2021 definitely proved to be the year of the ongoing aftermath of the world pandemic that struck us in 2020. Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, we look beyond and anticipate 2022 hotel trends coming our way. You’ll notice similar themes throughout with technology playing a huge role in advancing the industry.
Take a look at our list for 2022 hotel trends below!
1 - A continued rise in tech
A common theme you’ll definitely be seeing in 2022 is the continued integration of tech and smart technology.
Smart Rooms
Remember watching Ironman and thinking about when we’d be living in a world where our homes and living spaces were souped up? That vision isn’t so far away anymore. Smart room technology is making its way into a hotel room near you! Modern tech is making it possible for guests to have everything they want at their fingertips, voice command, face recognition...and more.
Capabilities include but are definitely not limited to:
-Wireless device charging
-Voice enabled commands
-Facial recognition
-Tablet-based monitoring
-Smart mirrors
-Concierge video chat
-Smart digital controls
The sky's the limit and hotels are just getting started!
Booking Technology Optimization
Booking a stay at a hotel is easier than ever. Do it on your desktop, smartphone or tablet through many online outlets: direct/third parties and meta searches. More and more, businesses have mobilized their websites with apps to make it even easier to book and manage your trips. Take Airbnb for example: they have over 4 million properties to offer visitors. Airbnb has also seen an increase in gross booking value year-over-year for the first time since the onslaught of COVID-19 last February 2020. Having a robust booking app makes it so easy for guests to book at their fingertips and allows them to manage their bookings and reservations - cutting down on that admin time spent on the phone just to change a date for example.
Check-in Automation
We’ve talked about it before and we’re going to say it again: self check-in saves time and money and is a great long term investment. This trend had started long before the pandemic but this ongoing crisis has really lamented its position as a 2022 hotel trend. The need for contactless interactions and social distancing is becoming the new norm. Guests want to be able to check-in, pay, and get what they want all by themselves. This is quickly becoming the preference over traditional methods of checking in and out. Many hotels are adopting robots to assist with the guest journey.
Hotel SaaS + Cloud
With these new systems means that specialized software running them needs to be implemented. SaaS will remain a trend for 2022 hotel trends as the hospitality industry continues its industrialization with transitioning over to cloud based systems, modern software with a dramatic increase in functionality and capabilities. Having integrated software means that the various systems you have will be able to communicate with each other and automate your various workflows, meaning less time spent on arduous administrative tasks, and more time on selling, developing your teams, and taking care of guests. Old legacy systems of the past are finally being shelved.
As tech continues to evolve, watch out for more trends coming our way. To name a few: blockchain solutions for cryptocurrency and e-payment methods, cybersecurity measures to protect all the data in the cloud, predictive smart systems doing a lot more than just auto-correct, and smart recognition technology to make things like keys, cards, and codes redundant in the near future.
2 - Staycations and vacations?
Please raise a hand if you had a staycation in the last year and a half. It’s safe to say that everyone needed some time off and had vacation days to use and probably travelled locally due to the ongoing pandemic. Heading into the end of 2021, travel is seeming possible again but not without its many, many risks and challenges. Here’s hoping for 2022 hotel trends where staycations can sit on the back burner and traveling for vacations are safer for everyone.
But with that being said, one can hope, but the reality is that trying to predict how travelling will be is a highly turbulent subject so we want to err on the side of caution. Even if travel restrictions ease up in 2022, many people will still opt for local staycations or at least travel within their nation for the foreseeable future just due to the risk. We predict staycations will still remain, but with a slow progression to international travel.
3 - An increasing focus on sustainability
With global warming and our impact on the earth and oceans coming to the forefront, we’re seeing the impacts everyday directly or indirectly. The conversation is here and it’s not going anywhere. 2022 hotel trends have an increasing focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices. Immediate things you’ll notice at hotels are their transition to paperless menus and reciepts, swapping out plastic straws and house-keeping on demand to cut down on redundant laundry and washing. This is just a start. There are many other ways hotels can become more sustainable and you can check the list here.
4 - More ‘bleisure”
Work from home has become the new normal. Even with offices re-opening, most workplaces have adopted work-from-home elements into their schedules. This is an area hotels can focus on where business meets leisure. Offer packages with wi-fi, a fancy in-room lunch or a lunch voucher to the hotel restaurant, and include a gym or pool pass. You’ll find repeat guests who can’t get the same tranquility at home or at the office. If they happen to book near the weekend, offer discounted rates to extend their stay an extra day or two. Filling up the gaps in your reservations with these types of bookings come at low cost to you, and are of great value to business guests.
With 2022 just around the corner, we’re excited and hopeful for what’s to come. The hospitality industry is fully in recovery mode and the elastic is snapping back. We can’t wait to see what travel and tourism will look like in the near future.
