Missing Out By Not Using Virtual Reality In Hospitality ?

 In the 21st century, hoteliers have technology at their fingertips and this gives them a world of possibilities – it’s all about digitisation. Now, it’s all about finding new ways of optimising the guest journey and making hotels and destinations much more appealing to travellers than they were in the past. Virtual Reality Hospitality is the hot new topic.

 

virtual-reality-hospitality

 

The key to success in any business, but especially in hospitality, is to be one step ahead at all times. Make sure that you are prepared for what’s to come and make the most out of what technology throws your way, in order to appeal even more to your guests and make things easier and faster.

Virtual Reality – becoming a necessity?

This is one subject that we have previously dived into since VR has a huge potential for virtual reality hospitality and travel. Today’s traveller has been there and done that and especially the younger generations, being born in the technological era, are pretty jaded. Virtual reality, though, is something that has the power to arouse the imagination and awake the wanderlust in most travellers. The focus of using 3D and VR in the hospitality trade is to ‘match the excitement’ of your customers by providing a platform that quite literally says “our doors are open to you from the moment you visit our website”. This has proven to convert online shoppers into guests because it offers transparency (and therefore a connection), immediate access to your establishment like never before, and accelerates the booking process. Although it’s not the most recently developed technology, VR is just starting to be implemented in businesses and hotels.

 

Virtual reality hospitality

 

Why follow this trend, you may ask? Well, it’s important to know that the majority of consumers are highly responsive to visuals and VR provides the perfect way of experiencing destinations, hotels, rooms, and views prior to a trip and without the actual commitment. VR is set to a become an innovative and exciting new marketing strategy for hoteliers and, though not mandatory in any way, it can be a way to spice things up and go the extra mile for the guests and their journey.

 

“If you’re going to make the decision of [booking] a cruise or a hotel, wouldn’t it be cool if you could check out the ship or your room [virtually] before you spend that much money?” 

Arthur Chapin, Expedia’s Senior Vice President, Product and Design

 

Virtual Reality Hospitality

Between the intrigue of booking a holiday and the date of arrival, there can sometimes be a pretty big leap of insecurities. Did I choose the right destination? Is this hotel right for me? Will this holiday fulfil all of my expectations? These are questions that everyone has before packing their bags and starting their journey. And this is exactly where virtual reality can take the spotlight and work its magic. The dream within a dream.

There has never been a better and more effective way of awaking that wanderlust in travellers such as virtual reality. Giving tourists a taste of what they can experience if they book a stay at your hotel will feel more real than ever. Hotels will be able to provide a teaser of the accommodation, the rooms, the location, the beautiful beaches or pool areas, the breathtaking views, anything that can be visually striking for potential guests and could drive them to book the hotel.

Whether you have your mind set on VR or you are just testing the waters to see what it can do to your hotel’s success rate and popularity among travellers, this is definitely a topic worth the while. Creativity is the only limit and technology is coming out every day with new and exciting ways of enhancing countless experiences, so why not make the most out of it?