True hospitality: Thoughts on balancing modern technology with classic service

Hospitality. It's a word that defines an industry. The English word 'host' comes from the Latin base hospes, which means 'host,' 'guest' or 'stranger.' Many cultures valued the ability to provide hospitlaity to guests as of the highest order. For example, the ancient Greek principle of xenia defined the guest-host relationship as a key measure of nobility.

Today, hospitality is one of the rare industries that consumers are able to practice in their own homes. Most travelers have the experience of hosting a dinner party or overnight guests. This builds foundational experiences that inform how travelers interact with hotels. So expectations of 'true hospitality' vary, depending on culture, class, age and other demographics.

Evolving perceptions on true hospitality

What defines hospitality was a recurring theme at this year's Skift Global Forum. During one panel moderated by Luke Bujarski, there was a mention of how accommodations platform Airbnb might create an ancillary revenue stream through in-home merchandising. In other words, guests could buy certain curated items during their stay.

This didn't feel like true hospitality to Frommers.com Editor-in-Chief Jason Cochran. He mentioned this on Twitter, eliciting an illuminating response from Airbnb itself.

While a missive from a social care team does not indicate a future strategy, the reality is that most guests prioritize a memorable stay in the destination. While souvenirs and other items are certainly in many travelers' budgets, it really is about the experience first.

In follow-up comments to Sabre Insights, Cochran further emphasized this experience-first approach to true hospitality:

The bigger the hotel, the thicker the training manual, the less likely the gestures of hospitality will be genuine or come across that way.

This perceived lack of genuine hospitality comes down to hiring and training. It also relates to how humans interface with technology. 'True hospitality' is often defined (and/or challenged) by technology. From personalization to retailing, technology can make it simultaneously easier and more complicated to deliver that true hospitality experience.

Even if guests seek out self-service, there's an inevitable impact on the guest experience. Cochran expands further on how technology can actually erase a guest's feeling of hospitality:

I know hotels like to pretend they're making things more personal. But a lot of the innovations (smartphone keys, in-room streaming) actually have an isolating effect. They enable guests not to have to deal with staff.

Like in many areas of the modern world, an unfettered explosion of 'tech for tech's sake' can in fact be detrimnetal to the very thing meant to be enhanced: the guest experience.

Learning what a guest wants without being creepy

One thing is certain: hoteliers must learn about their guests prior to a trip if they are to truly craft an individual experience. From a technology perspective, this could be done via email, social networks, loyalty profiles or even an old fashioned phone call. Of rising popularity is also push notifications and messaging, which allows hotels to directly message guests about upcoming stays.

Messaging can be a tool that slots into the traveler's schedule without being too invasive, while still maintaining that personal touch. One recent example comes from Sabre's TripCase, with a new messaging platform for hotels. This communication channel offers a blend of automation and personalization. A non-invasive yet personal guest experience requires hoteliers to take a proactive stance with the right mix of tech and touch for their brand. Without that balance, automation can make personalization feel sterile or pedestrian.

At its core, true hospitality is a truly unique and welcoming experience that won't be forgotten

Becky Burke, director of marketing at Sabre Traveler Experience, understands this pursuit of balance:

'Hospitality can come in many forms and have multiple meanings to different people. At its core, it means to provide a truly unique and welcoming experience that won't be forgotten. Technology is evolving the travelers experience to make it more holistic and personalized. Travelers expect hoteliers to know their preferences and anticipate their demands. By sending relevant messages at the most appropriate time, hoteliers can begin building relationships with their guests, delighting them with high-touch, human service that they want and expect.'

Using all the tools at your disposal

Messaging platforms are exploding in popularity. Especially now that Apple has opened up its proprietary iMessage with its own App Store, there are many touchpoints for a hotel to reach a customer. Whether its technology-based or good-old fashioned paper notes, hotels must remember to use all the tools at their disposal. No two hotel brands are the same and no two guests are the same. By combining an on-brand approach to technology with deep staff training to listen and respond to guest needs in real-time (and face-to-face), any hotel brand can deliver the true hospitality that guests today remember.

As Jason Cochrain from Frommers.com says, it's really about understanding the human aspect of travel - and making a human feel at home:

'I think it's as simple as anticipating my needs even before anticipating my wants. How can they take what they know about me to smooth my arrival, give me a soft place to land when I'm exhausted. It shouldn't be that hard.'