
| entertainment options may promote greater guest | | | | When properly designed in-room and out-of-room |
| satisfaction, leading to repeat business." | | | | digital signage can transparently collect data from |
| While technology can't replace the human dimension | | | | hotel computer management systems, automatically |
| of effective customer service, it has a place in | | | | display that information and even connect guests |
| equation, reported The Wall Street Journal. A recent | | | | interactively to hotel services and those of preferred |
| article discussed the use of interactive directories by | | | | vendors. In the process, it can relieve hotel staff |
| the Westfield Group designed to replace the | | | | from some of their traditional tasks, allowing them to |
| traditional static mall map. | | | | focus on delivering the personalized services that |
| While the application centers on a retail use, lessons | | | | ingratiate the hotel with its guests and create |
| learned from the rollout of 19 such directories at the | | | | customer loyalty. |
| Westfield San Francisco Centre are appropriate for | | | | While forecasts like iSuppli Corp.'s envision strong |
| hoteliers as well. The directories, along with 11 | | | | growth for digital signage in hotels over the next few |
| concierges, guide shoppers to the right store, display | | | | years, those predictions will only come to fruition if |
| bus and train schedules and can be used to make | | | | the technology can help hoteliers succeed in |
| reservations for shoppers at local restaurants. | | | | attracting and building a loyal customer base. With the |
| That same sort of interactivity and convenience | | | | ability to serve up the information guests need and |
| -both in-room and in public areas like lobbies- can help | | | | free existing staff to take even better care of hotel |
| to create customer loyalty among guests, attracting | | | | guests, the use of digital signage at hotels is likely to |
| repeat business from road weary travelers who | | | | achieve its growth projections. |