Blog / June 27, 2018
On the Road at HITEC: Hospitality Management Technologies to Watch


Bianca Esmond
After coming back from four days in Houston for HITEC 2018, it’s apparent that tech in the hospitality sector is hotter than ever. From in-room tablets and app-powered rooms keys, to guest management platforms and secure wi-fi networks, it’s never been a more exciting time to be a hospitality technology company. Here’s a snapshot of what management solutions are top of mind for hoteliers in 2018 and beyond.
GDPR, Security and Compliance
This year, GDPR was the topic on the tip of everyone’s tongues. As a business that spent months preparing for GDPR by enhancing product features to ensure our international client base was compliant, this was a topic that came up over and over again in conversations at the conference. In fact, ‘Are you GDPR compliant?’ and ‘How do you keep guest data safe?’ were two of the most frequently asked questions at our booth. Even now that the dust has settled on the mad dash to comply with the new regulations, it’s still a concern for hotels bringing on new technologies, especially those with big international traveler bases.

Connected Hotels for Smoother Operations
Hotels are good at tracking guest room nights, with U.S. brands like Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton leading the charge with robust guest loyalty programs. However, it’s a necessity in 2018 to not only track your room nights, but also F&B spend, operational efficiency and much more across your property. Historically, these individual streams of data have been siloed; today, that’s no longer a viable solution for hoteliers. To survive in this competitive economic climate, hoteliers must look at connected, open, cloud-based solutions that allowed them to acquire, engage and understand their guests across all areas of their property — from rooms and restaurants to back of house. Quite simply, the companies that are open to partnerships and direct integrations across all hospitality sectors will win. Hoteliers no longer want to run their property off 15 systems, or individually train their staff to pull guest data out of each of those platforms. Connected properties that allow data to flow between all their operational systems are the ones that are able to execute on personalization at scale, and, ultimately, provide a better experience to their guests. When you’re not thinking about how to access the data, only how to leverage it, that’s where these insights becomes a powerful tool to offer the highest level of hospitality to guests.
In-Room Technology

