5 reasons why you need to digitise your hotel for its reopening

Paylands is the payment technology of many Spanish hotels and tourism businesses, so we know first-hand the reality they are experiencing due to the coronavirus pandemic. We also know that the mandatory implementation of the European PSD2 payments directive, from the beginning of 2021, could not have come at a worse time for this sector. However, both crises can be used to take an important step in the digitalisation of the business and to ensure that the reopening is under the best possible conditions, both for the business and for its customers.

Experts have been warning for years of the need to digitise and automate processes to make the sector more efficient, but it is now when the leap is essential to be able to offer the safest possible shopping and accommodation experience to the guest. Customers demand an almost non-existent level of risk of contagion and it is possible to guarantee this if, in addition to extreme hygiene measures, contacts are reduced to a minimum through digitalisation:

1. Online customer acquisition

Due to the health situation, the tourism industry has become almost 100% dependent on the online medium for customer acquisition. It is therefore more important than ever to strengthen advertising, SEO, social media and online offers and promotions to stay ahead of the competition.

Likewise, and not exclusively to avoid depending on them, it is advisable to reinforce the presence in OTAs and also in search engines and online comparators.

2. Contactless check-in and check-out

Despite arguments to the contrary, the truth is that online check-in in hotels was a booming trend before the pandemic and has now become a determining factor in meeting the needs of the guest. Guests want to have completely secure experiences and offering them contactless check-in and check-out is a win-win situation.

Because they avoid queues and reduce the workload at the front desk, minimising the risk of contagion and increasing the productivity of the business. And thanks to the tokenisation of cards, it is even possible to collect the generated expenses or no-shows without the presence of the customer, more contactless impossible.

3. Integrated omni-channel payments

For the digitisation and automation of payments to be truly efficient, it is essential that they are integrated into a single control panel. The easiest way to achieve this is by opting for a payment provider such as Paylands that allows the hotel to charge through any channel and integrates all transactions.

4. Increase productivity

We have already seen several ways in which automation can increase the productivity of a hotel, as it reduces the number of tasks that the human team must carry out, but it also increases the guarantees of internal security.

But, in addition, with the right payment gateway to comply with PSD2, staff will have no contact with payment data at any time, reducing the risk of errors and speeding up timescales. A significant improvement for hotel productivity and guest satisfaction.

5. Have customer feedback

And, of course, something essential to continue improving and building customer loyalty and which digitalisation greatly facilitates is direct post-sales contact, with the aim of obtaining feedback from customers but also to send them advantages and promotions for future stays.

This is especially important in times of coronavirus, as listening to customers’ suggestions will help us to offer them an experience that they experience as 100% safe and this will help us to improve occupancy levels with total security.

Do not doubt that it is the perfect time to digitise your hotel and start enjoying all these benefits.

Contact us without obligation and we will advise you on how to digitise all your payments with Paylands: