Munaza Kazmi

The pandemic of Coronavirus had changed the globe by shifting the minds sets of people. It has a profound impact on hotel industry throughout the World, impacting hotels’ ability to generate cash flow to cover operating expenses and debt service.

For examining the new expectations of hotel guest, a Software company METOVA had conducted a blind survey of more than 1,000 people in the United States who have stayed at a hotel, resort or casino in the past 2 years regarding their response about COVID-19 practices, concerns, and technology in the hospitality industry.

According to the Metova’s Fall 2020 Hospitality Survey:

• 78% have avoided staying in a hotel, casino, or resort specifically due to COVID-19 
• 90% say it is very or extremely important that the facility they stay at enforces COVID-19 safety policies 
• Nearly 90% prefer that the hotel they stay at has a mobile app offering the ability to completely manage a stay without having to interact with a person 
• 86% say other things being equal, they would choose one hotel over another if one offered the option of a fully contactless mobile check-in, concierge, check-out, and facility reservation app 
• 60% have stayed in a hotel, casino, or resort in the past 6 months 
• 82% feel the COVID-19 pandemic will bring about changes to the onsite lodging experience that will last well into the future 
• Mobile check-in and alerts for on-site amenities (68%), access to room via mobile app (61%), and online concierge services via mobile app (55%) are the changes of most value to in a future hotel stay

Further, Jonathan Sasse, chief strategy officer at Metova said, “COVID-19 has accelerated customer demand for technologies such as mobile check-in apps, keyless entry, and mobile concierge services that enable a contactless experience while adding convenience that did not exist in the past, “and not only are these technologies a deciding factor when a customer has the choice to pick one hotel, casino, or resort over another, but the overall desire for them is here to stay.”

Certainly the change brought in response of COVID-19, carried a new era for the hotels.