Wi-Fi services are the most frequently installed technology in hotels, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) 2008 Current and Future Technology Use in the Hospitality Industry study.
Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation, the not-for-profit affiliate of the AH&LA, the research examined the areas of information technology most frequently implemented at hotels and quantified the increased customer demand motivating hoteliers to enhance their product with new amenities and programmes.
Wi-Fi services were the IT system that guests care about most, according to 82% of respondents.
Currently 86% of responding hotels offer Wi-Fi services, and 20% of those not offering it plan to do so within the next five years.
After Wi-Fi, in-room entertainment systems and airline check-in kiosks were cited as important to customers by 48% and 38% of respondents, respectively.
Among responding properties, there was an overwhelming agreement that IT is important for increasing customer satisfaction (82.4%); increasing employee efficiency (79.9%); and generating revenue (71.3%).
By staff writer
