At the end of March, the world´s largest hospitality technology exposition and conference, HITEC (Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference), took place in Europe for the first time. Hoist Group was on-site in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Professionals from all over the world within the hospitality industry gathered at HITEC Amsterdam to learn, listen and discuss the latest hospitality technology products and services. After many informative sessions and inspiring keynote speeches, there was one trend in particular that had everyone talking – the popularity of location-based services (LBS).
What is LBS?
In the recent years, the popularity of location-based services has risen rapidly. But what is LBS?
Put simply, it’s a solution that enables users to "check-in" at restaurants, hotels, places or events to gain rewards, discounts, information, and other marketing/PR information.
How does it work?
It uses real-time geodata from mobile devices or the Wi-Fi access points to provide information, entertainment or security.
Who’s using it?
Google Maps, Foursquare, GetGlue, Yelp and Facebook Places are among the most popular services. However, this trend is growing very rapidly in the retail industry, so why can’t hotel environments use it as well?
Make your big data work for you
With LBS, guests can be greeted from the moment they set foot in a hotel. They can receive personalised notifications based on big-data information the hotel may collect during the booking process. Even more simply, a guest, while passing by the Spa, can be notified of discounted offers to lure them in for a treatment. It seems that the possibilities are endless.
How can I implement LBS in my hotel?
Most likely hoteliers will require assistance from an external company who can develop a Guest App, which the guest would need to download prior to their visit. This app can then be promoted during the booking process by underlining the added value available to the guest during their stay. From there, it’s all down to the hotelier’s business needs and imagination.
Hoist Group can help you benefit from these trends, improving the check-in experience for your business and your guests. We are at the cutting edge of technology with our integrated LBS solution and our Fusion Dashboard enabled with data analytics.
We are looking forward to attending the next HITEC event and to continue to presenting Hoist Group’s latest products and innovations.