Smartphones are becoming ubiquitous worldwide. They have made life so much easier and more convenient in many ways, and they are particularly useful for travelers. Smartphones become a companion on the road, providing us with up-to-date information and a source of entertainment. It is, therefore, no surprise that the hotel industry is taking notice of smartphones and using them to enhance the customer experience. But how exactly is the industry going about this?

Mobile Websites

Hotels are adapting their mobile strategies by creating intuitive mobile websites. Because so many people now use smartphones to access the web, it makes sense for businesses, including hotels, to be better prepared for mobile visitors.

Hotel guests are also likely to search for hotels online when they are on the road and cannot access a computer. By optimizing their websites for mobile devices, hotels can make the experience of finding their hotel and booking a room much more convenient.

QR Codes

Technologies like QR codes are now being used everywhere, and hotels are not missing out on them. QR codes provide a way to scan a code quickly with a smartphone, and the user is then sent directly to a web page to get more information.

This is being put to use by hotels in areas such as their restaurants. In some hotels, customers can now find QR codes following to menu items, which they can scan to immediately get more information about the ingredients and food preparation.

Smartphone Payment

Paying via smartphones is set to become one of the most significant developments in the industry over the coming years. Making payments using NFC is still in its infancy, but it is easy to see how it will take off in the near future. This is particularly useful in hotels because travelers often don’t want to carry around large amounts of cash, and paying by phone can help them control their spending.

Smartphone Keys

Smartphones are even being used in place of room keys in some hotels, and this technology is sure to catch on more in the future. Eliminating room keys and allowing guests to use their smartphones to enter and lock their doors is just one more way to improve the customer experience.

Complete Room Control

Some hotels are now taking the idea of smartphone use in hotels to a new level. Using branded apps for devices running on iOS and Android, they are coming up with solutions that allow their guests to control almost any aspect of their stay using just their mobile devices.

These include:

• Shutting the curtains in the room
• Turning down the lights
• Adjusting the thermostat
• Changing the mood settings
• Changing the TV channel
• Activating the lifts
• Getting access to local information
• Ordering room service

The Future of Hotels

Smartphone technology is being rapidly adapted by hotels across the world to provide their customers with a better experience, and it is easy to see how this technology will become much more widespread in the future as technology improves. However, the main concern for hotels is that they manage to use smartphones to enhance the customer experience without using them as a replacement for high-quality personal service. If they get this balance right, smartphone integration in hotels is almost certain to improve the experience for all guests.

Author Bio: Chris McMahon is a service industry technology consultant. His articles mainly appear on service blogs where he enjoys sharing his expertise. Visit the Marriott.com website and see how they use technology to reach their customer base.