There is no denying that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic badly hit the hotel and tourism sector in the United States and in many countries worldwide.
However, many hotel owners and businesses have employed or are currently utilizing different innovations to save what is left of their businesses. Here are the top three hotel innovations that you should look out for in 2021.
1. “Upcycling” Space
The entire year 2020 is a big fail for many travelers and business owners that solely depend on tourism. Various hotels, restaurants, and small food and beverage companies were forced to file for bankruptcy or just permanently close.
Strict COVID-19 restrictions and numerous lockdown orders reduced these businesses’ customers and clientele from few to none. To compensate for the losses and to somehow skirt some regulations, many vacant hotels began to lease their rooms to restaurants.
These restaurants turned hotel rooms into private dining areas compliant with the prevailing state coronavirus restrictions. Some of these “upcycled” hotel rooms can be found in Brooklyn, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia.
You should definitely try one of them and contribute to these thriving businesses.
2. COVID-19-Safe Hotel Accommodations
Despite the continued rising number of COVID-19 infections and prevailing strict coronavirus restrictions, many hotels have begun to adopt “COVID-19-compliant services.”
These COVID-19-safe hotels are a must for travelers and local tourists, especially if you want to feel safe and secure.
A. Improved Services and Amenity Kits
Reputable hospitality and hotel companies have partnered with different private and government institutions to provide various services. These services include streamlining hotel procedures, complete hotel cleaning, in-house virus testing, and the provision of so-called COVID-19 amenity kits containing protective masks, sanitizers, and gloves.
Various solutions have also been employed that decreased the direct interaction between guests and staff members and significantly improved the hotel experience of the customers.
B. Digital Innovation
Many hotels have adopted digital innovations to lessen the face-to-face interaction of guests and hotel staff members, from manually checking in and out of the hotel to concierge services.
These are not only effective biosecurity measures but also a more efficient way of getting services. Some hotels even ask their guests to reserve their in-house restaurant seats online to effectively implement social distancing rules.
These things are just some of the many new things in this post-COVID-19 “new normal.”
3. Hotel Technological Innovations
And finally, the most important thing to look out for are the technological innovations that they are currently employing. Apart from the digitization of many hotel services, there are many technological gadgets and equipment that hotel owners are now using.
From comfort to entertainment, these hotels are really upping the level of their services. One of the most notable hotel technological developments is the “dual-zone” bed, a product of a start-up company known as BedJet. This climate control equipment, known as BedJet Dual Zone, enables you to have warm and cold bedsides.
BedJet recently partnered with the Newport Resort and Marina to employ the “dual zone” gadgets to at least 10 of its suites. This innovation is likely to render air conditioners useless. It can regulate temperature on a particular part of the bed, so there will be no more snatching of blankets from one another every night.
Other than this bed, many hotels are currently improving their entertainment systems. Some accommodations promised gaming systems and nonstop access to different streaming sites.
These innovations are just three of the many that hotel and hospitality owners have employed across the United States. There are still many out there waiting for you to be discovered, but before going out, as always, stay safe and make sure that you follow the rules.