Research reveals increasing importance of smart tech for hotel guests

Hotel guests are more concerned about the latest smart technology being provided than landlines and free breakfasts, new research has shown.

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Hotel guests are more concerned about the latest smart technology being provided than landlines and free breakfasts, new research has shown.

The survey of 2,000 leisure and business travellers found hotel guests’ expectations have changed in the last five years and guests are increasingly interested in the latest smart technology.

A third would like a smart television, while 18% want smart appliances like automatic coffee makers for when they wake up, the E.ON research shows.

Almost a quarter would like to be able to control things like air conditioning or the entertainment system remotely using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and 5% said they would like to have a robot butler to serve them in their rooms.

The research indicates the provision of smart technology is now a deciding factor in whether some guests stay at a hotel, with one in ten saying they would choose a hotel based on whether it had the latest technology.

They now take 40% more gadgets away with them than they did in 2011 and expect convenient connections rather than the traditional features of a hotel.

The use of e-readers has increased three-fold, wearable tech such as smart watches has doubled, and two in five people (44%) now take a tablet on holiday, compared to only one-in-20 people (6%) five years ago.

Half of consumers would like hotels to provide universal chargers and to locate plug sockets next to the bed for convenience, 40% expect USB charging sockets in their rooms, and a 22% want wireless charging points.

Expectations around more traditional hotel features have also changed, the research suggests.

Three quarters of travellers want their hotels to provide free Wi-Fi, with 20% of people saying this is more important than a complimentary breakfast.

Meanwhile 40% would happily forgo a landline phone in their room.

Phil Gilbert, head of business energy solutions at E.ON, said: “The changes in travelling habits and the demands of guests will have a significant impact on hotels both small and large – not just from their impact on energy consumption, it’s also something to bear in mind when renovating your accommodation.

“Cutting down waste, using smart technology to manage buildings and possibly generating their own power are all options for hotels to consider.”