HB On The Scene: Hoteliers Get An Earful Of Technology Trends

ORLANDO, FL—More than 75 hotel executives were present at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center here to learn first hand the value that technology can bring to their properties. Speakers at the event titled “Transforming the Hospitality Industry, An Executive Briefing on Leveraging Technology to Improve Your Bottom Line,” were: Peter Yesawich, managing partner, Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell; Keith Bryan, regional sales manager, Cisco Systems; Elliot Markowitz, executive editor, HOTEL BUSINESS®; Michael DiLeva, managing director, hospitality solutions, travel and distribution for Unisys Corp.; Richard Zarth, CIO of the Gaylord Palms Resort & Conference Center; Clyde Pearce, CIO of the Sheraton Petaluma; Kumar Pavithran, vp of business development at Percipia Networks; and Geoff Messinger of Inncom. The high-speed Internet access revolution, both hard wired and wireless, was the focal point of much of the day’s discussion. Yesawich kicked off the event with a presentation titled “America in Transition: A Preview of Emerging Lifestyles and Travel Trends,” in which he portrayed a smarter, more tech-savvy traveler who is looking for the best price at the best value. As such, online hotel bookings will continue to rise and more travelers, business and leisure alike, are now expecting their hotels to offer high-speed Internet access in guestrooms, he said. Yesawich also shared his thoughts and research on how the travel industry will likely fare this year. Now that the war with Iraq seems to be coming to a close, “we will see an uptick in demand for leisure travel this summer,” Yesawich said. However, despite this positive reflection, business travel will not likely come back again until the economy improves sometime next year, he told the group of hoteliers. Yesawich also described the makeup of the “new hotel guest” in an effort to prepare the audience for its future customers. He described these current travelers as more productive, worried, wired, demanding and more family oriented. Cisco’s Bryan reiterated many of Yesawich’s remarks about the growing demand for HSIA access in hotels saying, “Even leisure travelers are taking their laptops on the road. They want the same things on the road as they have in the office,” he said, adding as he looks to book hotel stays, he demands properties with HSIA. “I would pick your hotel over others who do not have [HSIA] capabilities,” he told the group. Unisys’ DiLeva took it one step further and discussed using HSIA devices in guestrooms to gather better customer data as well as offer the guest all the bells and whistles. Just offering HSIA to guests is not going to be enough in the coming years, but personalized services through the use of technology is what is going to be the biggest differentiators, he said. “There is a convergence between technology and personalization” that hoteliers can take advantage of through devices in the guestroom utilizing voice over Internet protocol (IP) he said. The Gaylord Palms, where the event took place, prides itself on its technological capabilities and touts its HSIA in guestrooms. “We are a group property and the technology is very important,” Zarth said. The event at the hotel was hosted by Cisco, Unisys and HOTEL BUSINESS®.