Aware and alert to the changing needs of customers
The ongoing battle against the pandemic has triggered several changes in the hospitality industry and has also made it critical for hoteliers to adopt new practices and technology that will instil confidence in guests. Rajneesh Malhotra, Vice President – Operations and Asset Management, Chalet Hotels, feels that the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a sea change in hotel operations, and adopting the new practices will be the way forward.
The pandemic has prompted hoteliers to embrace fresh ideas and inspiration to cater to ever-changing consumer behaviour and perceptions. While safety continues to be of prime importance, the industry is also faced with a gamut of challenges pertaining to developing a more personalised and engaging guest experience with minimum human contact.
“At Chalet Hotels too, we have implemented robust measures with globally accepted safety standards to reinforce our commitment to safety and enhance guest confidence. We have leveraged customer-centric technology to enable contactless communication for a seamless, secure and safe experience. Our hotels are at various stages of implementation of technologies that are aimed at improving the guest experience, saving costs, and facilitating contactless/touchless services. For example, we are in the process of implementing a keyless mobile check-in option (Mobile Key) where guests can directly walk to their allotted room and can open the door by using a keyless mobile check-in app,” says Malhotra.
COVID-19 has disrupted the way the world normally functions and amidst the outbreak and uncertainty, communication has become all the more important. Frequent outreach through regular updates showcasing solidarity and unity with the stakeholders and partners is necessary especially at this point.
On this, Malhotra shares, “We have been organising regular town halls with all our employees to communicate latest on the pandemic front and the steps the company is taking to ensure health and safety of guests and associates. Our hotels too have organised counseling sessions for employees to deal with the stress induced by the current pandemic.”
In a fast-paced and rapidly changing business ecosystem, it is vital for hotels to be more guestcentric than ever before. “Our hotels are branded with leading global brands Marriott and Accor, who have industry-leading hygiene and cleanliness standards that inspire confidence amongst customers. All our hotels are strategically located in business hubs of key metro-cities and we cater majorly to the corporate and business travelers whose primary concerns are health, hygiene and safety,” informs Malhotra.
Chalet Hotels have come up with very attractive staycation packages which have been well received by the people and they do see some traction in that segment.